I finished my last two chapters of my dissertation last Thursday and sent the draft to my editor. I almost feel a sense of loss because of my own changing academic identity now. You would think I would be anxious to finish and move on but there is a lingering pause wherein I am realizing my self changing. We do not really like to change. Choosing to move on and choosing to embrace those things that will bring us the most longterm happiness is a mindful process. Being aware that we have an inherent ability to choose and then choosing those things that will result in peace is a mindful process. There are always battles, some lost but the persistence of mindful choosing is what brings me back to my own homeodynamics.