Steps of Mindfulness – Peace in every step

Will I have to become a monk or a nun to live a mindful life?
It is easy to give advice in a book or a lecture, but I have to live a real life in a hectic and turbulent environment!
Society is so competitive, if I drop out I will have difficulty of finding a job or make friends?

No one is telling you to change your life or how to lead it. You are your own reference!
The question is to look in the mirror and ask yourself: “Am I in contact with me” “Am I my own best friend?” “Is this what I like to do now” “What are the things that really make me happy” “Which environment and which people do I want to spend time with”
Dropping out is not the issue! The issue is staying in the moment, in contact with what is there, in you and around you.

All things start with a first step, however small it might be. Stop, relax, take a breath, observe. Come home to yourself, observe your body, your emotions, observe your thoughts, without judgment. This is me, this is how far I came, make peace, smile at yourself, your are a beautiful manifestation of life. Amazing, all those cells, these intricate structures. You have the capacity to love, to help, to learn, to grow. You are a flower in the garden of humanity!

Once you have stopped and experienced your breath in the present moment, you are already on the path to freedom. It is the simple small things that bring you back to the present moment. The sun on your skin, the fresh winter breeze, the warm water from the tap to do the dishes, the singing of the morning bird, the smile of a friend. Have you ever tasted a tangerine like you have eaten it for the first time? Practicing to be in the present moment is fun and rewarding. Practice enjoying the little things. It easy, immediate and it is free!
Stopping and looking inside can be confronting too. Of all the feelings we have, there are sad and painful feelings as well. Be gentle, be compassionate. Observe without judgment, smile to yourself, take good care of yourself. Practicing with the small steps and enjoying what is offered to you in the present moment makes you stronger; It helps you to deal with the bigger things when the time is ripe.

Celebrate each small step. If you feel free and happy only for a second, it is an achievement! Practice to have these moments more often. It will become easier and they will grow longer each time. If you have mindful-moments and unmindful-moments this means that you are human and that you are alive! Even the historical Buddha was an ordinary human being and had to struggle to go by. According to Thich Nhat Hanh you are already a part-time Buddha.