The Buddha describes four kinds of wise effort: avoiding unhealthy mind states; abandoning unhealthy mind states once they have arisen; moving the mind to healthy mind states; and maintaining the mind on healthy mind states that have already risen. Right effort has to do with how you are being with what has arisen. Right mindfulness is the clear understanding of your experience in the present moment. You cultivate mindfulness in daily life in order to stay present with what is happening, see it clearly, and respond appropriately. Right concentration is the ability to collect and unify the mind. It enables you to direct your attention to an object of your experience and stay focused on it. In daily life, wise concentration supports right intention. However, it’s not so easy to develop steady concentration; therefore, you cultivate it in meditation.

Dancing with Life, Chapter 20, pp. 240-245

For your reflection: This week, choose one form of right effort and practice it the whole week. For instance, when you start to fall into self-criticism, deliberately move your attention to something you appreciate about yourself. Also, you’ve been practicing mindfulness for many weeks now. Take a moment to reflect on how it has helped you develop loving-kindness, compassion, curiosity, and equanimity. Even brief periods of concentration practice can make a huge impact on your ability to collect and unify your mind. Six times a day this week, pause for 90-seconds and practice concentrating your mind on your breath while you’re in the midst of various activities. Notice that it really is true that you can place your attention where you choose, when you remember to do so.