Mindfulness is a Responsibility you Owe to Yourself

Taking responsibility for the health of your mind is as important as keeping your body clean and feeding yourself a healthy diet

I woke this morning feeling guilty. I was thinking about all the people I’d harmed in the past. My poor behaviour. How the battles I fought with myself to try and  make sense of life had impacted the people around me.

I thought about my ex mother-in-law and what she would say to me. She would say: ‘You treated my daughter so badly!’ And I thought about a response based on what I now understand. I would say: ‘That’s right, and have you taken responsibility for your part in that relationship?’ I imagined her indignant response of ‘how dare you! Ridiculous of course, just as that whole episode of my life was. Everybody with their own agendas seeking self-centred ends. Using and abusing. No one is without fault. No one is squeaky clean. We’re all just learning.

And now there is no guilt. When I realise how everyone needs to take responsibility for their part in any conflict, guilt melts away. Only now is there any chance of resolution.

Responsibility is such a beautiful word. Through applying it to our lives, we will see the ease with which we can become healthy.