When we recognize that everything is meaningful if we pay attention to it, we realize that our lives are not just a series of random events, but rather a continuous unfolding of meaning and purpose.

Start as small as possible to get momentum going.

The opposite of fixed attentional focus is flexible, present moment awareness.

A curious mind manages fear with compassion and criticism with skepticism.

Mindful emotional awareness occurs when you bring your attention to your emotion in the present moment with a nonjudgmental stance.

In the present moment, your body is breathing and working to keep you alive just fine. Try to watch your sensations as sensations. Try to observe your thoughts like words on a screen, not predictions or threats that you need to engage. Try to notice the urgency in your body and consciously slow yourself down.

In everyday life, as you notice a painful internal experience, cue yourself to anchor in the present.

As you attend to your sensation, your mind is naturally going to wander. Wandering is what minds do. You aren’t doing it wrong. In fact, you should expect the wandering as part of the exercise. You have to wander in order to notice the wandering.

Mindfulness is nonjudgmental present focused awareness.