Many aspects of American life are taken as is with little question. Speed. Productivity. Work. Time. Money. Success. There is a latent feeling that we have to be doing something, all the time. We can choose to live this way, certainly, but it’s important to realize that it is exactly that: one choice. There are others.

Oh The Places You’ll Go

Imagine wanting a ride somewhere several miles away. You find a taxi driver and ask him if he can take you. “Sure,â€� he says, “Give me your phone number and I’ll call you when I’m ready to go.â€� When you ask when he will leave he says, “Margash.â€� In Mongolian this means “later,â€� but it also means any time in the future, including tomorrow. The entire country operates on this system, so you will need to be patient. Things happen, but not in any sort of rush. Why rush anyway? What’s the point? Read more…

Sometimes used as a tactic to show perspective, oftentimes used as an insult, the phrase “take a look inside yourself� is better served for the mind rather than with an actual mirror, but for someone searching for answers it is always a powerful solution. A relatively new idea, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), is exactly in line with the self-reflection hinted at in the above imperative statement.

As a process of focused awareness on the present, the practice of MBSR reserves judgment, allowing the patient to let go of the restrictions he or she constantly puts on themselves. By letting go of those restrictions, they are also able to deny access to other people and other outside sources that can alter his or her mood or attitude.

In 1979, a young doctor by the name of Jon Kabat-Zinn proposed a new alternative program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn called it the Stress Reduction Clinic in opposition to using the word “meditationâ€� for fear of not being taken seriously enough. The program gained popularity and soon expanded, ending up being called The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare and Society. Read more…