mindfulness will not fix your problems

unfortunately, mindfulness often gets presented as the magic solution to life’s challenges.

here’s the truth: mindfulness won’t solve your problems.

what it does offer, though, is a way to see your problems with clarity and without judgment.

it’s not about fixing things; it’s about noticing them.

i often describe mindfulness as a “platform for learning”.

it is a curious and non-judgmental lens of perception, which results in an ongoing expansion of your awareness.

mindfulness invites you to become more conscious of your experience, moment by moment.

and when you do that, you naturally learn and grow.

mindfulness is hard and easy at the same time

what could be easier than paying attention to the present moment, right?

well, if you’ve every tried it, you know there’s a catch: the moment you feel like you’re being mindful, the experience often slips away.

you get distracted.

you start analyzing, judging, or daydreaming.

no problem.

the good news is mindfulness is not about staying perfectly present – a common misunderstanding.

in fact, i believe, the real value lies in the ebb and flow of presence.

in other words, mindfulness is about noticing when your mind has wandered and gently finding your way back – it’s this alternating between being present and not being present that develops your mindful awareness.

ACTION ITEM: here’s an invitation for this week: simply notice when you are truly present and when you are not.

keep it simple.

next week, we’ll dive deeper into how getting distracted is a key part of mindfulness practice, and why it’s something to embrace rather than judge as a problem.

wishing you many curious moments this week,

donald

p.s. oh, and if you’d like to learn more about mindfulness, check out my friends at UW Mindfulness Program