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I’m pretty tired of people preaching mindfulness for everything, but unfortunately they have a point.

A long time ago I took a mindfulness class and learned how to meditate. My teacher was an evangelist about it. She would tell strangers that mindfulness practice was the way to solve just about any emotional problem they had.

There’s plenty of evidence out there that demonstrates the benefits of regular mindfulness meditation. I’m not going to disagree with any of it either.

That being said, I believe there’s often a gap in people’s understanding of how to apply mindfulness in the real world.

Sure, you can get good at meditating for 20 minutes a day sitting on a cushion, but are you applying those skills in real time in the real world?

That’s the part most people aren’t paying enough attention to.

The Buddhists call this the Sacred Pause. It’s the moment of mindfulness you create BEFORE you react in a conversation. Then you choose what seems to be the more “helpful” action.

My grandfather used to say, “Think before you speak.”

Put the two concepts together and you’ve got, “Be mindful before you speak.” It’s about observing your thoughts before you speak.

And then practice not judging your entire mental experience as positive and negative in that moment.

It’s not an easy skill to practice, but any time we can slow down and not react in conversation, we’re probably better off.

Sorry I just preached mindfulness to you. But not sorry.

Now what are you gonna do about it?