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THE BIG IDEA:
Wise Relationship With Thoughts

Imagine what happens when you’re at school, playing sports, or hanging out with friends, and negative thoughts creep in—self-doubt, pressure, or worry. These mental barriers begin affecting how you feel, act, and see yourself. But there’s a tool that can help—mindfulness.


Mindfulness is about noticing those thoughts without judgment and learning how to manage them. This website is dedicated to helping you build a healthier relationship with your thoughts, empowering you to become stronger, more resilient, and more confident—whether you’re in class, on the field, or with friends and family.


Guiding Concepts

(1) Paying attention in a particular way

(2) On purpose

(3) In the present moment

(4) Non-judgmentally

School

How much better could you focus and learn if you weren’t distracted by negative thoughts?

Sports

What would happen to your performance if you could stay calm and confident under pressure?

Friends

Could your friendships grow stronger if you learned to manage feelings of insecurity and comparison?

Family

How would your relationships change if you could handle stress at home with more patience and understanding?

On Your Own

What peace could you find if you became more comfortable with your thoughts when you’re by yourself?

Take the One Seat

~ Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart

Chapter 3

"My teacher Achaan Chah described this commitment as "taking the one seat." He said, "Just go into the room and put one chair in the center. Take the seat in the center of the room, open the doors and the windows and see who comes to visit. You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of temptations and stories, everything imaginable. Your only job is to stay in your seat. You will see it all arise and pass, and out of this, wisdom and understanding will come."

Training Your Mind: Thinking and the Puppy Analogy

Improving your relationship with thinking is very much like training a puppy. Put the puppy down and say, “Stay.” Does the puppy listen? It gets up and it runs away. You sit the puppy back down again. “Stay.” And the puppy runs away over and over again. Sometimes the puppy jumps up, runs over, and pees in the corner or makes some other mess. Our minds are much the same as the puppy, only they create even bigger messes. In training the mind, or the puppy, we have to start over and over again. - *concept from author Jack Kornfield*

Without judgment we become ... "connoisseurs of our neuroses."

By approaching our flaws, worries, or irrational behaviors with curiosity and acceptance, we can study them without being controlled by them. It’s about becoming more self-aware and even appreciating our own quirks and imperfections without harsh judgment. In essence, the statement encourages mindful awareness and compassionate self-reflection, leading to a more balanced relationship with our inner struggles.