There are a lot of pulls on our attention, and this can give us a sense of being fragmented. With all the demands on us, it’s easy to react by checking out and sleepwalking through life. Zoning out can be comfortable, but there are many good reasons to live with a sense of being fully awake.
Leading the life we want means waking up and paying attention.
Attention is one of your most important resources. What you focus on shapes what you think, your decisions, what you feel, and, ultimately, your reality. It's like the spotlight that illuminates certain conversations, people, successes, problems, and feelings while leaving others in the shadows.
Mindfulness: Awareness, Attitude, and Values
What does a life well lived look like? It begins here.
Willem Kuyken, Psychology Today August 6, 2024
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I was thinking today in church about how I am on the fringe of Christianity. I see my values and core beliefs as consistent with Methodism and mainline Christianity (leaning towards progressive). I find then Buddhism practice and understanding has enriched my life and clarified a lot of things. The article above mentions sleepwalking through life. I think that's what I did For most of my life until I slowly woke up. Somehow a consistent practice of yoga seems to have been instrumental in my awakening. I am not sure how I ended up at the Saturday morning sessions with Kevin, but a few years ago I wrote how it just seemed like a natural progression.
The article above is an example of a quote I found in 2015: "If you look at the cover and table of contents of Psychology Today, one of the premier lay psychology journals in the United States, you will find many articles containing Buddhist principles used for psychotherapy."
I am one of those described in the following quote from the same article that adopted "a variety of Buddhist approaches to solving some of life’s more difficult challenges."
"The Buddhist wisdom of selflessness is the unique character of Buddhism. This subtle understanding of our ego (egolessness), and the nature of reality in general, attract many educated people throughout the world. This subtle philosophy of life embedded in an ethic of happiness draws more and more non-Buddhists to the Buddhist way of life. Most non-Buddhists continue to follow their own religion inherited from their families. Yet many adopt a variety of Buddhist approaches to solving some of life’s more difficult challenges."
No comments:
Post a Comment