11 Little Known Laws of Mindfulness That Will Shift Your Life 180° Degrees

All his life, Gautama Buddha preached the value of mindfulness. To quote him “Do not dwell on the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”. The basis of mindfulness is being aware of what’s happening in the present moment without judging it, trying to change it or wishing it was different. Over the years, mindful living has become incredibly popular due to innumerable studies showing its benefits.

It’s always easier said than done. And with all these distractions in our generation, we fail to focus on our “now”. Most of us are either reminiscing about our past or stressing about our future, not realizing how quickly our present is slipping from the palm of our hands.

Mindfulness requires regular practice for it to show results. It doesn’t happen overnight.

We will tell you about the 11 principles of mindfulness which you can adopt in your day to day life for a better living.

1. Today Is Your Only Reality

This is all you have. Make the most out of it. Your past is gone and is now behind you. There isn’t much that you can do about it. But what happens in your future is still, up to a certain extent, in your hands. Write the best story now. This is best explained by the quote of Eckhart Tolle “The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present.”

2. Don’t Believe What You Tell Yourself When You’re In A Vulnerable State

Not all days are the same. On some days you’re going to be the best version of yourself. On the others, you might just want the world to forget your existence. Do not believe what you tell yourself when you’re in an emotionally weak condition. Do not believe the voices in your head that keep saying that you deserve to feel miserable. Remember, your present condition isn’t your final destination.

3. Your Anger Is Your Only Enemy

The only battle truly being fought is the one within us. It’s very easy to be offended and angry at things and situations. But to achieve mindfulness, you will have to let go of the negative feelings of anger. Anger does no good if you don’t convert it into productivity. When you realize that the present is the only thing you have control on, you will realize how short life is to be spent on anger. 9 out of 10 times, anger only worsens a condition. Stay away from it.

Related article: The Hidden Power of Every Single Person Around You: Something You Might Not Have Taken Seriously Enough

4. Inner Peace Is Knowing How To Belong To Oneself, Without Needing Validation 

A motivational talk once in a while is good. Needing a shoulder to cry on sometimes is pretty human too. But constantly waiting for approval is a bad habit. Many of us are more bothered about what others think of us than what we think of ourselves. Be true to yourself. You can never please everyone. Someone or the other will always find a folly in everything you do. Do not wait to be validated. As long as you can look at yourself in the mirror without being guilty, you’re doing great.

5. Everything Is Created Twice; First In Your Mind And Then In Your Life

What you can think, you can create! There are good reasons why your brain is situated right on the top of your body. Use it often. Decide a goal. Make a plan. Execute it. Without having a clear picture of what you want, you are only going to run in the wrong direction.

6. We Ourselves Must Walk The Path

Family is important. So are friends. Value them but don’t depend on anyone to serve you success and happiness on a plate. The inevitable rule of life is that if you really desire something, you go out in the world and earn it for yourself. Be your own hero. Do not hand over the key to your peace and happiness in someone else’s hand.

7. To Strongly Believe In Something, But Not Live It, Is Dishonest 

Give voice to your thoughts and practice only what you preach. Don’t believe everything that you see and hear. Speak up even if your voice shakes. Even if you’re the only one speaking. Society will time and again try to make it look like blending in is the only choice that you have. It’s not. Be original. And be proud of it.

8. The Right Path And The Easy Path Are Never The Same 

Quoting one of the greatest wizards, Professor Dumbledore – “we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”

Choose what’s right. If you really want it, go and get it. Because nothing worth having comes for free.

9. If You Want The Benefits Of Something In Life, You Also Have To Accept The Costs

If you ever have to think twice before giving your all to your passion, then maybe it’s not really what you want. Make a question paper in your head with only two questions in it. First,” Is this worth everything?” Second, “how much am I willing to give for this?”

Hopefully, when you’re done answering these two questions, you’ll have the reality in front of you.

10. Over-Committing Is The Completely Opposite Of Living A Mindful And Peaceful Life

Most of us assume that to keep ourselves away from negativity we have to keep ourselves busy all the time. With our “to-do” list starting from our head and touching the floor, we forget to value the little things in life. Yes, dream big. But do not forget to acknowledge yourself and what you already have.

11. When You Try To Control Everything, You Enjoy Very Little Of It

Have you ever tried holding sand really tightly? Do you see how quickly it slips when you clench your fist? Yes, that is exactly what life is. The more you try to control it, the more it will fall apart. Things take their own time and we can’t master everything even though we desperately try to. Take life as it comes.

We really hope it helped. Remember; don’t be too harsh on yourself. That’s the job of society.