One of the best ways to build a sound mental foundation is to cultivate equanimity. It is a state of calmness and stability not disturbed by what’s happening externally. It’s a psychological state to strive for. Many religions and ancient philosophies have highlighted the importance of equanimity.
Equanimity is essentially a mindful state without any strong preference. It may sound a bit rigid, but it is the thing we all need especially in this overexcited world we live in. This is what the Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron said about equanimity:
‘To cultivate equanimity we practice catching ourselves when we feel attraction or aversion before it hardens into grasping or negativity.’
Pema Chodron
Why is it important that we keep a distance from attraction and aversion, likes and dislikes? Well, these preferences tend to make us overexcited that may be tempting at first but often lead to unwanted consequences. Most importantly, we don’t really have much control over external factors such as what other people do or think. It’s a never-ending exercise to engage in things we have no control of.
Equanimity may sound like a big word with many sub-meanings. It can mean tranquility, mindfulness, balance and/or calmness. But most importantly, it is a mindful state not disturbed by outside events or other people. Things we have no control of. We should focus our attention on things we can control. The more we cultivate equanimity, the better it is for our inner well-being. It’s something to strive for.