Habit

Many years ago, my habit was to complain, to distance, to get back at, to be justified, to be defensive, to be superior – all things which are obstacles to lovingkindness, skillful actions and happiness.

As I sent an email to someone this morning in regards to a situation of conflict, it came together really well, naturally, and I realized something. Many years ago I would have responded so much differently or not responded at all, or it would have been an unnatural and difficult task to respond skillfully. I do believe that in my years of practicing mindfulness, I have come to a point where acting in loving ways comes much more naturally than ever before. It isn’t always my first inclination, but there is more often a point of reflection about my true feelings about a matter prior to taking action. There is a coming to understanding of my true feelings and evaluating what behavior would be skillful or not based on the situation.

What is the understanding that is reached? Essentially it is about what is truly personal. And when we reflect on this, in time, we see that nothing is personal. Nothing.

Mindfulness is just not as much work as it used to be. It feels more natural now, at least at this moment in time. It has become a habit, this reflection prior to response. See, there is hope for us all! The work we do, this training we undertake, has benefits in the beginning, the middle and the end! Meditation has positive impacts from the very moment we take on the practice, but there are some very valuable fruits of the practice that come after working at it for some time.