Lessons From Thich Nhat Hanh That Have Helped Me Live More Mindfully
Buddhist Monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh has positively impacted many lives, including mine.
His books are filled with profound teachings that have inspired and helped me to work towards living more mindfully.
Here are just a few of the lessons I've learned from him, that I will continue to carry and reflect on.
The secret to treating others better:
We don't always treat people right, including those we love the most. We forget how impermanent everyone is. If we make it a point to remember the impermanence of others and ourselves, we'll be able to treat people with so much more love and understanding.
The power of a conscious breath:
If you get caught up in dwelling on the past or too preoccupied with the future, it can be really overwhelming. Fortunately, we always have access to the present moment and by mindfully breathing in and breathing out we can release our tension and suffering. We can always return to the breath.
What we need to be happy:
Many of us struggle with feeling unfulfilled and unhappy. We think about what we want and could have that might make us happier. What we don't often realize is that we already have the conditions that are needed to be happy right now.
Why we suffer:
We all have many perceptions of other people. These perceptions are usually what cause us suffering and leads us to make others suffer, as well. However, what we fail to recognize is how these perceptions are not always accurate. We can't trust our perceptions and must consider that they may be wrong.
Preparing for the future:
It's hard not to think about the future and worry. But worrying about the future doesn't help make it better and only causes us more suffering. We can do our best in the future by focusing on the present moment and doing the best we can right now, where we are.
Thich Nhat Hanh's books are full of simple, but necessary reminders. Though he is no longer with us, we can always return to his teachings on mindfulness to help us heal ourselves and others and live much happier lives.
