WELCOME

ADMIRABLE FRIENDS are friends who exhibit exemplary qualities and choose to have an open, sharing dialogue regarding their experience on the path to WELL-BEING. Their admirable qualities help bring us to another level.

ADMIRABLE FRIENDS are not to be confused with LOYAL FRIENDS, who stick with us through thick and thin, and CONVENTIONAL FRIENDS, who come and go based upon common interests and geography.

THE ROAD TO WELL-BEING

CONSIDER that the most important external factor, on the road to well-being, is associating with ADMIRABLE FRIENDS (people who display admirable qualities, such as generosity, virtue, discernment, and determination).

CONSIDER that the most important internal factor, on the road to well-being, is asking APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS (regular honest inquiry as to whether our actions lead us and/or others to stress or well-being).

MEDITATION WITH RIGHT VIEW

WE MEDITATE in order to come closer to the PRESENT MOMENT, where we can transform our INTENTIONS (our thoughts), into SKILLFUL ACTIONS (actions that lead us away from stress and towards long-term well-being).

WHEN WE BEGIN meditating with RIGHT VIEW, rather than wanting to find it when we meditate, we bring motivation and PURPOSE to our practice. Right view increases the likelihood of attaining the subtle insights that can uproot the causes of stress.

PODCAST INTRODUCTION
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TEN (10) MIND QUALITIES

The ten inner mind qualities are SKILLS that can be developed, and represent the primary areas of our lives where we can exercise CONTROL.

These qualities provide an excellent framework for embarking on a practice which builds skillful habits that transform our intentions and resultant behavior traits.

Finding well-being through INTERNAL means is not MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE of balancing traditional aspects of well-being (career, social, financial, physical, and community).

Rather, developing inner mind qualities can help bring perspective to our outer world of experience.

1-DETERMINATION

An exercise of will that skillfully directs desire with firmness and purpose. Determination is the overriding quality that is reinforced by the other nine qualities.

2-DISCERNMENT

Thinking impersonally, past the mere perception or aggregate of experience, and evaluating conditions on a detailed cause and effect basis.

3-GOODWILL

The skillful desire (wish) for us and/or others to find and act upon the causes leading to long-term well-being.

4-AUTHENTICITY

The honest effort to be aware of the true intentions preceding our words and deeds.

5-INTEGRITY

Exhibiting actions and adopting maxims that are aligned with moral and ethical principles.

6-PERSISTENCE

The quality of mind that displays firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action despite difficulty or opposition.

7-GENEROSITY

The results of repeatedly giving, tangibly or intangibly, without expecting in return. Generosity raises our level of gratitude.

8-RESTRAINT

The ability to choose under control or within limits. Skillful restraint involves trading unnecessary external sensory pleasures for inner pleasures.

9-ENDURANCE

The ability to exert oneself and remain patient and tolerant for long periods of time, as well as the ability to withstand, and recover from physical or emotional stress.

10-EQUANIMITY

The mental calmness, composure, and evenness of emotion and temperament.

CURRICULUM

We are grateful to the oraganizations that freely donate the curriculum that brings a common language and context to our group dialogue.

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