Living, Freezing, and Escaping Life

     We use different ways to prevent ourselves from succumbing to the adverse impact of real life events.
     Perhaps the most common is by keeping life more or less "unexamined", despite the fact that according to Socrates, it's then "not worth living." Avoidance of depth and meaning may be active, driven by the fear that there is no greater depth or meaning available than what one has already experienced. The search for depth and meaning can simply be neglected (passive) if continuously chasing after things, experiences or people to make us happy. The latter activity is very much like an alcoholic or other substance user who keeps trying to extract happiness out of substance(s), until they "hit rock bottom" - the end of a heroically enduring effort.
     A huge problem we have, as health-care professionals, is unrealistic confidence in our analytic thinking - and by extension - that our present self-concept & worldview is "as good as it gets." We are as attached to this as a substance user to his substance(s). "And how's that working for you?" Dr. Phil could ask either. Einstein said, "We cannot solve the problems of today at the level of thinking at which they were first created."
     Mindfulness practice is training to continuously elevate our level of thinking, awareness or consciousness, and thus, overall quality of life. Improvement is progressive over a lifetime.

See also: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/

Photo: Lynn Ellis   http://500px.com/lynnellis