#611 Healing is in My Hands

     All of us have been traumatized many times, in many ways. These hurts and traumas conditioned us to try to avoid re-injury from similar situations. Conditioning is not only reactive but also proactive. When we're wise, we nurture ourselves and each other to flourish, like loving grandparents. When we lack wisdom, we re-traumatize ourselves and each other, like cruel children. We choose to do one or the other, countless times, every day.
     Nurturing and traumatizing feel very different. Their impact, on ourselves and everyone else, is as different as heaven or hell. 
     May I be progressively more mindful to nurture more & more, and traumatize less & less.

#549 What Operating System am I Running on Now?

     We have 2 very different "ways of being in the world" depending on which of the 2 very different parts of our brain (operating system) is directing our thoughts, words & behavior: 
          1) a primitive brain stem, we share with reptiles & other animals, that permits a very basic level of functioning
          2) a highly evolved prefrontal cortex that, permits a much more sophisticated, evolved level of behavior - that of homo sapiens sapiens.

     One of these always dominates. Some human beings live the highest quality of life possible, which includes helping the rest of humanity evolve to enjoy the same optimal quality of life. Other fellow humans experience "a living hell" continuously butchering each other, like crazed animals. 
     Most of us are somewhere in between - sometimes inspiring, generally just muddling along, & at times we're (justifiably) ashamed of ourselves. How can we be inspiring more often & filled with regret less often?
     We can all learn to PHYSICALLY FEEL which operating system (part of our brain) is operating AND we can TRAIN to engage our more highly evolved operating system more & more consistently, to optimize our own & others' short & precious lives. It's all part of mindfulness training.

Mado   www.fredmiranda.com

#452 Meaning in Life & Levels of Well-being

     "Meaning in life is regarded as a critical facet of well-being, referring to people’s judgments that their lives are coherent, make sense, & are endowed with a sense of overarching purpose. Most research on meaning in life (& the closely-related construct, purpose in life) has drawn from adult samples. Across hundreds of studies, higher levels of meaning in life consistently are related to greater well-being & better health, as well as lesser psychological distress & reduced impact from physical illness, including death. Although research on meaning in life within adolescents is more scarce, a similar pattern of results emerges, leading some to suggest that meaning in life is foundational to positive youth development."
       Henry KL et al. The potential role of meaning in life in the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 2013 DOI 10.1007/s10964-013-9960-2.

      The depth of each person's interest, investigation & direct experience of life's meaning, self-concept, & worldview can vary greatly from blissful ignorance to transcendent joy, with a broad band of "ordinary unhappiness" in between.

     "People might search for meaning if they feel like their lives are meaningless or if they were motivated to continually deepen their ideas about what their lives mean. The definition of search for meaning accounts for both kinds of motivations. Essentially, the presence of meaning is about the destination and search for meaning is about the journey."
       Steger MF, Kashdan TB. The unbearable lightness of meaning: Well-being and unstable meaning in life. The Journal of Positive Psychology 2013; 8(2): 103-115.

     Mindfulness practice is a wise, life-long, progressive path from ignorance & unhappiness, towards joy. 

     "When you're walking through hell,

       Keep walking!"

 

cfh25   www.dpreview.com