Friday, February 17, 2006
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is…a meaningful state of mind. It means we
Have to be here now, in this very moment, and we have
to know what is happening internally and externally.
It means being alert to our motives and learning to
change unwholesome thoughts and emotions into
wholesome ones. Mindfulness is a mental activity that
in due course eliminates all suffering.
-Ayya Khema, "Be an Island"
My goals of working on my science fiction story and practicing Spanish have gone by the wayside! Self-discipline (self-control, motivation and perseverance) – out the window as usual. I have even gained some weight!
On the positive side, I have been walking regularly. I have to get back to using my elliptical trainer now that my operation and recovery is over.
I just do NOT RECOGNIZE controlling my intake of food (this is where mindfulness comes in) as an issue in self-control, which of course it is! I always give in to my desires too easily. It is rarely with pure junk food now, but the quantity is far too much so that even substitution is not really a help.
I also must start dividing up my after dinner hours in scheduled blocks if I am to get serious about my story and my Spanish skills. I am scheduling a two week Spanish Immersion course in Mexico in November so I have to get serious about reviewing what I know and learning anew.
Let’s see how I do.
4:15 - 7
After work Shopping, Banking etc., Dinner, News, Cleanup, Walk Dogs, Review Bills and Payments, Read Magazines
7 – 8
News, Elliptical Trainer, Shower – TV OFF
8 – 9
Spanish learning -- at desk!
9 – 10
Writing -- at desk!
10 +
Bed at last -- TV and computer games until sleep time!
Rosalind 10:30 AM
Thursday, February 02, 2006
More on Self-Discipline
Essential Elements of Self-Discipline:
- Self-Control – restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires.
- Motivation – a motivating force, stimulus, or influence: INCENTIVE, DRIVE.
- Perseverance – To persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement.
- Goals – The end toward which effort is directed.
From: http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/
This fit so nicely into my own recent goal to build my capacity for self-discipline that I found it interesting that I decided to visit the fatmanwalking website for the first time since April 2005! Synchronicity or coincidence?
He had put up a quote from another site that I liked also:
I know that once I find inner happiness, I will also find a better balance. I was naive to think I could make permanent lifestyle changes in my attitude toward food simply based on self-discipline. I don't overeat because I am hungry. I overeat because that's how I choose to cope. Josie at http://thelosthawaiian.blogspot.com/
So, what are my demons that disturb my inner happiness, that cause me to cope by throwing off my self-control, to abandon my goals? What are those demons that kill my motivation and perseverance?
- Abandonment, loneliness and isolation fears
- Feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy
- Sense of failure and purposelessness
- Targeting as social scapegoat fears
- Political and social upheaval concerns
One thing that I notice that could keep me in a cycle of loss of self-discipline is the demon of a sense of failure and purposelessness. Abandoning my self-discipline leads to a sense of failure and purposelessness that in turn leads to coping by abandoning my self-discipline!
Perhaps in order to keep my balance, whenever I feel like giving into lack of self-control, motivation and perseverance, I should review the above listed demons to see if that is the source of the abandonment of my goals!
A new strategy to add to my repertoire! I am pleased with today’s insight.
Rosalind 4:02 PM
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