Mindfulness is an essential ingredient for improved wellbeing. Being in the present moment, in the NOW, matters for sure. However, can we make that present moment even better? I would suggest that mindfulness can regularly be enhanced by adding a purposeful intention to it.
Did you know that about 40% of what determines your happiness is up to you?* Your intentional, self-determined thoughts and perspectives are said to determine about 40%** of your experience of happiness. You have around 40% control over how an event is perceived and emotionally experienced. You have significant choice over how you react to the weather, the view out of your window or anything else in your present moment. How you frame or reframe the present moment is significant. Do you just react to events unconsciously, or do you deliberately set out to apply a certain mindset?
To tie these finding to mindfulness one needs to add a purposeful and focused intention to your present moment. Then, subtly, one’s mindset can be improved. While you are in your present moment you can, with patience and practice, make it better by purposefully adding a positive mindset that speaks to you at that moment.
This doesn’t mean that every moment you must be deliberately alert and attentive (which would be nice, but rather unrealistic). Rather, when a positive event comes your way, seize that instant. Start looking for and causing wonderful NOW’s. Choose to view events through a positive lens wherever possible.
This 40% possibility does not negate that one’s present moment may have difficult, sad or unjust elements. However, to ruminate and exclusively stay focused on the negative aspects can have troubling consequences. There is much truth to the saying:
“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
You just have to look for that sliver of hope, to be open to a small possibility of a positive outcome. Call this possible (or purposeful) thinking rather than positive thinking, finding at least one hopeful aspect of that present moment.
Reflection Source: www.Smallercup.org
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*: Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Kennon M. Sheldon, David Schkade, Review of General Psychology 9(2):111-131 · June 2005
**: Just to close the loop, a first 50% of your happiness potential is determined by your genes (rather fixed or set points) and the last 10% comes from your personal circumstances (health, wealth, the life you live, etc)