“Once conform, once do what other people do because they do it, and a lethargy steals over all the finer nerves and faculties of the soul. She becomes all outer show and inward emptiness; dull, callous, and indifferent.” —Virginia Woolf

The “doldrums” can be found on a map. They are an ocean region near the Equator that receives light currents and light winds. As the seasons change, the doldrums move toward the warmer side of the Equator, and if sailors are unfortunate enough to enter them, they will become becalmed in intense heat with no way to escape until the wind once again blows.

We all get stuck in the doldrums, now and then, but we always have a choice in how we react once we’re there. Choice is chief among the abilities that we have in life to be thankful for. Most of us make choices every few minutes, sorting through thoughts and whispered suggestions that have been planted in our minds. We rarely give a moment’s consideration to who put them there—a friend, a doctor, a writer in a magazine, perhaps, all of whom may be misinformed. Too often in life, the choices that are handed to us are not ones we really care to choose between.

With mindfulness practice, you can learn to know your own mind better and start to plant in your own mind the suggestions and thoughts that you truly want to be your guidelines in life. Then, when you hit the doldrums, as we all do, you have more choices for dealing with them.