Hello everyone,
This week we read up to pg 32 " Paying attention to mind...". We read and discussed mindfulness, what it means and how we use it. We also touched on discomfort and awareness of sound.
This week's discussion question is based on this quote from p27 Mindfulness...helps us to see into our own minds and the ways that we undermine ourselves and gives us the opportunity to make new choices based on our own wisdom"
So the question is how have you undermined yourself (in the past) and where have you made a new choice based on your own inner wisdom? Please share an example or how you relate to this and how mindfulness was a part of the process.
For me, I have learned to be more aware and compassionate towards my inner critical voice that was always beating me up ( and still does at times). Now, I call her Bertha and try to practice saying, "No Bertha, that's not true." or "No Bertha, I choose a different thought today" That is how I make a new choice based on awareness that began with my mindfulness practice and how I relate to my own thoughts.
What about you?
I often have negative self-talk, and thoughts based on judgments and preconceptions (what is right, what is wrong, how to and not to do things, others' beliefs "shoulds"), such thoughts that were reinforced within me by unsupportive and judgmental parents. More and more as I am mindful/aware of the presentation of negative self-talk I remind myself, "it is a lie," dismiss the thought and I am able to redirect my focus to the present moment and not obsess over it or choose to believe it. As I am mindful/aware of the judgments and preconceptions that cross my mind, a lot of the "should" thoughts and comparisons, I remind myself that each moment is a new experience. Aware of the common derivative of these thoughts, I picture a box containing all such things, my "rent dragon," exploding to let go of the judgments and preconceptions, and accept and enjoy the "NOW."