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I read and hear so much about mindfulness these days. I have paid it little attention. The word itself feels like it was created as a life vest for the weak in constitution. We have so many who need constant coddling just to get out of bed in the morning. I believe this is at least partly fueled by the mantra of putting yourself and your own needs ahead of everything and everyone else. Everywhere on Social Media, we are encouraged to kick to the curb anyone who dares to put anything above us ever. Couple this with the need to always be seen and the willingness to go to the increasing extremes that seem necessary to garner the attention we so crave, and you have a mindfulness formula sure to leave you wanting.
I know that seems a little jaded, but if you know me, that should be of little surprise.
Anyway, I Googled the query, “tell me about mindfulness.” The following came back. I found some value in some of it, along with a red flag or two.
Googled and Got…
Mindfulness is about paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally, cultivating awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without getting carried away by them, helping to reduce stress and improve focus by observing experiences as they happen. It involves noticing when your mind wanders and gently guiding it back to the here and now, creating space between you and reactions to create a calmer, more spacious way of being.
Key Aspects of Mindfulness
Present Moment Focus
Non-Judgment
Acceptance
Awareness
How it Works
De-centering: It helps you step back from painful thoughts, seeing them as temporary mental events rather than absolute truths, like watching leaves float down a stream.
Reduces Reactivity: By creating space, it lessens impulsive reactions, allowing for calmer responses.
Cultivates Positive States: It fosters self-compassion, focus, emotional regulation, and resilience.
How to Practice
Formal Meditation
Informal Practice
I would like to take a different view of mindfulness and do it with the aid of the Book on which I was raised. (Don’t blame the book for my shortcomings; blame my sometimes reluctance to follow its tenets.) Here we go…
Mind Your Tongue
Don’t swear…
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one. –words of Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:33–37.
Be the kind of honest that doesn’t require you to say “Honestly,” or “Scout’s honor,” or “I swear on the Bible…momma’s grave…my children’s life” or other sacred things.
I miss the days of hearing people say “His word was his bond.” Bring them back. Let’s start with us.
Don’t swear…
With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be! Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. –James 3:9–12.
Confession: I could use a little work on this one if it means cussing. It has bigger meaning than that, though. It means cursing men and women with whom we find fault or disagree. It means to demean and devalue whomever we disagree with. If any of us was created in God’s image, we all were, even the ones on the far end of whatever spectrum we despise most.
Mind Your Manners
Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work, to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone. For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for the people. –Titus 3:1–8
I quote my Dad a lot because he quoted others just as much. He used to say in his sermons and in his auto repair shop, “I put my pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else.”
Don’t listen to the ego-scratchers. You are not some unique being, more special than everyone you know. Oh, you are unique, of course. Just like everyone else. What is special is the grace that has brought you where you are and helped to make you who you are.
Also, remember the Golden Rule…
In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets. –words of Jesus, Matthew 7:12
Too many business people think the Golden Rule is whoever has the gold makes the rules. That may seem so but let me tell you why it is not.
It’s all a dead end.
I love to read. My favorite reads have always been biographies. Right now, I am reading The Big Rich by Bryan Burrough. It is about the four men who stood out above all others and made for themselves incredible wealth, influence, and names in Texas oil—H.L Hunt, Clint Murchison, Roy Cullen, and Sid Richardson. Each of these men went broke or very near it along the way to the dizzying heights of massive wealth. Three of the four enjoyed at least some time as the “richest man in America,” and one of them might have been the richest in the world at one time.
The sad thing about reading biographies, however, is that they all end the same. Every single one, no matter what was accomplished or amassed, died. Not a single exception! They each suffer the indignity, vulnerability, and certainty of death. Just like you. Just like me.
Then what?
It is never about what you got; it’s always what you gave.
One of them was said to have made his entire life about making money. What a sad, unfortunate, ill-informed, and useless legacy. A legacy of selfishness and greed? Is that what you think happiness amounts to?
Another thing I find amazing in biographies is the more selfish a life, the more unsatisfied. Check it out. Verify it. You will see there are no exceptions.
Mind Your Business
Lest I sound anti-business or anti-achievement, let me hasten to add..
For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words. –words of King Solomon, the original world’s richest human, Ecclesiastes 5:3
I use plenty of words because I am a speaker and a writer, so I tread softly around this verse, but I won’t ignore it. I believe in the power of words to inspire. Solomon, in a bit of irony, uses words to say that words are just words. Get it?
He is right, though.
I first heard the following quote from a very successful pastor and oil investor from Midland, Texas. His name is Frank Johnson:
“The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
Some have attributed the quote to Thomas Jefferson, though there is no specific proof.
Golfer Gary Player said it but others apparently said it first.
It always reminds me of that west Texas preacher I heard say it. He was as unassuming as he was successful…and rich.
The thinkers and the dreamers and the talkers have to become doers to take care of their business.
Some say hard work is where it’s at. Others say, “No! Work smart.”
I say if you are going to work smart, you have to work hard to figure out what that looks like.
Mind Your Own Business
For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. –2 Thessalonians 3:10–12
Busybodies have one of three problems:
They have too much time on their hands during which they do nothing productive.
They ignore the pain of their own problems by focusing on others.
They have hatred or jealousy in their hearts.
Be too busy working on yourself to see others’ warts. And don’t gossip!!!
Someone once came to me to tell me people were talking about me and my leadership.
I said, “Which people? Give me their names and I will arrange a meeting with them and you and me and we can talk to each other rather than about each other.”
He declined. I didn’t need to know anything more than that.
Want to support this work a little but not a lot? Well, a little is a lot and it says a lot. It says, “I like it. Don’t quit even if you want to. That is the kind of encouragement this button provides…
Mind Your Mind
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. –Philippians 4:8
The mind is where it all lives. It is the most amazing thing in all of God’s creation. Its capabilities are immense but its vulnerabilities are significant. You have to guard it, train it, focus it, exercise it, control it, unleash it, leash it…
Every great idea and every horrible notion, every noble and every ignoble deed begins there.
Thoughts are not easy to control and the weakness of the flesh means they will tend to drift toward the unhealthy or unholy if we allow it.
Mind Your Heart
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil. –Proverbs 4:23–27
In Scripture, the terms “heart” and “mind” are often seen as synonymous. The heart, however, is more along the lines of the whole person, the inner being, the spirit. The mind is a tool like the physical heart, whereas the spiritual heart is the inner life, the real me—not just my thoughts, but my intentions, my motives, my inspirations, my aspirations.
Summary
Don’t make mindfulness about making yourself the focus of attention or encouraging yourself to feel devalued or disrespected by a world that really owes you nothing. Mindfulness is about ownership. I think of the Google response to my query, I like this best:
It involves noticing when your mind wanders and gently guiding it back to the here and now, creating space between you and reactions to create a calmer, more spacious way of being.
If you have thoughts to add, I don’t mind. I am glad to hear them. Please leave them in the comments. We are on this journey together, and unless the reincarnation folks are right, we are all doing it for the first time. There is bound to be a learning curve.
My best to you!
~Gene
