Imagine you are in the middle of your most important task, your focus locked. Then, a distracting, charming, and utterly unpredictable element lands squarely on your shoulder. This was the literal reality for a Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace, when a stray cat climbed onto his uniform and made itself at home. His response—or profound non-response—is a masterclass in mindfulness and emotional discipline that we can all learn from.
The Queen’s Guard is trained to achieve a state of unwavering presence. Their role is to be a fixed point of awareness, observing everything yet reacting to nothing that doesn’t constitute a genuine threat. The cat, a bundle of instinct and play, represented the ultimate test of this training. It was not a threat, but a powerful distraction seeking a reaction. By not flinching, smiling, or shifting his gaze, the guard demonstrated complete command over his attention and his impulses. He acknowledged the distraction internally, perhaps, but he did not let it command his actions.
This is the essence of mindfulness in action: to be fully present and aware of your environment, including its irritations and amusements, without being hijacked by them. In our daily lives, our “cats” are endless—pinging notifications, off-topic thoughts, emotional triggers, or minor annoyances. We often feel we must react to every one. The guard’s example invites us to ask: Is this distraction a true threat to my core purpose, or is it merely background noise? Can I notice it, and then consciously choose to return my focus to my standing order?
Furthermore, the incident beautifully separates reaction from response. A reaction is impulsive and emotional; the guard’s discipline allowed for a non-response, which in itself was a powerful, chosen response. It upheld his duty and his dignity. By cultivating our own inner discipline, we can create a space between stimulus and our action, choosing responses that align with our values and goals, rather than being puppeteered by every passing whim. Sometimes, the most powerful action is conscious, deliberate inaction.
