Day 59: Keep Coming Back

Until we reach enlightenment (which, I have to be honest, doesn't seem to be in this lifetime for me), we will inevitably have times when we do not exist in a state of compassionate awareness.

We will mindlessly fiddle on our phones in the middle of the night, and eat entire pints of ice cream until our bellies ache, and wish unkind thoughts towards our partners.

But the practice of mindfulness is about becoming aware, and returning again to what exists right now. In all of us, it is an enduring state, much like the moon. Only sometimes it is obscured by clouds of our frustrations, our racing thoughts, and our irrational beliefs. We can recognize when this occurs, see past that haze, and rest in that steady inner space. Each time we return to our mindful state, this innate quality strengthens, and we will find it more accessible in the future.

So keep coming back. Even after a Netflix binge. A fight with your partner. A mommy mistake. Witness what is real and true. It is in this process of returning that we can find peace amidst the chaos.