Aaron Engelsrud

I can see where this concept is hard to internalize. We have all become so focused on improvement and climbing the ladder that the idea of doing something without that intention is very challenging.

“Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

The practice of meditation and mindfulness is not an opportunity to escape your life or get away from stress. Rather meditation allows you an opportunity to see things as they really are rather than clouded by emotions and other noise. With clear vision, better reasoning and decisions can be made.

“Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh

Live each and every day like it may be your last. Pay attention to everyone and everything that is important to you. You’ll never regret it.

“It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.” - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

We are always trying to get some where other than where we are - a better job, a bigger house, more money, etc. We are very rarely happy to be where we are and this is a constant source of stress.

“The standard way of reducing stress in our culture is to put as much energy as possible into trying to arrive at a moment that matches our preferences. This ensures that we feel some level of stress until we get there (assuming we ever will) and worse, it makes the present moment into an unacceptable place to be.” David Cain

I find myself purposefully taking time to step back and really focus on what is going on around me, my part in it, and what it means. This helpsme stay present, make better decisions, and focus more consistently.

“Practicing a mindful moment in the middle of the day, helps to bring you back to center, reset, and move into the rest of your day with greater clarity and focus.” — Christine Agro

You need to find time to engange in your practice when you can focus and find calmness. WIthout that, things will seem off, agitated and disjointed.

“Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as the capacity of your mind to be calm and stable. Without calmness, the mirror of mindfulness will have an agitated and choppy surface and will not be able to reflect things with any accuracy.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

Your thoughts and emotions block your vision from seeing the reality of what is in front of you. It’s like looking at everything with tinted glasses. You don’t see the real colors of life until you take the glasses off.

“Mindfulness clears the windshield of the mind so that we can see things as they really are.” — Travis Eliot