What is mindfulness?
Last updated on 3rd November 2011

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
- Henry Ford
Yesterday we had the twelfth & final session of this "Life skills" evening class. There was scheduled to have been a bit less than a three month gap since the last - eleventh - session. However the heavy winter snow we'd experienced had resulted in this last session being postponed.
Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all.
- William Temple
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
- Henry Ford
I wrote yesterday about the first part of this tenth "Life skills" evening. I particularly discussed development of Goodwill practice - very much in the "Nourishing positive states" section of the "Four aspects" diagram (below). In the second half of the evening we moved on to the "Exploring & processing" section of the diagram with the introduction particularly of various forms of therapeutic writing.

What's in the way is the way
- Mary O'Malley
If you want others to be happy, practise compassion. If you want to be happy, practise compassion. Dalai Lama
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans - that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too ... Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic and power in it. Begin it now! - Goethe
Yesterday was the ninth evening of this "Life skills" training. I wrote about the eighth session last week. The sequence of regular weekly classes now moves on to increasing gaps between sessions - so it's three weeks until the tenth, a further five weeks until the eleventh, and then an additional eleven weeks until the final twelfth session. My hope is that we will be able to arrange occasional follow-up meetings even after that.
From the place where we are right/Flowers will never grow/In the spring.
The place where we are right/Is hard and trampled/Like a yard.
But doubts and loves/Dig up the world/Like a mole, a plow/And a whisper will be heard in the place/Where the ruined/House once stood.
- Yehuda Amichai
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison
Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. - Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby
Yesterday we had the sixth session of this twelve evening "Life skills" course. I wrote last week about the fifth session. A dozen slides covering material we explored are viewable/downloadable at slides 1-6, Powerpoint or slides 1-6, PDF and slides 7-12, Powerpoint or slides 7-12, PDF.