Dr. Richard Davidson

had significantly less drug abuse, were significantly less likely to be involved in court proceedings, they earned on average 6,000 US dollars more per year and they were matched on socioeconomic status of their families of birth.

More successful, so all these amazing outcomes.

And they I remember this paper was published many years ago, but I remember the there's a line in the paper that says strategies which will improve self-control will lead to all these these important outcomes and save taxpayers money.

When I first started meditating I was fighting with my mind and I thought that that was great.

This means I'm really doing the work that's necessary and sitting through the physical pain, forcing myself to sit for an hour while feeling like my knee was on fire and my back was killing me.

And I had a kind of sense of pride, I'm able to just tough this out.

And I was miserable.

You know, I did that kind of practice for quite some time and it may have had some benefit in shaping my skills of self-control.

But, you know, at some point I discovered that

Maybe there's another strategy that can be effective that's not about fighting with your mind and not about fixing anything, but the invitation is really to make friends with your mind.

To welcome this, to have a completely different stance toward it and to do it with ease rather than with, you know, this kind of attention-ridden stance.

I think that that is possible.

And the approach that we are taking in the Healthy Minds program, for example, is we're trying to do that.

So there is a bit of discipline involved, but it's kind of really at the most minimal

It's inviting people to be where they are and to really make friends with their mind and not to fight against it.

It's not about pushing away thoughts.

It's not about sitting down to meditate.

If you're restless and can't sit, that's fine.

Do it while you're walking.

So the discipline is the intentional use of the mind.