The Honest Guide to Mindfulness, Part 3

The Honest Guide to Mindfulness, Part 3

By Leo Babauta

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It’ll show you all your “faults.” You’ll learn through mindfulness practice that you’re not as disciplined(ˈdisəˌplind) as you’d like to be. You’re not as tough(təf), competent(ˈkämpətənt), skilled, exceptional. This will become clear as you practice.

You’ll come face-to-face with all of your demons(ˈdēmən). And then you’ll make friends with them.

You’ll start to think other people should be more mindful … and you’ll be wrong. As you start to get “better” at mindfulness, and more and more aware of your habits and patterns and thoughts … as you drop into the present more often … it will become clearer when other people aren’t being mindful. And you might think they should be practicing too, that they should put their phones down and be more present. You’ll think you know how others should be mindful, because you’ve learned a thing or two.

And then you’ll realize that judging others and thinking you know how others should behave is just your mind’s old pattern of judging and trying to get control. You’ll learn to let that go too, sometimes … and when you do, that’s when you’ll become more open to connecting with others vulnerably(ˈvəln(ə)rəb(ə)l).

It requires more than mindfulness. As you practice, you’ll find that mindfulness by itself isn’t the answer to everything. It doesn’t magically(ˈmajək(ə)lē) solve any problems. It’s a powerful practice, and can bring wonderful awareness to your life. But sometimes that awareness is of all the terrible things you’re feeling, all the harsh(härSH) thoughts you have about yourself, all the harsh thoughts you have about other people or the world around you. Awareness doesn’t always feel good! And it doesn’t solve everything.

Mindfulness is only part of the work. The work also requires compassion(kəmˈpaSHən) — for yourself and others. It requires vulnerability and the ability to open your heart. It requires honesty(ˈänəstē) and the willingness to face things. It requires being willing to love things as they are, without needing to control things. It requires letting go of what you think things should be like, letting go of what you think you should have or shouldn’t have. The work requires you to be willing to be curious, to be open, to remain(rəˈmān) in not knowing.

It is beautiful work, and requires courage(ˈkərij). I am learning along with you, and am glad to be on this journey with a fellow explorer(ikˈsplôrər).

https://zenhabits.net/honest-mindfulness/