Picture this: You're in the middle of a crucial meeting, your heart racing as someone challenges your proposal. Or maybe you're stuck in traffic, already late for an important appointment. Perhaps you're facing a difficult conversation with a loved one, emotions running high.
In these moments, we often hear the advice "just be mindful" - as if it were as simple as flipping a switch. But if you've ever tried to stay present and balanced when triggered, you know it's not that straightforward.
Here's the truth I discovered through years of research and personal experience: We're mindful beings making mindless decisions most of the time. Studies show we live 95% of our lives on autopilot, driven by eight default habits that pull us away from our inner knowing:
Living on autopilot
Instantly judging everyone and everything
Seeking information that confirms our views (confirmation bias)
Resisting change (status quo bias)
Focusing on the negatives (negativity bias)
Getting attached to our sense of self
Getting distracted by what's not important
Impulsively acting on our biases
But here's the good news: We also have eight innate mindfulness skills that can disrupt these defaults and return us to clarity, exactly when we need it most:
Awareness
Compassion
Curiosity
Energy
Appreciative Joy
Inner Calm
Focus
Equanimity
This roadmap isn't just theory - I've seen its transformative power firsthand. During my time as a town councilor, I once found myself in a heated debate about a controversial solar energy project. My default reaction was to get defensive and shut down. But by remembering to pause and invite curiosity and compassion, I was able to find a third way forward that served the whole community.
When we all have a shared language for mindfulness to disrupt our biases and habits that divide us, we can navigate our personal and collective challenges more effectively. We need a new way of doing business and politics and living our lives that brings out the best in each of us.
That's why I'm launching Sama Life - because we need more than just individual practice. We need community. The Sanskrit word "sama" means balanced and skillful, reflecting our vision of creating a space where we can practice and play with these skills together.
Think of Sama Life as your digital sanctuary, where the wisdom of ancient mindfulness teachings meets modern science and real-world application. Through stories, art, poetry, micro-practices and shared experiences, we'll explore how to return to our inner knowing, again and again.
At the heart of Sama Life is a powerful roadmap, first introduced in my book "Return to Mindfulness," that shows us how to return home to our inner knowing. Picture eight interconnected circles, each representing a mindfulness skill paired with the default habit it disrupts. These skills work together in a continuous cycle of Return, Listen, and Begin - helping us come back to clarity exactly when we need it most.
This isn't just a static map - it's a living compass. When you feel triggered, you can locate which default habit is active and invoke its corresponding mindfulness skill. Stuck in judgment? Invite compassion. Caught in negativity? Return to appreciative joy. Lost in distraction? Come back to focus.
The circular design inspired our Sama Life logo - eight interwoven circles rippling outward from a central point, like stones dropping into still water. Each ripple represents a mindfulness skill that can create waves of positive change in our lives and communities. The logo reminds us that this is an ongoing journey. We don't just arrive at mindfulness once and for all - we return again and again, each time with greater skill and ease. That's what this path is really about - finding our way back to wisdom and purpose, especially when life feels chaotic.
In a world that often pulls us toward distraction and division, we need spaces that remind us of our shared humanity and capacity for wisdom. We need companions on the path who can celebrate our successes and support us through challenges.
As the Buddha himself taught, noble friendship is not just a part of the path - it is the whole path. So consider this your invitation to join our circle of seekers and changemakers. Together, we'll explore what it means to live with greater skill and heart in both our inner and outer worlds.
Welcome home.
Join us in exploring mindful living through weekly posts featuring practical wisdom, inspiring stories, poetry, music, art, and evidence-based practices.
Gratitude to the designer for my logo, Stevan Rodic, for giving life to the vision for Sama Life. He was wonderful to work with and encourage anyone looking to create a logo to speak with him.
Music for the video is by DJ Taz Rashid from his album the Love Revolution used with permission from him. I often play his music for inspiration when working on creative projects.
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