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4 Reasons to Be Mindful

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With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment. ~Nhat Hanh

I believe that mindfulness has the power to change the world. I really do.

I think it’s something that should be taught in every school. Workplaces should encourage workers to be mindful in every day of their lives. All our world leaders should be people who are mindful. Political and business decisions should be made in a state of mindfulness.

I really do believe it can right the wrongs we commit against one another, create an infinitely more peaceful and co-existent world, and bring each and every person on the planet joyfulness, wonder and fulfillment.

I feel so strongly about this because I can honestly say that being mindful and more aware of all that goes on around me, inside and out, has changed my life infinitely for the better.

Before I found mindfulness I was very confused and angry, very depressed and anxious, and in general rarely ever able to get the joy out of life. I took the thoughts in my head to be who I was, and so all my negative thinking made for so much trouble in my life.

Inadequate & Judged

I found it hard to create and maintain meaningful relationships. I would often lash out at friends, feel betrayed and upset, and I never really managed to deeply connect with anyone.

I found it difficult to focus on anything productive and so maintained average grades at university. I always felt inadequate and judged by people and so never had the confidence to speak freely or engage with new people, or try any new, exciting experiences.

I was miserable, and I often had suicidal thoughts. Who knows what would have happened to me if I didn’t engage in mindfulness? I may have lived the rest of my life in fear and anxiety, never really enjoying being alive.

Glimpses of Peace

The first thing that set me on my path was the writings of Eckhart Tolle. His writings are incredibly powerful, and if you haven’t had the joy of reading them, then I insist you do. When I started reading The Power of Now and began to “watch the thinker” as Eckhart calls it, I discovered something I had never experienced before.

I began to see how badly my negative thinking was affecting me. More importantly, I began to glimpse the immense sense of peace and aliveness that is inside each one of us, regardless of external situations.

In my everyday life, I began to call my mind out when it was taking over. If I ever felt anxiety, anger or self-doubt coming on, all I had to do was be still, be aware, and everything would pass as a cloud passes through the sky.

As I’ve got better at being more mindful and more able to bring it into my everyday life, I can honestly say that every single aspect of my life has improved. Here are just a few reasons to consider mindfulness:

1. Bliss

The enormous sense of well-being and peace I now feel within me is something I can never be grateful enough for. Every inch of my body feels so great, so energetic! Life is so much more fun, so much more enjoyable, so much more of a playground now that I know how to be mindful.

There is a kind of space inside me that feels so alive and vibrant, and when I truly embrace it and am one with it, it brings out a sense of bliss that is so hard to describe and so unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.

2. Confidence

I’m so much more of a confident person than I ever imagined I could be. I don’t fear people and social situations anymore; rather I embrace them. I’ve come to love people! Talking and connecting with friends has become one of my favorite things to do in the world. Meeting new faces never ceases to bring a smile to my face.

I don’t take my negative thoughts toward others seriously anymore, nor do I care if my mind tells me I’m not cool enough or funny or witty enough to approach people. And because I have done away with all the mind baggage that weighed me down, I have made some of the most incredible friends from the world over.

I have gained the confidence to try things I never would have even dreamed of before I became mindful and through that have embarked upon some incredible and life-changing experiences.

3. Passion for Learning

My ability and passion for learning too have increased. I feel that because my mind is working less on calculating past and future and not worrying about self-made, non-existent problems, I have so much more brain power.

My writing has become significantly more eloquent and engaging (Well, maybe you can be the judge of that!)When I attend lectures at university, my mind isn’t distracted by things that don’t have anything to do with what’s happening around me. It is only taking in and engaging with what the professor is talking about, and what I’m writing down in response.

I finding that I want to learn about anything and everything. Since I’ve realized that I’m not the voice in my head, but the space behind it, I have come to see that our brains are beautiful and wondrous tools when used correctly.

I’ve started reading more than I ever have before in my life. I’ve studied things I never thought I could have the slightest interest in, like:

  • Quantum theory
  • Cognitive science
  • Astrology
  • Aerospace
  • Different languages (German, Spanish, French, even Mandarin!)
  • Ancient Eastern philosophy

I find it so strange that I’m enjoying studying for leisure, but it is such a fulfilling thing to exercise your brain when not taken in by pointless, energy-sapping thoughts.

4. Life Feels Fulfilled

Underlying all of these significantly improved aspects is the fact that I simply find life to be so beautiful and fulfilling now. Everything I see looks so vibrant and alive. It doesn’t matter too much what happens outside of me; all that matters and fulfils me is that I am here. I am alive. Here. Now. What an astounding miracle!

My mind isn’t taken away by things that don’t matter, so I am deeply rooted in the here and now, witnessing and being part of the unfathomable and wondrous dance of existence that is happening right before my very eyes.

Our world is a remarkable one. There is so much beauty and wonder that we ignore. There are no problems here, only the one’s we have created in our own heads.

Parting Words

So you see why I deeply believe that mindfulness can change the world. It changed me, and it is there to help change you and help you discover infinite joy in simply being.

I invite you to be still, to be aware and come to discover that heaven is and has always been inside of you waiting to be discovered.

Right here. Right now.

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About the author

Liam Leahy is in his final year of study at the University of Sussex with a BA in American Studies. He recently spent a year studying at the University of California, San Diego and had the most incredible experience. He's still contemplating his future in terms of career, but for now he really enjoys just being where he is and how he is. He loves writing and literature. He believes creating the best words in the best order is such an under-admired art.

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