In the end, what many people really desire is to change unwanted behaviors, to transform them into desirable behaviors. To do that, we should recognize that more often than not, emotions drive behaviors. So if we want to change behaviors, we need to change emotions. If we want to change emotions, we have to recognize them when they arise, or before they arise, because this is where we can intervene, just before emotions grab hold of our body and mind, and automatically force a reaction.
How do we learn to recognize our emotions earlier? We need to become more aware. How do we become more aware? We simply observe the movements of our mind attentively.
You can sit, or you can do anything. The only thing required is paying attention and observing with an open mind what arises in your experience. You will notice your mind move in many directions: thoughts, images, memories, worries, and emotions. They come and go, like waves on the ocean. Such is the nature of our mind. We can control the wind, but we don’t control the current.
We can learn to see, step back, make wise choices and let go, just by spending time observing ourselves attentively, a few minutes per day.
Martin Pham Dinh 