Habits are like the streams that create riverbeds: with a steady flow of water, channels become deep grooves. And yet, if the flow is redirected, rivers can be rerouted. Neuroplasticity makes this possible: the pathways in our brain—including the riverbeds of habits that affect our well-being—can be altered depending on how we direct our attention. Where attention goes, energy flows. A mindful awareness is essential in guiding the flow in ways that will help us realize our full potential.
Mindfulness is a practice—a training of the mind—that you cultivate over time, with effort and determination. But, as you’ll see, mindfulness—conscious awareness of your present-moment experience—is a natural antidote to unhealthy habits, which are unconscious and automatic. Mindfulness will open the way for you, so that you can make choices that are more healthy and helpful. Then, once the choices you make about how to act and live align with your true interests and well-being, you can live more freely.