Finding mindfulness or being found

[JonW]

In her wonderfully wise book Upside Down Zen, Susan Murphy writes about how she came to meditate in the first place: "A time comes when it is just no longer convincing to continue to live as if we had an eternity of time ahead of us. Sometimes the shift comes in the form of the right kind of trouble, which churns a restless wake of searching behind it."

I particularly like "the right kind of trouble". How many of us, I wonder, come to mindfulness out of chaos and crisis? And, when we look back on the crises that nudged or propelled us into the meditative life, do we look back in gratitude? Maybe the turmoil felt unbearable at the time. But without it, maybe we would never have followed the mindful path.
So here's to the right kind of trouble.

[Gareth]

My kind of trouble was MS, but mindfulness has been so good for my life that it's worth having the disease for.

[JonW]

That's a wonderful and truly gracious way of looking at it, Gareth.

[larorra]

I found mindfulness through Stress and am glad of those difficult months otherwise i would never have found mindfulness. Everything happens for a reason.

[FeeHutch]

I have never been angry about the brain haem or really wondered 'why me' because, well, why not me.

In many ways I am actually grateful it happened because I needed to see how little of my life I was really present in, how much I was putting up with despite the extreme physical and emotional toll and how little I was valuing myself.

I had got so far with trying to be more present, look after myself better etc but discovering mindfulness was what really bridged the gap between mind and body and helped me discover a level of peace no end of plans and goals at attempts to force into being had failed to deliver. It isn't perfect, I'm not perfect and it doesn't stop anxieties, negative thoughts or even the odd bout of self sabotage but it does help me realise what is going on for me, why I am experiencing the feelings I do and gives me the tools to accept and be compassionate to myself.

[Kath]

Mindfulness found me when I had months of forced off work time due to a cataract that has me blind in 1 eye - still don't have a date for an op to fix it yet. Long story - but suffice it to say it's one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Without it I would still be on the angsty stressy treadmill . . . . . I'll never be the same again, thank Goodness.