Mindfulness

Are we aware of what we are doing? Do we examine our thoughts and feelings? Or do we sleepwalk through life like programmed robots, doing mindless activities and bouncing from envy to frustration, from elation to anger, from adoration to resentment.

Do we say what we mean? Does everything we do and say reflect our true intentions? Do our actions enhance our lives and the lives of others in a meaningful way?

We can break the bonds of our programming and conditioned responses by being aware of our actions, thoughts and emotions, without judgment. The light of awareness reprograms our lives and allows us to live in alignment with our true selves. Stale beliefs fall away, and peace, love and joy enter our lives.

Traditionally, in Japanese culture, people are mindful of every activity they do. They put their full attention to whatever they are doing and try to make it as perfect as possible.

We should be mindful in every activity as well. Every action and every thought should reflect our intentions.

Let's bring our attention to every activity we do. Let's be aware of our feet touching the ground when we walk, let's chew every bite of food that we eat and be grateful for the nutrition it provides.

Let's be present, beyond thought.

Peace

Living in a major city, it can be difficult to find peace. The constant noise and concrete contribute to feelings of unease and frustration. Many people living in close proximity with each other increases the chattering of our minds. Thoughts and beliefs are also constantly reinforced.

We can be peaceful in any situation by silencing the turmoil within us. We can be peaceful in any situation, on an isolated beach or on a crowded subway. We can silence the mind and not be lost in our thoughts by bringing our attention to our thoughts without judgment. Our attention is the light of awareness which dissolves stale thoughts and beliefs.

It requires courage and discipline. We have the courage to look at our thoughts and beliefs which have not been examined for a long time. There is nothing in our thoughts which can harm us. Some unexamined thoughts are painful. These thoughts are far more harmful to ourselves when we do not acknowledge them. They cause us to unconsciously live our lives in frustration and fear. By merely bringing our attention to these thoughts, they lose the power to control us and eventually dissolve.

We need discipline to consistently keep our focus on the moment despite the strong pull of outward distractions and inward unconscious thinking. It is like exercising a muscle. The more we practice being present, the easier it becomes.

Let's surrender to peace regardless of where we are or what circumstances we are in.

Being

If there was an activity which, by doing it a few minutes a day, would lower our blood pressure and make us healthier, would we do it? If there was an activity which would improve our relationships, would we find time to do it? What if this activity would make us happy and peaceful, and rid us of our depression, frustration and neuroses?

Unfortunately, there is no such activity which can achieve these results. However, there is a non-activity that will accomplish these things and more.

If we take only a few minutes a day to sit in stillness, all of these things will occur in our lives. Becoming aware of our breath, our thoughts and our emotions, without judgment, takes courage and discipline.

Numerous studies have proven that meditation lowers blood pressure, enhances health, and increases well-being.

Is it worth a few minutes out of our busy day to benefit every aspect of our lives and indeed change the world?

Let's allow ourselves the gift of stillness.

Simplicity

Do we really need to acquire more stuff?

We are inundated with very persuasive propaganda from films, television and advertising, telling us that we are "not enough."

The pharmaceutical companies invent diseases in order for us to purchase drugs every day for the rest of our lives. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and other conditions are usually easily remedied through diet and exercise. The drug companies earn billions of dollars convincing us that a lifetime of drug taking is the only solution.

We are complete just the way we are. Acquiring things will only temporarily make us feel that we are fulfilled. Soon we will feel empty again.

There is nothing wrong with owning and enjoying material objects. Problems arise when we believe that those objects will enhance who we are.

There is nothing that we need to own or add on to ourselves to be complete. Ridding ourselves of things that have no true value will emphasize that. We will feel whole when we realize that we are whole. If we do not realize that we are complete, we should have faith that we are until we know it. Then we will understand that we do not need things to enhance us.

Let's realize that nothing outside of ourselves is necessary because we are already Perfect.

Awareness

We have a choice.

We can go through life in an unconscious state, bouncing from emotion to emotion, alternating between happiness and depair, desire and frustration. We can continue be a victim of our conditioning with no control over our destiny.

Or, we can take control of our lives, our thoughts and our emotions, and move into alignment with our higher selves.

There is nothing that we have to figure out or do to regain control. By bringing our attention to our thoughts, emotions and actions without judgment, the perfect solution to every challenge will be revealed. We gain more from surrendering what we think we know than trying to figure out solutions.

Let's increase our awareness by bringing our attention to what we are thinking and doing. By bringing our attention to the present moment, we will be in harmony with our Divine nature.

Surrender

There is nothing wrong with owning and enjoying material possessions. Problems arise when we identify with those objects and believe that they will help us overcome our feelings of inadequacy. We believe they will help us feel that we belong to a certain group or help make us popular, envied or desired. We believe that if we are envied, there must be something to envy. We feel our lives must therefore have value.

For a period of time, an object might make us feel happy, envied or desired, or that we belong to a group. Soon, our feelings of inadequacy will return. No possession can fill the hole that we feel, because there is no hole. We just think that there is.

When we surrender all of our judgments and beliefs, we realize that our neuroses and insecurities have left us as well. We are left with pure awareness and we are aligned with our higher purpose.

Let's surrender our ideas about our gender. Let's surrender our beliefs about our country. Let's surrender our beliefs about our religion. Let's surrender our beliefs about ourselves.

Discipline

We have all of the tools that we need to become fully integrated. We know how to discard our neuroses and insecurities. We know how to overcome our depression and boredom. We know how to break the cycle of fear, desire, and frustration.

Since we have the tools, all that we need are the will and discipline in order to realize our intentions. Every time we become distracted by our thoughts or emotions is a new opportunity to awaken to presence.

Let's remember to surrender our beliefs and bring our awareness to the present moment.