Foundational Attitudes of Mindfulness

There are several interrelated qualities and attitudes that support and deepen mindfulness. We introduce them here to round out your understanding of what mindfulness involves. You’ll see these concepts explored in more detail in the following sections. You can also hear Jon Kabat-Zinn describe many of these qualities in the Mindfulness Resources section at the end of this module (see also Wolf & Serpa, 2015, Chapter 1). 

• Curiosity: Bringing a genuine interest to what’s happening in the present moment. Curiosity can instantly shift an experience—inviting openness instead of resistance. It can start with simple questions like, “What is this?” “What’s going on right now?” or “What else is here that I’m not yet aware of?” 

• Acceptance: The willingness to turn toward a situation and see it clearly as it is. Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation or approval, but rather acknowledging, “This is how things are right now.” It’s a necessary first step toward responding effectively. 

• Nonjudging: Our minds are constantly evaluating our experiences just below the surface of our awareness (e.g., “This is nice, I want more of it,” “I don’t like this, make it stop,” “This is boring, give me something else”). With practice, we learn to notice these judgments as they are happening, and it becomes easier to let them go without them controlling our responses in unhelpful ways. We simply learn to notice the mind’s reactions, and to not judge the judging.  

• Nonstriving: Shifting the emphasis from doing to being. This means being fully present with what’s happening now without the need to change it. You don’t need to make anything happen. Doing more and achieving more actually isn’t the answer to feeling enough, because you already are enough. When that truth is deeply felt, action becomes more purposeful—less frantic striving, more authentic thriving. 

• Kindness: Whether turned toward ourselves or others, kindness is a gentler, more effective response than harshness or judgment. Mindfulness and kindness reinforce each other, particularly as we begin to understand how the human mind works. For example, understanding how a particular context can prime the mind for experiencing anger, we’re more likely to respond with kindness because we can see the hurt or perceived threat behind the emotion. 

• Gratitude and Generosity: Mindfulness helps us become more aware of the abundance already present in our lives. These qualities foster well-being and counteract the common tendency toward scarcity thinking and discontent. 

• Letting Go or Letting Be: It’s human nature to want to hold on to positive experiences and push away negative experiences. But these impulses often cause unnecessary suffering. There’s a paradox here: many people come to mindfulness to get rid of anxiety, pain, or depression, yet it’s often the act of letting go of the need to change those states that allows healing to begin. 

• Patience: Cultivating patience lets us receive what each moment has to offer. Impatience creates unnecessary stress and negatively colors our experience of the now. Patience helps counter the impulse to rush ahead, and opens the door to appreciating life’s natural rhythm. 

• Trust: Cultivating a sense of trust in yourself and in the body’s natural intelligence. Consider how the body knows how to breathe itself, how the heart beats itself, and how all the other complex and miraculous processes in the body work without our having to consciously direct them. Trust also includes the awareness that you are the expert on yourself. It means believing in your own wisdom, values, and sense of purpose—and extending that trust into your relationships.

• Beginner’s Mind: Seeing things—yourself, others, situations—with fresh eyes. The mind often says, “I already know this,” or “What’s next?” Adopting a beginner’s mind brings renewed wonder and appreciation, even to familiar experiences we might otherwise overlook.