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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Mindfulness summary
Mark Williams and Danny Penman
An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
21 mins
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Table of Contents
Mindfulness
Summary of 7 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 7
Mindfulness isn’t what most people think it is.
Mindfulness has been making plenty of headlines lately. But despite all the magazine splashes, there are still a lot of misunderstandings and mistaken assumptions about what it is and what it’s good for.
And that’s a shame because these myths often end up putting people off.
Let’s break down some of the most common misconceptions – beginning with the idea that it’s a religion.
It’s not, though it is a popular practice within many religions. Mindfulness is a mental training technique that’s compatible with all sorts of beliefs and ideas.
But you have to sit cross-legged on the floor to practice mindfulness, right? Wrong! You can if you like, but most people practice it wherever they feel most comfortable.
What about time? Doesn’t mindfulness take up too much of it, and won’t it make you lazy?
In a word, no! You can be mindful anywhere from a minute to an entire day – it’s completely up to you. As for distracting you from your goals, it’s been shown that mindfulness actually helps to focus your mind.
Okay, so now that we’ve busted a couple of myths, let’s look at what mindfulness actually is.
Essentially, it’s all about compassionate awareness. You observe your thoughts and the feelings they evoke like you would clouds in the sky, without criticising or taking action.
Take an example from everyday life. As you walk home from work, you begin thinking about how your colleague was rude to you earlier in the day.
You could send an angry email complaining about their behavior when you get home. But what would happen if you just watched your negative thought take shape before flying away – wouldn’t it be better to simply let it pass?
Mindfulness is about the ability to let negativity pass over you like a raincloud. It grounds you in the present and keeps you attentive to what’s happening right then and there.
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What is Mindfulness about?
Mindfulness (2011) guides readers through eight weeks of meditation specially designed to bring greater peace of mind. The result of a collaboration between a biochemist and a clinical psychologist, this is a scientifically-grounded course that paves the way to greater mental well-being while busting plenty of myths along the way.
Best quote from Mindfulness
We try so hard to be happy that we end up missing the most important parts of our lives and destroying the very peace that we were seeking.
—Mark Williams and Danny Penman
Who should read Mindfulness?
- Anyone looking for an oasis of calm in today’s hectic world
- Rational thinkers who have been put off by the spiritual associations of mindfulness
- Readers interested in the life of the mind
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