I've begun working with a meditation teacher who is a Soto Zen Buddhist, so my primary focus is mindfulness, breath meditation, and paying attention to the precepts; right thought, right action, right speech, etc. (I'm not even sure if I've got it right that those are the precepts, but they're something! I'm taking in a lot of information and he says not to trip on the details.) I've been doing this for a couple of months, not especially well, because I probably have a bit of adult ADD and don't focus all that well, but it's kind of amazing what it's doing even at this shallow level. I had a lot of household and paperwork chores to do today and usually I have 5 or 6 things going at once and I'm rushing around like an idiot. Today I really focused on doing one task at a time, not hurrying to get to the next and not beginning the next until the first was completely done with everything put away. It was amazing how much more peace of mind I have than a typical day doing the same things. At the end of each, I'd go something like, "Ah, this task is done," and give it a bow. Feels a bit silly still, but works...
Also, it kind of started me feeling a bit guilty--that's not the right word, but will have to do--over the rants I do on my political sites. I tend to let things really overrun my positivity and after about an hour of Facebook, with whatever my opponents have done or said today, as the corporate news media is ready to spoon-feed me, I'm frothing at the mouth and looking for somebody to bite. So I've really been working on my responses and keeping my center, and if I start to get crazy, taking a break and perhaps doing a short meditation before responding. And when it becomes all too much, just turning it off! I tend to forget that I do have that power. Anyway, it's really helping. Ram Dass, one of my favorite author/teachers, says he put a picture of Trump on his altar to remind him that if he's praying for the benefit of all sentient beings, that has to include even him. None of this is huge, by itself, of course, but the change inside me because of the little bit I'm doing is really powerful. Namaste