To Tell the Modes Apart
Mindfulness practice doesn’t eliminate my personal narrative.
It gradually changes my relationship to it.
I try to suspend my story for a few minutes each day in order to experience immediate aspects of my life directly, but mindful awareness and personal narration are completely compatible.
An optimized version of this relationship begins with learning to tell these two modes of attention apart and intentionally relating to both of them with more curiosity.
My personal narrative is not my enemy.
The challenge is to get better acquainted with its composition over time through repeated, objective observation.
Thoughts are not my enemies.
The challenge is to try to improve my ability to see and hear my thoughts without always needing to decipher their meaning.
Unpleasant emotions are not my enemies.
The challenge is to become more intimately familiar with the full spectrum of emotions without taking them all so personally.
As intimacy with the elements of my experience grows, so does a sense of freedom that comes from being able to decide which mode to use and to switch between modes with greater flexibility and ease.
See also: Bullet Journal