

Your internal dialogue influences your mindset (which is reason enough to be mindful of your thoughts). Fortunately, when mindful, you can stop old, harmful thought patterns and behaviors by adopting new, productive thoughts (and accompanying habits) a growth mindset is attainable with mindfulness. Mindfulness Is Conducive to a Growth MindsetĬlearing and replacing destructive thought patterns (or old patterns that no longer serve a purpose) usually requires conscious, continual effort. Though you may not inherently know which thought patterns are stagnating your growth, you thrive once you’re aware and “put in the work” to change them. If distorted thoughts are left unchecked, they’re inadvertently reinforced, becoming your mindset (and reality).

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Tik N’yat Hawn) is a spiritual leader, author, poet and peace activist, who is respected throughout the world for his powerful teachings on mindfulness and peace. Unfortunately, we sometimes conform to, and support thought patterns that prevent growth, with little to no awareness of them. Mindful living or mindfulness involves being aware of or bringing attention to this moment in time, deliberately and without judging the experience. Living more mindfully inspires positive change and growth while revealing inner peace. Mindful living is about taking moments in daily life to be fully present. While we depend on our minds to guide and protect us in life, not all mental chatter is helpful, and excessive mental activity detracts from the fullness of the present moment, inhibiting clarity of mind (while sometimes disturbing our peace of mind). Your mind sheaths your natural quality of mindfulness (AKA “present moment awareness”) because it automatically makes associations between experiences and memories (which spawns related thoughts and emotions, whether pleasant or unpleasant). When your mind drifts from thought to thought, you’re traveling to the past via memories or projecting into the future hence you’re not entirely present or living in the moment. When mindful, you sustain a moment-to-moment awareness of your thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and the world around you. Mindfulness means embracing the present moment as it is – without judgment or clouded perception it’s an innate facet of our being, revealed or accessed when our mind is clear and calm. It improves relationships, can boost performance, and can help you feel more engaged at work. But what many people don’t realize is that living mindfully can enhance our lives in so many other ways.

Yet the concept of mindfulness originated thousands of years ago (you can read more about its history here). Mindfulness is a scientifically proven approach to reducing stress, decreasing anxiety, improving focus, and supporting heart health, just to name a few important benefits. Mindfulness has become a buzzword over the past couple of decades, primarily due to its stress-reduction benefits.
