Habits of the Mind

From the Somnia Tarot, the Nine of Swords; from the Lojong for the Layperson, Slogan 15 (Four practices are the best methods.):

We all have those nights when restorative sleep can't be found. Often our worries meld with our imagination - we think of every worst outcome possible. It can feel like we are being proactive, but really we are only exhausting our mind and body. It helps to remember the advice of Shantideva (via the Dalai Lama): "If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry." Slogan 15 offers four practices to change our conditioned thinking and behavior: cultivating generosity without an agenda; acknowledging and refraining from our neurotic patterns; using challenges to wake up to reality; and seeking out wise mentors. We can let circumstances and 'what ifs' mold us, or we can use them as agents of change.

We have an infinite number of ways that we distort our experiences through habits of the mind.

~ Sharon Salzberg