Do outcomes always justify our strategies? Often there are unintended longer term consequences when we fail to align our actions toward a goal with our highest values. Mindfulness can help us start where we are, make space to see the bigger picture, and allow us to respond with greater wisdom.
Cultivating a mindfulness practice strengthens beneficial qualities that mature into a more skillful way of being in the world. When we let go of attachment to outcome and direct our efforts to creating the best possible conditions, we find the courage to persevere.
Being a practitioner of mindfulness without a system of ethics may help one relax, become more focused, or be less reactive in difficult situations, but much deeper benefits are available to us and to those around us when we begin to practice from a principled foundation.
Is mindfulness the best hope for humanity? If we were truly aware, the vast majority of us would likely be relating to ourselves and the world with greater compassion and wisdom. But, it's easier to to stay asleep...
Intention is the driver behind action and our ethics inform our intentions. Together these concepts are important because they orient us and point us in a certain direction. Aligning our mindfulness practice with our highest values helps us step out of the cycle of suffering and live with greater purpose.
