This is the responding wisely practice. 

It can help you develop the ability to respond wisely to challenges. Begin by steadying yourself and feeling grounded. Relaxing any areas of tension in your body and mind, and anchoring in your breathing and in sensations in the body. And then when you're ready, what I'd like to invite you to do is to bring to mind some issue or difficulty in your life, but taking care to ensure it's something manageable.

And once you've settled on something, let's take a breathing space. And in step 1, starting by noticing what's around in the body in terms of sensations. What moods, feelings, or emotions are around? Are there any impulses to action? Thoughts or imagery, recognizing and allowing these to be in awareness in this moment.

And when you're ready in step 2, gathering your awareness on breathing. Anchoring your awareness. This in breath. This out breath. Cultivating a sense of groundedness, interest, kindness, and care in your awareness of breathing.

Now expanding your awareness out to a sense of your breathing but also the body as a whole. Noticing your posture, any sensations in the torso, facial expression, the whole of the body floodlit with awareness. And returning now to the difficulty, bring it into the foreground with an attitude of friendly interest and care. And ask yourself, what would be a helpful response to this issue? What would support my well-being?

What would support the well-being of others? See if you can trust what comes up, what emerges in your body, what emerges in your mind. And if nothing comes up, hold that sense of not knowing with interest and with patience. This is a practice that you can use and develop for a lifetime, but you might like to try some other questions. What would enlarge me?

What would enlarge others? What does my wisest, most compassionate, most courageous, friendliest voice have to say just now? If I were my own best friend, mentor, parent, what would I suggest? What's the best outcome I can imagine? What feels true and authentic?

These are all questions that you can use in this moment after the breathing space. And with whatever comes up, you can ask, how does this sit with me? Will I feel good about acting or not acting this way next year? Will I regret acting or not acting this way? What assumptions am I making?

What am I expecting to happen? And if I let go of these assumptions and expectations, what happens? These questions can bring up a sense of judging, of trying to get it right. See if you can let go of that. Of course, this is easier said than done.

But in a way, it's exactly like mindfulness of the breathing. Minds wander, being able to notice this and with firm kindness escort the mind back is part of mindfulness practice. In the same way, sometimes you're carried away by reactivity. Being able to notice this and with kindness, care, and patience coming back to this moment to start again. This work is lifelong and can support you in leading the life you aspire to.

By regularly practicing this exercise, you can develop the capacity to respond widely to challenges in a way that supports your well-being and the well-being of others.