John DeCastro explores an approach to wise effort, effort that is truly helpful in our practice, both in formal meditation and in daily life. One of the ideas that is emphasized is that of the “middle way” between not exerting enough effort and exerting too much effort, or exerting effort in a tight and damaging way. He also discusses the four aspects of wise effort, of cultivating wholesome habits of mind and uprooting unhelpful habits. You can find his article at this page: The Noble Eightfold Path: Right Effort
Ines Freedman discusses a related question about wise effort, and that is the apparent contradiction between the mindfulness meditation instruction to accept whatever arises without judgement and the suggestion that we cultivate positive qualities of mind. This balance between effort and letting go is an important one to explore on the path . You can find her article here: Right Effort
Jay Michaelson provides a thought provoking and amusing discussion of the common misunderstanding that because we can’t stop our mind from thinking, we can’t meditate. He points out one of the central truths of meditation practice, that “The point of mindfulness meditation isn’t to stop thinking. It’s to relate differently to thinking.” You can find his article here: I Can’t Stop My Thoughts