Communication between people is full of misunderstandings and misinterpretations, in which we primarily react to ourselves, to our inner flow of thoughts and feelings. We think we see, hear, and understand the other person, but instead we mostly project our own image of reality. This image is built from our beliefs, opinions, needs, and desires, and we then experience this result, as I described in the previous part. No wonder we understand each other so little. We simply have it differently.
Mindfulness and Conscious Being
Concepts such as mindfulness or conscious being capture the levels of a person’s ability to perceive reality as it is, naked and without this projection.
Why should I want to be more mindful? I can’t buy bread for that.
Why should we voluntarily give up the projection of our minds? Because we will better understand ourselves, others, and the world around us. True self-understanding also brings satisfaction and a greater degree of freedom. When we understand, we don’t fight. When we understand, we are not in conflict with our surroundings or with ourselves. In addition, decisions that come from understanding are better than those that come only from opinions and beliefs. And thanks to good decisions, we will eventually buy that bread as well.
So what is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to recognize our flow of thoughts and feelings, which runs in us 24/7. Normally, most thoughts are unconscious and pass through us unnoticed. Nevertheless, we react to them in the form of feelings, emotions, or attitudes that they will evoke in us. As our ability improves, we begin to become aware of our beliefs and thoughts that were recently unconscious. Once we acquire this ability, we create the conditions for our mind to stop projecting and not control us. We begin to choose our attitudes, we are aware of our feelings, and we understand what and why we feel.
What do I need to do to be mindful and how long will it take?
Like any ability, mindfulness requires training, personal experience, and time to master, which is individual. It is an ability that requires our motivation and effort until it becomes our nature. What is natural flows effortlessly, doesn’t it?
First of all, it is necessary to find someone who truly possesses this quality. Another person cannot teach it to you, even if they have a certificate. Neither titles nor certificates in this field mean anything. For me, it meant years of inner work. But after a few weeks of training, I saw results that motivated me to keep working on myself. At first we recognize the gross manifestations of the mind and the more advanced we are, the finer subtleties we reveal. The mind is the craftiest fox of all foxes and the smuggler of smugglers. It can slip through, disguise itself, and smuggle some conviction through any loophole.
I took every opportunity to be present, to be mindful and conscious. I often failed (I still do today) and fell into unconscious behavior, but I came back again and again. My master told me, when it happens and you realize it, then your consciousness is back, and that’s great. Appreciate it! A jerk will never realize it and won’t come back. He won’t realize he’s not present. You do!
What Mindfulness Brings Us: What Changes?
We will change! A gap will be created between us and our mental flow. We will cease to be our minds, we will cease to identify with them. It is no longer Me, but That. We perceive our thought programs, we know about them, but we do not have to react to them and they do not control us.
In this way, their influence weakens, until one day they leave forever. Thus crystallizes a free, strong, and mentally mature person.
Freedom and Satisfaction
We better understand ourselves, others, and the events around us. We no longer react to life, but respond and communicate with life. Our response comes from true understanding and we consciously choose it, whether it is a word or an action. This is a big step towards freedom and satisfaction. A huge change in the quality of our experience. Why? Because the response is optional and the choice is free. Reaction, on the other hand, is never a free choice, because it is unconscious and instinctive. An unfree person is not internally satisfied, even though he may achieve social or professional success.
“To stop identifying with one’s own thought flow is the only way to freedom and satisfaction”
For those who find this too little
Self-confidence appears, because we understand ourselves. We feel more open and accepting of others. We feel more balanced and calm. We are more relaxed, yet more efficient. Our ability to concentrate and focus improves. Suffering such as worries, stress and anxiety goes away with a positive impact on our physical health. We get rid of harmful thought patterns and conflict situations in relation to ourselves and others. We are no longer a naive child, nor a programmed person, but a truly mature, free person who completes his mental development. All this has a positive effect on our relationships, family, work, etc.
“Understanding oneself is the culmination of development. We are driven by a force similar to gravity, which is also invisible, yet can be felt, constantly present, directed inwards.”
Once again and more briefly
Mindfulness is the ability to step out of one’s own stream of thoughts and feelings. This gives us the necessary perspective from which we begin to become aware of our beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, and reactions. It is like climbing to the top of a mountain, from where we can see the landscape of our beliefs and thoughts below us. We begin to understand our inner world, our thought programs and reactions. If we acquire the ability not to be swept back, a world of understanding will open up to us of what is happening in us and around us. Compassion will appear. The ability to feel and understand oneself and others. Internal and external conflicts cease, and our responses, decisions, and actions come from this deeper understanding.
We have identified with our programs for our whole lives and often unconsciously pamper them. Therefore, there is a need to be motivated and patient, as getting rid of such a habit takes effort and time. And do not underestimate the need to find the determination to get rid of these programs. Do you know people who are constantly collecting things and find it difficult to get rid of even one thing?
Popularization of Mindfulness and Conscious Being
“Recent developments suggest that we are on the right track”
Mindfulness and conscious being are becoming increasingly recognized by society. They are beginning to appear in the field of leadership, are part of corporate employee development programs, and there are the first signs of implementation in schools, etc. It is beautiful to see, as this is the path on which we rediscover our essence and understand more deeply: who we are.
