Mindfulness. You may be reading about or hearing this word more often. While the word is not new, its usage among the general population as well as within education is on the rise. In essence, it is a state of mind which is achieved by focusing our awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting our feelings, thoughts and physical sensations. Originally intended as a means of therapy, mindfulness, today, is becoming more of a way of life. We are, after all, the sum total of our thoughts. Our thoughts affect the way we feel by producing chemicals, such as serotonin, which regulate our mood.
What more people are beginning to realize is that if our thoughts affect the way we feel, and we ultimately choose the thoughts about which we think, we can ultimately affect how we feel by focusing upon choosing the correct thoughts. Scientifically, this is accurate. However, humans are not as simple as that. While we do choose what to think about, we do so mostly without thinking. What does that mean, you ask? Quite simply, most of what we think about has become a habit of thinking. Take the optimists, for instance. They see the good in life and people. They are generally happy, content and fulfilled. Were they born optimists, or are they just so used to thinking that way that it has become a habit? While we are certainly born with certain genetic predispositions, most of us are the results of our environment; especially the one in which we were raised.
Mindfulness is all about our reconnecting to ourselves to our true desires, dreams and ambitions while becoming aware of how our thoughts are affecting our view of life. Let's face it, we all wish for a life of peace, harmony and fulfillment. Our brains are bombarded, though, every day by the news, the media and our culture. We chase after things in the belief that they will be the conduit of happiness, but the reality is they will not. Things collect dust and wind up in garage sales. But mindfulness brings us into the infinite world of our inner selves. It allows for us to foster and cultivate appreciation for all of the wonderful things in life, such as the air we breathe, the sun and every element of nature from which we derive life. Mindfulness allows us to supersede the false need for material items. It gradually puts our attention on the greater things in life. And, where we place our attention is where we will be.
If you find that you are unhappy, before you run to take a pill, try engaging in mindfulness. Try it every day for a month. Unhappiness in most people is the result of long-term, negative and fearful thinking. We must accept the reality that we are ultimately in control of our lives through the thoughts that we think. With Mindfulness, we are taking control of our thoughts and creating new ways of thinking which, if we think the thoughts enough, will become as much of a habit as our negative, fearful thoughts.
This is why mindfulness is now something cutting-edge educators are realizing should be taught to children as young as pre-k. If we start children on the correct path of thinking, we can help them possibly avoid the development of negative thinking while building a generation of mindful, loving, peaceful citizens of the world. So take the time to be thankful for your life, your friends, family; the sun, all of the things you enjoy. Be thankful of others. They'll be thankful for you.
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What more people are beginning to realize is that if our thoughts affect the way we feel, and we ultimately choose the thoughts about which we think, we can ultimately affect how we feel by focusing upon choosing the correct thoughts. Scientifically, this is accurate. However, humans are not as simple as that. While we do choose what to think about, we do so mostly without thinking. What does that mean, you ask? Quite simply, most of what we think about has become a habit of thinking. Take the optimists, for instance. They see the good in life and people. They are generally happy, content and fulfilled. Were they born optimists, or are they just so used to thinking that way that it has become a habit? While we are certainly born with certain genetic predispositions, most of us are the results of our environment; especially the one in which we were raised.
Mindfulness is all about our reconnecting to ourselves to our true desires, dreams and ambitions while becoming aware of how our thoughts are affecting our view of life. Let's face it, we all wish for a life of peace, harmony and fulfillment. Our brains are bombarded, though, every day by the news, the media and our culture. We chase after things in the belief that they will be the conduit of happiness, but the reality is they will not. Things collect dust and wind up in garage sales. But mindfulness brings us into the infinite world of our inner selves. It allows for us to foster and cultivate appreciation for all of the wonderful things in life, such as the air we breathe, the sun and every element of nature from which we derive life. Mindfulness allows us to supersede the false need for material items. It gradually puts our attention on the greater things in life. And, where we place our attention is where we will be.
If you find that you are unhappy, before you run to take a pill, try engaging in mindfulness. Try it every day for a month. Unhappiness in most people is the result of long-term, negative and fearful thinking. We must accept the reality that we are ultimately in control of our lives through the thoughts that we think. With Mindfulness, we are taking control of our thoughts and creating new ways of thinking which, if we think the thoughts enough, will become as much of a habit as our negative, fearful thoughts.
This is why mindfulness is now something cutting-edge educators are realizing should be taught to children as young as pre-k. If we start children on the correct path of thinking, we can help them possibly avoid the development of negative thinking while building a generation of mindful, loving, peaceful citizens of the world. So take the time to be thankful for your life, your friends, family; the sun, all of the things you enjoy. Be thankful of others. They'll be thankful for you.
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