The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process

by Thomas M. Sterner

We make a major detour on the road to happiness when we adopt an image of perfection in anything. This is because an image or ideal is frozen and stagnant, and limited by nature.

That’s the biggest falsehood ever perpetuated by humans. When does anyone ever have enough money? The wealthiest people in the world only want more, and they worry about losing what they have. There is absolutely no peace in this way of thinking. The feeling “I’ll be happy when X happens” will never bring you anything but discontentment.

There is no goal to reach other than pursuing the activity.

Wherever we are in our process is where we should be.

When you let go of your attachment to the object you desire and make your desire the experience of staying focused on working toward that object, you fulfill that desire in every minute that you remain patient with your circumstances.

Don’t confuse evaluating something with judging it.

Evaluation comes before the action of passing judgment. You can’t judge something if you haven’t first evaluated it. You can decide to stop the DOC process after evaluating or observing, before your thoughts turn toward judgment.

As you work at this technique, your ability to detach from the emotional content of a situation grows in strength.

This really is where the fun begins, because nothing is more satisfying than quieting the squawking voice of your frightened or insulted ego.

Like everything else you practice, you get better at it. As you practice, you become more aligned with the Observer within you, and time begins to slow down during such incidents.