Right Mindfulness

Today I tried to put {abridged} Buddhism into practice while talking politics with a fellow classmate. I tried to access that "Right Mindfulness" [definition: learning to master oneself. "When our emotions are stronger than our mindfulness we suffer."] and not get heated or defensive.

What Happened:
Unfortunately, when we started talking about school systems (and I was told that schools do not effectively motivate their students), I did slip into WRONG MINDFULNESS and my emotions got the best of me. I want to be a professor. That basically invalidated my life path. I may or may have started tearing up and flailing my arms while shooting off all the reasons I thought he was WRONG.

What I Wish Had Happened:

I wish I had calmly stated "I will need more empirical evidence to back up this point you just made." And continued to think my lovely thoughts and not let him break my spirit or my mindfulness... all the while continuing to remember that he is probably just as convicted as I am that the other is WRONG. I would have wanted my mindfulness to take over and tell me that it is less about RIGHT versus WRONG and more about how I can better love my classmate in that moment.

I will try "Right Mindfulness" again tomorrow when I am just a little bit older and just a little bit wiser.