I am fascinated by what it takes to stay awake in difficult times. I marvel at what we all do in times of transition — how we resist, and how we surrender; how we stay stuck; and how we grow. Since my first major broken-open experience — my divorce — I have been an observer and a confidante of others as they engage with the forces of their own suffering. I have made note of how fiasco and failure visit each one of us, as if they were written into the job description of being human. I have seen people crumble in times of trouble, lose their spirit, and never fully recover. I have seen others protect themselves fiercely from any kind of change, until they are living a half-life, safe yet stunted. But I have also seen another way to deal with a fearful change or a painful loss. I call this other way the Phoenix Process — named for the mythical phoenix bird who remains awake through the fires of change, rises from the ashes of death, and is reborn into his most vibrant and enlightened self.
Elizabeth Lesser, Broken Open
Mindfulbalance 
This does not happen without daily practice and application.
mindfulness is not just when we sit, it is in daily life with every breath. the difficult well if you want to judge them, I would not personally. Every time we judge something as terrible or difficult, the ego, will bring many thoughts from the past to bring this judgment, supporting evidence.
we are signaling our ego that this is our self image and the ego reinforces this position with past evidence. One important issue with mindfulness is the need for a positive core to receive all The benefits. This is our self image. NEver say a negative word about yourself or engage a negative thought or idea about yourself. Add daily affirmations. Say them outloud to bring in the frontline lobs for reinforcement. Call your cell phone and leave a message. The left brain is a computer and is programmable. IT feels awkward but affirmations work in due time.
Rick Hanson says what fires together wires together. mediators actually have a thicker and stronger connection with the other hemisphere. We build more equanamity becuse we are hooking up and building the connection with the right hemisphere. This is a physical change in the brain. That connection actually grows as we meditate everyday.
Shaila Catherine in Focused and Fearless, treats emotions and feelings as impermanent and constantly changing. I followed her direction and went to places that were unpleasant for me. next she instructed using mindfulness, following the breath and let go of the story of unpleasant. This emotion is closer to neutral than say fear and easier to,work with at first.
Unpleasnat changed without my ego involved. unpleasant existed over there now. A freedom almost like an anchor arrived in life hit me. Emotions were entities a mechanism, impermanent not me. I saw emotions and thoughts as separate for the first time.
Mindfulness prepares us to surrender to our fears to free, I think. IT allows us to be hee, now empty o thought to experience all of life. We use 5% of our mind, the universe is located in the right hemisphere.
GReat subject matter in the posts, Karl