You may not have full control over the outside results of your actions, but you do have control over your intentions if you simply take responsibility for them.

"Oftentimes, we think of success in the world in terms of getting ahead in our work, doing good work that we like, leaving good results behind in the world. But so many times those results are dependent on factors that are totally outside of our control. So the emphasis should be on areas that are more under our control: the mind. You do good things for the sake of the good that it does for your mind. If for some reason the world changes so that the good you do gets wiped out, still the goodness of the mind doesn’t get wiped out. That’s what stays with you.

So spend your time on the aspect of life that does stay with you. Arrange the rest of your life around that. That way, as you sit down to meditate, the outside world doesn’t impinge so much. Because you remember: The outside world is not a set factor. A lot of your experience of the outside world depends on how you interact with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations. That’s the world you experience.

And so much of it comes from your intentions in the present moment. So if you can work on the mind to get its intentions right and skillful, as much as possible, then you find that you have a better world to live in, a better space to meditate in.

So remember this: You’re not a passive victim of outside circumstances. You’re part of the shaper of those outside circumstances. When you realize your responsibility for the world you experience, then you can do something about it.

When you see what’s under your control, what’s not under your control, and are very clear about that distinction, it clears up a lot of issues in life — and a lot of issues in your meditation. You may not have full control over the outside results of your actions, but you do have control over your intentions — if you simply take responsibility for them. That’s what we’re doing as we’re meditating. We’re taking responsibility for our mind, taking responsibility for the way we experience the world. We devote time and energy so that we can do it as skillfully as possible."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Right Livelihood"

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