- The Mind, Explored.
- Posts
- Quality of Life = Quality of Mind
Quality of Life = Quality of Mind
Happiness and suffering are nothing more than mental events.
The Mind, Explored.
November 05, 2023
When we’re anxious about the future - that is our mind.
When we overthink about our mistakes in the past - that is our mind.
When we’re filled with joy, or amazed by nature - that is also our mind.
How can some people find peace in poverty, while others are miserable despite being surrounded by all the material wealth they could possibly wish for?
Insight:
Of course, external circumstances can give us challenges to overcome. But it's our mind, rather than circumstances themselves, that governs how we process our experiences and determines the quality of our life.
Happiness and suffering, however extreme, are nothing more than mental events. This gives us the opportunity to make the best of bad situations, to find a positive insight that could help us in the future, or to feel grateful for what we have rather than envious of what we do not have. Equally, we also have the opportunity to find the negative in any situation. The choice is yours.
Simply by acknowledging that this is the nature of the game we are playing allows us to play it differently. How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the quality of our experience. And when we bring positive mindfulness to the present moment all the time, that leads us into a pretty good future, too.
“Your mind will determine the quality of your life.”
In his book and app by the same name, ‘Waking Up’, Sam Harris gives us clarity on this insight. The book explores the nature of consciousness, while the app offers mindfulness training through guided meditation.
Tool:
The Buddha taught mindfulness as the appropriate response to ‘dukkha’, which translates to ‘unsatisfactoriness’. Our attachment to the good things in life and our aversion to the bad means that we end up denying reality, which inevitably leads to feelings of dissatisfaction.
Mindfulness is a technique for achieving peace amid these ups and downs, allowing us to simply be aware of the quality of experience in each moment, whether pleasant or unpleasant, widening the space between stimulus and response.
No doubt, more focused therapy may be needed in severe cases. But by meeting our experience with awareness, it is possible to find peace in the present moment, even while working towards change for the better.
Written by Dr Manu Sidhu 🩺
Feel free to email back with any thoughts, questions, or ideas for us to explore.
If this article resonated with you, the best way for you to support is by sharing it with others who may be interested.
Disclaimer:
The Mind, Explored. is for informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information in this newsletter or materials linked from this newsletter is at the user’s own risk. The content of this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of health care professionals for any such conditions.
Reply