If You Want To Change Your Life…

If you want to change your life, you have to change yourself. So how do you go about doing this?

Phillip Moffitt | Photo David Martinez

Phillip Moffitt may have some good answers for you. In his DharmaWisdom e-Teaching, which I received today, he talks about fundamental changes, not just job, car, house, etc.

He says that according to the eightfold path,

…the aspiration to make change comes about through wise view. Through wise view you realize that you need or want to make a change in your life and then you act upon it. It also involves wise intention because you encounter numerous roadblocks along the way and have to start over many times in order to stay on course and right effort because if you see you’re heading toward something that’s unwholesome you have to alter your course. Change requires faith that it is possible for you to live more aligned with your essence.

Fundamental change is risky, however mindfulness can support your wise intention and wise effort. If you are contemplating a fundamental internal or external change right now or one lies ahead for you, name what that change might be. Then with kindness toward yourself and beginners mind, open to the following questions. In discerning what’s true, you will discern whether the change is wise or not wise.

He offers a couple dozen questions to contemplate when making a fundamental change in life.

Phillip suggest that small changes may be useful, even if people don’t notice them.

You can listen to Phillip’s complete dharma talk here:

[podcast]http://dharmawisdom.org/files/2013-5-19%20MS_%20Making%20Fundamental%20Life%20Changes.mp3[/podcast]

Phillip Moffitt is an excellent teacher of vipassana meditation and is one of the wonderful teachers at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. He leads the Marin Sangha in San Rafael on Sunday evenings at the St. Luke Presbyterian Church
.

I have attended many of his classes there and he is always well prepared and handles questions in a delightful manner.

Did you know that he was once the editor-in-chief of Esquire Magazine?