Parakalein

Mindfulness seems to be a key concept in our day.  Some seem to think it was born out of Buddhist meditation, some give it some other kind of etiology.

I listened, yesterday, as a book writing expert defend it as "awareness".  I recalled a book by a Jesuit priest, Anthony DiMello, entitled "Awareness".

I recalled another point of reference, "being mindful of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you, will continue to perform it".  Sounds like mindfulness.

I went inside (this means closing your eyes so you see nothing except your internal world and all the chaos and harmony of that internal world) and had a sense that being more aware of more of the internal parts of me and how they cause me to act out in the external world is to practice the process of internal awareness which increases awareness of others in the external world.  Even as I write this that actually happened.  I became a ware that by using the work "act out" it stirred up a negative aura.  I became aware if I used just the word "act" omitting the word "out" I would free myself of projective prejudice and negativity.  Being aware of my internal negativity decreases negative and negating responses to my fellow humanity.

Mindfulness then may be the capacity and discipline of the mind to respect all things and seek balance and harmony in the system which mind you will result in inner peace and outer peace.

Mindfulness is not new. It is as old as the internal workings of humanity as created by the eternal work of God.  It does not belong to anyone's credit.  It belongs in all of us.

Balance and harmony are the goals of mindfulness/awareness.