Mindfulness
About 18 years ago I was formerly introduced to meditation and the concept of mindfulness. Since then, I have gone through phases of relatively intense practice (daily meditation, attending meditation retreats) and stretches of time during which the best could do was imagine what life would be like if I WAS meditating more regularly.
The concept of mindfulness is so simple - pay attention to things in real time, be present for what is happening now. Yet, if you are like me, constant thinking that loops around in the brain does a fine job of distracting from the present moment. I'll be the first to admit that I like to think, to analyze, to figure things out. But, life does always lend itself to that sort of attention. Meditation has, to a certain extent, freed me from the misperceptions of reality that over thinking things can lead to. Mindfulness has given me some rest.
"Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?"
Lao-Tzu, Tao-te-Ching