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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about the wishing game. So there's an old story about this. Five children were playing the wishing game. The first child was asked, so if you had a wish, what would you want? She replied, "If I had a wish, I would want an ice cream." Then the second child who was a few years older said, "If I had a wish, I'd wish for an ice cream factory." and the first child thought, "Oh wow.
That's so clever." The third child was then asked,. "You know, what would you wish?" He said, Well, if I had a wish, it would be for a billion dollars because with a billion dollars, I can buy an ice cream factory, a cookie factory hamburger shop, and a skateboard shop. Then I can have whatever I want whenever I wanted." Well, the first two kids went, "Oh, wow. That is the best wish ever. That's so clever." They thought this kid is a genius.
Now the next child, when they asked him, you know, "What would you wish for?" He said, "Well, if I had a wish, I would wish that I had three wishes. So I could wish for an ice cream factory with my first wish, a billion dollars with my second wish, and with my third wish I would wish for another three wishes." Well, of course all the kids' jaws dropped. "Oh wow. Weeh," they said this, "You've really cracked the code here. You're amazing." So the fable goes, the last child was the young Buddha.
When it was his turn, he said, "I would wish that I had no wishes at all so that I could be happy, fulfilled, and content." This really sweet story points to a mental trap that we often get ourselves stuck in. The trap of always wishing for this moment to be different and therefore cultivating a kind of background sense of dissatisfaction. So when you're always wishing for something else, you're never fully satisfied, never fully allowing yourself to drop into contentment and never quite fully present with what is. Now of course letting go of the wishing game doesn't mean that we can never plan for things or make positive changes in our lives. It simply means learning to let go of the continuous mental storylines that say this moment is not good enough.
I need more. I need this, that or the other before I can be happy. So this is the invitation for practice today to see if you can notice when the wishing game arises in your mind, the stories about what you need before you can be happy. And when they do arise, just letting them go as best you can and switch your focus to appreciation and gratitude for something about the present moment experience. So you just want to pick one thing or two things you're really grateful for and let the energy of gratitude and contentment fill your body and mind.
By opening to the enoughness and fullness of our lives, we naturally live with more presence, contentment and joy. As the old saying goes, "Happiness is not having what you want. It's appreciating what you have." As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here. Let's settle in now for today's meditation.
The Wishing Game
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
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Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about the wishing game. So there's an old story about this. Five children were playing the wishing game. The first child was asked, so if you had a wish, what would you want? She replied, "If I had a wish, I would want an ice cream." Then the second child who was a few years older said, "If I had a wish, I'd wish for an ice cream factory." and the first child thought, "Oh wow.
That's so clever." The third child was then asked,. "You know, what would you wish?" He said, Well, if I had a wish, it would be for a billion dollars because with a billion dollars, I can buy an ice cream factory, a cookie factory hamburger shop, and a skateboard shop. Then I can have whatever I want whenever I wanted." Well, the first two kids went, "Oh, wow. That is the best wish ever. That's so clever." They thought this kid is a genius.
Now the next child, when they asked him, you know, "What would you wish for?" He said, "Well, if I had a wish, I would wish that I had three wishes. So I could wish for an ice cream factory with my first wish, a billion dollars with my second wish, and with my third wish I would wish for another three wishes." Well, of course all the kids' jaws dropped. "Oh wow. Weeh," they said this, "You've really cracked the code here. You're amazing." So the fable goes, the last child was the young Buddha.
When it was his turn, he said, "I would wish that I had no wishes at all so that I could be happy, fulfilled, and content." This really sweet story points to a mental trap that we often get ourselves stuck in. The trap of always wishing for this moment to be different and therefore cultivating a kind of background sense of dissatisfaction. So when you're always wishing for something else, you're never fully satisfied, never fully allowing yourself to drop into contentment and never quite fully present with what is. Now of course letting go of the wishing game doesn't mean that we can never plan for things or make positive changes in our lives. It simply means learning to let go of the continuous mental storylines that say this moment is not good enough.
I need more. I need this, that or the other before I can be happy. So this is the invitation for practice today to see if you can notice when the wishing game arises in your mind, the stories about what you need before you can be happy. And when they do arise, just letting them go as best you can and switch your focus to appreciation and gratitude for something about the present moment experience. So you just want to pick one thing or two things you're really grateful for and let the energy of gratitude and contentment fill your body and mind.
By opening to the enoughness and fullness of our lives, we naturally live with more presence, contentment and joy. As the old saying goes, "Happiness is not having what you want. It's appreciating what you have." As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here. Let's settle in now for today's meditation.
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This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
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Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
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