We each have our own values regarding what is important in life. And we each have a personal sense of value, often focused on what we are lacking. It can be useful to identify a few core values you deem important, like integrity, kindness, or a sense of humor. Then recognize how you live those values within yourself. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.
—Malcolm Forbes We’ve likely been hurt many times in life. It is only natural to build some armoring to protect ourselves. Sometimes that armoring is so well constructed that we find it difficult to let love and joy and peace in. We might even find it difficult to inhale with freedom. Perhaps today we can soften into receiving the breath, receiving support from others, and receiving the love we so desperately want and need. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Our task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
―Rumi It is said that “Suffering = Pain x Resistance.” When we are in physical, mental, and/or emotional pain, it is hard enough. Then we add our own resistance to the pain because we want to fix it or get rid of it. Sometimes, when it is do-able and not too overwhelming, it is useful to soften into the fact that pain is here—even to become a bit friendlier with the reality of now. This keeps us from adding suffering onto an already difficult experience and sometimes will help the pain to shift. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Painful feelings are, by their very nature, temporary. They will weaken over time as long as we don’t prolong or amplify them through resistance or avoidance. The only way to eventually free ourselves from debilitating pain, therefore, is to be with it as it is. The only way out is through.
—Kristin Neff Caught in the mode of just getting through the day, we often miss out on wonder. How amazing it is that the earth turns and the sun appears every morning. How amazing that your breath flows in and out keeping you alive. How amazing that your body metabolizes food into energy for action. How amazing that your brain creates images, stories, and fresh new ideas. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.
—Maya Angelou Self-compassion is the ability to treat ourselves the way we might naturally treat others who are suffering. We might place a hand on a friend’s shoulder and say some kind words of acknowledgement and encouragement. We can also do this for ourselves, becoming an inner ally instead of an inner enemy. We do not thrive on criticism, so why do we think our harsh inner words will be motivating? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Unlike self-criticism, which asks if you're good enough, self-compassion asks, what's good for you?...So why is self-compassion a more effective motivator than self-criticism? Because its driving force is love, not fear.
—Kristin Neff Resting in being, rather than doing, is a treasured experience that we do not often value. Certainly, pausing to just be is vital to our well-being. And for true balance, we must also set goals and take action. It is often in those moments of rest that inspiration to act arises. Pausing right now and breathing, allow an inspiration for today to bubble up to the surface. Are you wanting to tackle a task on your list? Would you like to exude joy in the world today? What is important to you right now? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but what he aspires to.
—Kahlil Gibran It is human nature to want to feel valued. Quite literally, we feel safer when we feel like we belong. You have many unique qualities that contribute to the miracle of just being you. When we find ourselves feeling “less than,” it can help to remember what you do well. Are you a good friend? Do you have a special skill? Do you act with integrity? What qualities make you uniquely you? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
—Rosa Parks As a human, we are a product of both nature and nurture—genetics and life experience. But who we are is not static. Our bodies are continually changing and our minds are continually learning. We have so much choice in defining who we are, creating our reality as we go. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
—George Bernard Shaw Adapting can be defined as the ability to adjust to new conditions. Change can either shut us down with fear or open us up with wonder. When we are adaptable, we can override our initial resistance to the challenge by pausing, grounding, and breathing to regroup. This allows the brain time to explore possibilities we did not see at first, and allows us to come from a place of empowerment. Bamboo is so strong it is used as scaffolding for building construction, yet so pliable it can bend without breaking. Adaptability requires both strength and softness. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent.
It is the one that is most adaptable. —Charles Darwin It is easy to get caught up in our own little world, swept into the ego mind narrating our story. To be humble is not to surrender our own needs or dismantle our healthy boundaries. Humility is the capacity to stand firmly within yourself and also to honor the wants, needs, and common humanity of others. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.
—C. S. Lewis Even though it seems like your mind runs the show, in fact, you have great capacity to choose your thoughts, perceptions, and attitude in any situation. If we are going to evolve as a human race, we must start by using the more evolved parts of ourselves. When we’re feeling overwhelmed, it takes skill and courage to pause, assess the situation with awareness, then re-center and take wise action with an attitude that aligns with our best self. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.
—Aldous Huxley Kindness starts at home, within yourself. When the harsh inner critic raises its voice, it can be helpful to recognize that life is hard and suffering is a shared human experience. Having compassion for our own suffering helps to ease the nervous system’s fight-flight-freeze response and activate the brain’s higher functioning processes. Then when we’re kinder with ourselves, it is easier to be kinder with everyone. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle.
—Plato With so much complexity in the world, it has become the norm—even an addiction—to multitask. We check the phone, read the news, remember yesterday, plan tomorrow, have a conversation, and eat a meal all at once. It can be a profound practice to fully immerse yourself in one task, one step at a time. This clears the haze of carrying so many loose ends, and helps us live the moment we’re living. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
—Laozi The breath is the great processor of life. Not only does the breath bring us life, it helps us move life experiences through us—digesting what useful and expelling what is not. Let the breath be the most important tool on the top shelf of your toolkit. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Slow, deep breathing is important…It’s like an anchor in the midst of an emotional storm: the anchor won’t get rid of the storm, but it will hold you steady until it passes.
—Russ Harris Contentment cannot be manufactured or forced. Contentment comes when we release all desire and aversion and rest in what is, not needing or wanting any other moment or experience. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.
—Henry David Thoreau Rather than expecting others to behave a certain way or telling others what to do, the best teacher is the one who models their truth. Live your truth and it emanates from you wherever you go. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Be the change that you wish to see in the world.
—Mahatma Gandhi Life is surely serious and filled with work, concerns, and major disasters. Life is also fun, and we sometimes forget how to be silly and enjoy ourselves. Welcome fun today. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Creativity is intelligence having fun.
—Albert Einstein Are you waiting for something to happen to be happy? If we’re relying on something outside of ourselves for our happiness, we are giving away our power. Of course, we have times of grief and suffering. This is a part of being human. And there are also times when we are perpetuating our suffering by focusing on what is not going well. Perhaps you notice at least one small thing today that brings you happiness and choose to focus on that, especially to help balance negativity bias. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health.
—Voltaire As the days are growing longer and brighter, we celebrate spring moving into summer. Lighter times feel good, yet we must experience darkness and suffering to even have a concept of what is bright and wonderful in contrast. The good news and the bad news is that both the pleasant and the unpleasant are temporary. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
—Sir Francis Bacon Hope might be described as wanting something to happen. Wanting, however, can be experienced as grasping and reaching…and then disappointment when it does not come to pass in the way we expected. We might be better served if we think of hope as openly holding space for what is possible and trusting that we can navigate whatever unfolds. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.
―Martin Luther King, Jr. |
AuthorLori Furbush teaches Qigong, Yin Yoga, & Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). She weaves MINDFULNESS & RELAXATION into every moment. Archives
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