Make Your Intention to Say Yes. 5 TILF from 40 Days of Meditation Lessons

 I did a 40-day meditation course by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield and took notes on each of the meditation sessions.

When I was reviewing the notes I took, I realized just how much ground the course covered, how much I was reminded of, and how much I had learned new.  There was great stuff on several topics that I feel like I have at least a beginner's understanding of:  breath work, a 'core practice' of mindful meditation, dealing with thoughts, dealing with emotions.  I learned a lot also about working with stronger emotions (RAIN), mindful listening, building empathy, forgiveness ("unfinished business of the heart") and mindful speaking.  I built my knowledge about  how important and powerful pausing is and how important throughout the day (during a variety of settings) setting intentions can be.

Some things were "revolutionary" to me: the concept of mindfulness OF awareness (the backwards step), the importance of generosity and service to this model (often these things are attention, and right speech and (below) becoming mirrors of goodness and speakers of gratefulness) , the connection of aspiration for life to intention.

Two things that I'm thinking about most are "seeing goodness" and "living with a grateful heart."  

The first idea is the notion that at our core is an "original goodness" (as opposed to 'original sin').  And that at our core we have this childlike innocence and ability to apprehend beauty.  We each need for our essential value to be seen and honored.  This means that when we're able to bear witness to goodness in others and ourselves as well, it's a precious gift.  Focus on good doesn't come natural to us.  What we do is scan for danger, the negativity bias.  It's not a gratifying way to go through the world.  How to move past the negativity bias and self-doubt, defensiveness, fear. The greatest gift we can offer each other is to become mirrors of goodness.  

The second idea is we should "nourish a grateful heart" as a general condition in life and "saying yes" to the world.  This could be our ground state.  We can become increasingly resilient and kind.  We have to counteract the negativity bias. The sense that something's wrong. Mindfulness de-conditions us to scan for what's wrong.  What's around the corner.  Open to the here and now.  To "stop our incessant planning."  Stop thinking about what should be different, and appreciate/satisfaction of what is.  Mindful presence is ground of gratitude.  I made a list of all the specific attitudes that come along with nourishing this type of condition.  Here they are:  curious interest, patience, compassion, awareness suffused with compassion, warmth, kindness, receptive, listening, sensing, tender heart, witness, witness mystery of life as it unfolds, sense life as it lives through us, peaceful heart, sensing, letting go of what's not needed, let be, feel joy.  This can "bring grace to our life and joy to all we are with."