We all have seasons in our lives. There are time when everything’s coming up roses and all of your dreams seem to come true, and there are times when nothing seems to break your way. Recognizing that we are not defined by our successes and failures, but rather that they are transient experiences that we encounter, is a distinction that mindfulness can help us to see more clearly. Even the ideas of success and failure can be relative. An outcome you view as a failure might look pretty good to someone else, or a success in the moment might look less like one in hindsight. Buddhists have a concept callled “non-attachment,” through which individuals endeavor not to “cling” to either positivity or negativity in outcomes, but to simply see them as they are. Now, I’m not suggesting that you abandon all goal-setting, because goals are good. They help us move our lives in the direction of our dreams. But, it might be a nice practice to occasionally remind yourself that the outcomes don’t define who you are — win, lose or draw. Stay positive when times are rough, and grateful (and gracious) when things go well, and you will stay “you” regardless.
