Finding Your Sweet Spot

Anything out of balance feels out of whack, feels unpleasant and overwhelming. It just doesn't sit right when you're not in your "sweet spot". Meditating is the same. In the beginning, it would be extremely awkward, even certain levels of discomfort in the physical body caused by the attempt to give the mind new instructions to take it slow. To let it all go. Any kind of environment we were growing up with, be it work or school or even at home, you were conditioned to take in as much as you possibly can. To grow up quickly and learn as fast as you possibly can. To absorb and to digest.

No one in this world ever taught you to let go. To do less and to not do anything at all. To just be present and be in the moment. You would never find it in any "to-do list" because it seems "lazy" to have so little on it. To fathom the concept of doing less yet able to be producing more. In this day and time, quality productivity surpasses any other forms of multi-tasking.

You can be the best multi-task-er in the world but at the end of the day, if you went home and unloaded your "overflowing" cup and drowned everyone else with your workload you have taken on, then you have not succeeded in finding the balance and harmony for yourself. You are simply dumping it off on someone else. A best friend, a lover or a spouse, your poor mother or perhaps even strangers who have no business listening to you ranting on about your day's issues.

This is why we practice mindfulness to find the "sweet spot". It can increase positive emotions and lower negativity and thus counteract stress and prevent depression from "overworking" the mind. It also increases the capacity for attention (to be present) and develops our memory so we may focus on the good things in life that we already have. Of course, being mindful helps to be more solution oriented and getting better at exploring creative strategies for problem-solving. Meditation also helps a person withstand the traumatic effects of the mental state of being and enhance its resiliency.

Mindful living benefits us in a positive way which we are able to experience our bodies and minds differently and we are not so quick in reacting to bad situations and circumstances, instead we will be able to handle it effectively and positively strengthening ties and relationships with every aspect of our lives. It can extend to every aspect of our existence and consistent practice will lead us to benefiting from it in the long-term immensely.

The "sweet spot" equates to "life's satisfaction". Mindfulness cultivates behaviors and attitudes that encourages it and makes the pleasures of life more noticeable and enjoyable, also helps us become more committed to activities in the moment and a greater capacity to deal with life's challenges and curve balls thrown in our way. All of these ultimately leads to greater overall life's satisfaction. So we get more done and feel really good about it which reduces the moments of "default thinking" allowing the mind to wander off carelessly.

Being present in the moment lets us learn to become more flexible in our thinking, less stubborn and resistant to new concepts and ideas. We can observe our thoughts without becoming overly attached to them against our own will, we're able to accept them without the attempt to change them or have it be different. There is a deep sense of well-being that is sturdy and stable, not having to be dependent upon life's circumstances which is ever-changing at an unpredictable rate. We will be able to thrive in the harshest of conditions with a practiced mind, sitting in our "sweet spot".

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