Many of us don't understand the power of mindfulness. However, if we learn and practice it we can lead a satisfactory and productive life. Maybe we can even stay sober.
Mindfulness means living in the present moment, immersing ourselves in this second - which is all we really have. Each second of our life is more valuable than a gold coin for the simple fact that time is one thing we never get more of. If we don't live in this moment then we've wasted something invaluable and irreplaceable.
How many times have you heard the term "I was completely out of my mind" or "or that stuff was so good it got me completely out of mind"
Some of us take drugs or alcohol because the present reality is so painful that we escape into a chemical haze so we don't have to feel what we're feeling. If we continue to live our lives this way we find that we've thrown away large chunks of precious time, time that can never be reproduced or replaced.
"But," you might respond, "sometimes I can't deal with reality. I need something to cover the pain of my broken heart, my lost fortune, my failure in school." There is an answer though. And the more we practice it the more powerful of a tool it becomes.
And that answer is to learn to practice mindfulness or its close cousin, meditation.
Instead of running from the reality of our pain, we mindfully face it, like facing a bully that is trying to control our lives.
If it could be summoned up in one word, that word would be acceptance. If we stand up and accept what is going on in our lives we become stronger. We always accept what is going on in our lives. And we do this by telling ourselves that whatever's happening right this moment is perfect, it's exactly the way the universe is supposed to be. If we characterize something as painful or insufferable then that's the effect it will have on us.
A good technique to overcome our perceived pain or unhappiness is to look about us. All over the world there are people who are starving, suffering from disease, or lack of clean water to drink. So many others live lives of suffering from malnutrition or lack housing. If we look at the world from this perspective all of sudden we find gratitude in whatever we have.
If we live our lives in this moment - and accept it as perfect - we find a perfect world.
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