Mindfulness provides a window into my habits.

Mindful in full make up!

 “Mindfulness is like a microscope; it is neither an offensive nor a defensive weapon in relation to the germ we observe through it.  The function of the microscope is just to clearly present what is there.”   Whereas…”Awareness is seeing the discovery of mindfulness.” Chogyam Trungpa’s, The Myth of Freedom on Mindfulness and Awareness, page 49 provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between Mindfulness and Awareness.

I use my ability to become the watcher to observe my emotions, becoming mindful of how my heart beats faster when I am anxious, what actions I want to take as a result.  The awareness of what I observe helps me make choices. Interrupt the actions driven by that feeling or be carried along with the stream unconsciously.

Every day is another opportunity to be mindful or be mindless; another opportunity to be kind or to be irritating towards your loved ones.  I don’t say this lightly.  I mean we will do it all.  I do it all every day. 

I succeed and fail at many things in the course of one day. I follow my eating plan. I bite my fingers. I am late with an email. I show up for a friend.  I fix something and initiate a set of emails from December 2017.

At least I find comfort in knowing that as I become mindful of my own actions and choices, I am made aware of who I am in any moment.

When I choose to use kindness and compassion towards myself, and as Janet Archer reminded me -- along with a sense of humor, I enjoy life much more than if I am always seeking perfection and making judgments of myself.

Trungpa’s teaching offers me relief, joy and freedom because I am learning to be open to expect that life will be rich – moments of kindness and the moments of making bad choices.  All of it can be used in our growth and development.

All of it sits in the loving vessel we hold for ourselves and others. This allows me to enjoy life in my 60s.  Whew.