Altruistic Thinking

Finally, in addition to altruistic aspiration, intentions, and actions, we also want to begin working with the undercurrent of thought running through our minds all day long. Often, much of our thinking is focused on meeting our own needs and desires.

We have already been cultivating mindfulness of our thoughts by observing our minds. Now, in addition to observing our thoughts, we can begin to experiment with transforming self-based thinking into thoughts about benefiting others.

We could set specific times where we will consciously cultivate thinking of others. For instance, if we know we usually wake up in the morning worried about our todo list, we could instead take some time in the morning to think about how we might support and bring happiness to others. Or, whenever we notice our mind focusing on ourselves, i.e. only our needs and wants, we could turn it around and put in its place thoughts of others.