I wish I’d…I mean, I don’t regret it, but… I hate saying I regret things, but it would have been nice to… How many times have you said, or heard someone say, something along those lines? We have a hard time dealing with regret because it’s almost like admitting failure. It’s like almost admitting we…Read More
How One Morbid Affirmation Will Transform Your Life Right Now
There are few absolute truths in life, but one that is undeniable is this: the only thing that has any substance is the ‘now’. That is to say that this moment, happening right now, is the only thing that matters. It is the only thing that exists and has any relevance to our perceived existence.…Read More
How to Start Practicing Mindfulness Immediately
Inquisitive minds often ask me how best to practice mindfulness. My answer is usually the same and usually takes the asker by surprise; “You are doing it right now”. Of course this prompts an “Am I?” type response. Mindfulness is a life discipline derived from Buddhism and rooted in ancient Tibetan philosophy. But if one…Read More
Seeing Emptiness, Have Compassion
About 10 years ago, one of my teachers said something that has formed an integral part of my life ever since. He was speaking on the subject of dealing with aggression, hate and prejudice, and said, “Seeing emptiness, have compassion”. Those simple words resonated with me immediately; perhaps because he made this act of loving-kindness sound…Read More
How to Stop Worrying – The Mindfulness Approach
Fact: 99% of our worry never amounts to anything more than worry. Worry is the cause of an earth-moving amount of unnecessary stress and emotional torment. Worry can become habitual, leading to a life plagued by anxiety about what might happen if X, Y and Z… So Why Do We Worry So Much? Well, perhaps because…Read More
But What if it’s the Present That Makes Me Unhappy!?
A week ago I received a comment from a reader on my post ‘Will I Ever Be Happy? Stop Waiting for the Perfect Moment’. The fundamental theme of the post is to stop waiting for life to happen; stop waiting for a better moment than the one you have now and step into the present.…Read More
It’s Never Too Late to Start Living the Life You Want!
We tend to see life in sections rather than a continuous journey. We box it up and stack its sections in an order that’s almost taboo to break. We set targets by age, and once past a specific age, we convince ourselves that the target has been missed and the opportunity squandered. “Oh, I’m too old for…Read More
What is the Point of Life?
On the face of it this seems like the most unanswerable question there is, a question that nags our existence from start to finish. And paradoxically, the more we integrate mindfulness with our daily lives and realise that the only reality we have is the present moment, the more life may seem somewhat pointless –…Read More
Impermenance – Remembering That What is Born Will Die
It was only last year that I had the pleasure of meeting the guys who set up The Spring Foundation, an organisation that educates and holds retreats using mindfulness as its approach to coping with cancer, both during treatment and during remission. This week, however, cancer came closer to home. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with…Read More
Mindfulness & the Past – What About History?
Fundamentally, mindfulness is about living in the present, accepting the moment and not being controlled by the past or restrained by perceptions of the future. But what about history? History is of great importance because it helps us understand the circumstances that have shaped the landscape we live in today, not to mention that history…Read More