We have to learn to be gentle with our own minds. They have amazing capabilities, but are fragile instruments that can be damaged when overloaded. We have to avoid overworking them, trying to do too many things at one time. We have to reduce our bandwidth, so we can process everything smoothly. This can be done by focusing on one thing at a time.

Try this meditation for one minute every day, or longer if you want to:

NOTICE THE WAYS you might being doing too much by leaving things until the last minute, letting your emotions get roiled up, not stopping to gather important details. Make a promise to yourself to be kinder to your mind. Change that pattern of thinking and working, so you have maximum ease in your daily tasks. Be kind to your mind, and it will be kind to you.

My own heart let me have more pity on; let
Me live to my sad self hereafter kind,
Charitable; not live this tormented mind
With this tormented mind tormenting yet…
Soul, self…I do advise
You, jaded, let be; call off
thoughts awhile.
Elsewhere; leave comfort root-room…
—Gerard Manley Hopkins, English poet

How did this meditation go for you? Share your experience at shorelines@northshorebank.com and you’ll be entered to win a copy of A Mindful Day: 365 Ways to Live Life With Peace, Clarity, and an Open Heart, by David Dillard-Wright.

If you’d like a daily email reminder to practice one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.”