Mindful Gratitude is a tool for reducing dissatisfaction and the attachments which arise from it. It encourages us to focus on life’s contents with balance whether a moment is comfortable or not. Even when we can’t find anything to appreciate about the moment, there will always be something or someone we can focus on and feel grateful for.

 

By David Jones

What is mindfulness?

There are so many definitions, explanations, articles and books that it all just gets a bit much, doesn’t it? People who were mindful before mindfulness was cool are ‘mad about the fad’ it became. And it’s gone from an aspect of Buddhism to its own thing, from an Asian mystery to an American industry.

So let’s try this a different way.

In my writing, mindfulness is a multifaceted gem, a single thing with many sides—many ‘faces,’ angles, characteristics, focal points, aspects, etc.—all connected to each other as part of the whole. In fact, when you look at any one facet you can also see others working alongside it. But what are these facets, and how do they work? Let’s walk through them alphabetically.

Acceptance:

Mindful Acceptance has to do with engaging life in the moment just as it is without resisting it, not trying to judge it as good or bad, and simply letting go of any reactive desire to change it. To change something it is first necessary to accept what it really is.

Attention (Focused Awareness):

Mindful Attention is the focus we apply to something here and now, dismissing any distractions such as thoughts, feelings, or judgments, especially distractions from thoughts or experiences outside of this moment.

Awareness (General Awareness, Situational Awareness):

Mindful Awareness encompasses a broader sense of the here and now, which includes our thoughts, feelings and experiences. It is a situational recognition of one’s internal and external environment and appreciation of them, observing them without getting attached to, reacting to, or judging them but noting them just as they are. It also includes being cognizant of the interconnected nature of oneself and the rest of the universe.

Balance. (Middle Way):

Mindful Balance is the principle behind the Middle Way approach to living. It encourages finding and maintaining an equilibrium in the moment by not giving in to polarized views, feelings, attitudes, or behaviors.

Compassion:

Mindful Compassion involves practicing kindness and sympathy towards oneself and others, which moves us with a desire to reduce any suffering we encounter.

Detachment: (AKA Non-Attachment)

Mindful Detachment refers to a conscious choice not to become or remain tethered to our thoughts, feelings, circumstances, understandings, or behaviors. This keeps us from being dragged through fields of flaming barbed wire by chaotic emotions or fickle circumstances. It also liberates us to flow with life’s stream to better ports.

Gratitude:

Mindful Gratitude is a tool for reducing dissatisfaction and the attachments which arise from it. It encourages us to focus on life’s contents with balance whether a moment is comfortable or not. Even when we can’t find anything to appreciate about the moment, there will always be something or someone we can focus on and feel grateful for.

Intentionality:

Mindful Intention is setting our feet in a desired direction and then walking that path. It reduces how much we rely on chance or wishful thinking, helps us make choices about ourselves and our circumstances, and follow through. It also reminds us to choose our responses instead of habitually reacting.

Letting Go (Not clinging):

Mindfully Letting Go involves being aware of our habit of clinging, our habit to hold on to things which don’t serve our best interest. This includes things which used to be helpful but aren’t now due to changing circumstances or other changes. Once we understand this habit, we intentionally let go of that thing so we can move forward in life.

Non-judgment:

Mindful Non-Judgment involves suspending judgment of oneself and others, and observing experiences with curiosity and compassion, without labeling them as good or bad. Without labels we can observe a thing and engage it without attachment or avoidance based on reactive bias.

Openness:

Mindful Openness involves cultivating an open and curious attitude towards experiences, being willing to explore and learn from them, without preconceived notions or expectations. This is the principle behind Beginner’s Mind or Student Mind—it’s about becoming teachable again. It isn’t about needing to experience things you don’t want to, but understanding that reticence.

Patience:

Mindful patience involves cultivating restraint, recognizing that change and progress can take time, and being willing to work through challenges and setbacks. It helps us resist thought loops such as “When will I begin to see results” or “I wish this was over already.” We let go of impatient thoughts and embrace acceptance.

These facets aren’t immutable; they have different names, different applications and different values to different folks. They’re not religious laws which must be adhered to, nor are they black-and-white doctrines which don’t allow for flexibility.

They are different tools to help us engage life and the world, liberating us from reflexive, auto-pilot reactions we can fall into.

 

Photo: Pixabay

 

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