Essay and Answer Writing

Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self [2020]

“Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think” - ‘Mindfulness’ has been in vogue of late. Even the leading companies like Google and Facebook regularly hold mindfulness sessions for their employees. However mindfulness dates back to ancient times - its roots lie in the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism. In today’s world, mindfulness is just as relevant. Through the practice of mindfulness, we are better able to deal with the emotional struggles we face on a day-to-day basis and it ultimately results in a much calmer perspective towards life. 
 
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. It suggests that the mind is fully attending to what’s happening, to what you’re doing, to the space you’re moving through. That might seem trivial, except for the fact that we so often veer from the matter at hand. Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses, one just has to learn how to access it.
 
Tranquil is defined as being free of agitation of mind or spirit. A tranquil person is one who remains composed and steady even in the face of adversity. Inner peace is not reserved only for yogis, hermits or monks, but the state can also be attained by people living an ordinary life. A state of tranquillity eliminates anxieties, fears and worries. It also removes negative thoughts, stress, lack of satisfaction and unhappiness. It is a state of emotional and mental poise, happiness, confidence and inner strength. 
 
Why should achieving tranquillity be important? Having a tranquil soul increases one’s inner strength and ability to handle difficult situations. Its possession eliminates impatience, anger, nervousness and restlessness. It helps you show more patience, tolerance and tact and makes one feel centred, grounded and stable. Tranquillity and inner peace eliminates negative, futile and restless thinking. It also improves our relationships with other people and makes life look brighter and brings forward a positive attitude toward life. It increases one’s creativity and the ability to solve problems.
 
A way of ensuring tranquillity in life is having a mindful manifesto. When we’re mindful, we reduce stress, enhance performance, gain insight and awareness through observing our own mind, and increase our attention to others’ well-being. Mindfulness and meditation gives us a time in our lives when we can suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness. Through the skilful use of mindfulness, we can learn to interrupt habits, such as getting lost in our thoughts and rumination. 
 
Can a mindful manifesto be developed? The answer to this is affirmative. Through certain conscious practices and changes in lifestyle, anyone can march towards having a mindful outlook. Mindfulness involves consciously trying to observe our thoughts and feelings. Practising mindfulness also involves trying to not judge our experiences of our thoughts and feelings as either good or bad. Through mindfulness, we try not to attach to thoughts. If a distressing thought comes to mind, try to just notice it. Through mindfulness we learn that it is the attachment to thoughts and feelings that can cause us distress. That is, ruminating on things that we cannot solve by thinking about them over and again. By practising mindfulness, noticing our thoughts and letting them go, we can bolster ourselves against the potentially negative effects of holding on to these thoughts. 
 
If we dig deeper, we can find that in fact a mindful manifesto is not just a catalyst but a key to achieving tranquillity. Experience has taught us that those who show too much pride and arrogance lack a mindful manifesto. Life throws hardships at everyone and no one can escape grief. However, innate worries about the worldly aspects of life and overthinking only cause the troubles to become even more difficult. The times that we live in require one to stay motivated all the time in the face of intense competition. The goal-driven society puts immense psychological pressure on our minds and hence we hear about nearly everyone dealing with various mental health issues. It is important to note that the health of our minds is as pivotal as the health of our body. And having a mindful, conscious and healthy outlook towards life can help us deal with the day to day tensions. 
 
“When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us. When our community is in a state of peace, it can share that peace with neighbouring communities” - Everyone desires inner peace, even if he or she is not aware of this desire. Few realise the importance and benefits of inner peace, and still fewer know that it is a skill that can be learned. Mindfulness can be developed. The Buddha taught that the path of concentration is the first step in attaining a calm mind. As soon as that happens, it becomes a pillar of wisdom and the path to tranquillity is in achieving this. 
Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self  [2020]
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