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"[...] the keys to happiness lie in mastering the mind, and not in changing external factors in our lives." I have been interested in mindfulness for years, bu
by msamwald 10y ago
"[...] the keys to happiness lie in mastering the mind, and not in changing external factors in our lives."
I have been interested in mindfulness for years, but I found it very unhelpful to follow strong statements like this one. In many cases I found pro-actively dealing with problems and trying to improve my situation is eventually easier than trying to keep my mind from them.
There is a balance between being mindful and content in the present on the one hand, and being analytical/critical/discontent on the other. Of course, most people in industrialized societies could certainly profit immensely from shifting more towards the mindful state.
- redmaverick 10y agoIf you are mindful you are way more proactive and productive. Mindfulness meditation (done properly) creates a bias towards action by changing the neurochemistry in the brain.
- hammock 10y agoWell put! I would add that in mastering your internal frame of mind, a spotlight emerges on the "right" external factors to focus your action on.
- kiliantics 10y agoYeah, this statement carries some privilege. It's all well and good to master your mind if your circumstances are more or less okay. If there are things out of your control that objectively affect your happiness, like living in poverty for example, it is much tougher to fix it all with a little extra dash of mindfulness.