Dear Integral Meditators,
Do your thoughts, speach and actions match up, or is there a gap between them? The article below offers some thoughts on mindfully aligning these different aspects of ourself, and why we should be interested in doing so!
In the spirit of integration,
Toby
Closing the gap between what you think, say and do
One of the main functions of mindfulness is to facilitate integration within the self. This can be done in many different ways. One way is to become more aware of the relationship between what you think, what you say, and what you do. Are they consistent and aligned with each other or not? You can stimulate mindfulness in this area by asking questions such as:
- Is what I said just now (for example to my friend or colleague) representative of what I really think, or did I just say what I thought they wanted to hear?
- Have my actions this morning really been representative of the values that I hold in my mind and thoughts?
- Have I done what I said (to myself or others) I’d do, or is there a contradiction, or gap between my words and actions?
The goal of mindfully integrating your thoughts, words and actions is to:
- Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
- To do what you say, and say what you (actually) do, or are going to do
- To make your actions and speech in the outer world the embodiment of the thoughts and values that you believe in and hold most dear in your mind.
The Payoff
This type of mindful integration takes some effort, honesty, skill and courage. So what’s the payoff? Some of the benefits include:
- Greater self-esteem and confidence arising from the consistency of your words, thoughts and actions.
- More natural inner harmony and peace, as these different parts of yourself align with each other and support each other benevolently.
- Pleasure derived from expressing who you really are in the world, rather than feeling like a fake.
- A feeling of being more fully alive to your experience of the moment, and bringing the best that you have to it.
Being Strategic in Your Speech and Actions
This type of mindful work does not mean that you just speak and act blindly, without awareness of your context. Of course we need to be aware of what is appropriate, who we are with, and what sort of speech is likely to bring a good result, and what is not.
What it does mean however, is that we do not blindly betray our authentic thoughts and self just to please or appease others in a way that betrays our values, and what we really think and feel. Only we can truly represent ourself to the world, and it is up to us to take mindful self-responsibility for this.
© Toby Ouvry 2017, you are welcome to use or share this article, but please cite Toby as the source and include reference to his website www.tobyouvry.com
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