Mindfulness
You’ve got this one life and while you’ve got it, you should squeeze and rinse as much joy out of it as possible- even if it is just for a moment.
Thich Nhat Hanh, author of the book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, sees each of our choice activities as an opportunity for awareness. Everyday we partake in activities that require our immediate and full attention. There are so many of these activities that it can be so hard to devote that 100% to something that is right in front of you. Mindfulness is the ability to reflect inwardly and recognize the shifting reality we exist in. Mindfulness teaches us to watch ourselves in action, and to wait out the reaction before taking action. More simple said than done. Life is constantly bustling. Friends, family, jobs, relationships, locations, and other parts of our outer lives are in constant motion. Inside, we are also a bubbling mess of thoughts, feelings, and stress that comes with the catch and keep cycles of our lives. We tend to hold on, sink in deep, and pull close to the pieces of life that shake us in some way. Much of our lives is spent reacting to the things that happen to us. We forget that the mud washes away, things get cleaned up. Gut reactions get the best of us.
Wait it out.
Pause for a sec.
& Respond.
Let things be. When we reflect inward, it is easier to recognize that the self and the outside world are not separate entities, but one and the same. For example, when you focus on your thoughts, feelings, and emotions more you are able to realize that the “you” in your head is not real; it’s really just your internal dialogue. The spitting thoughts and reactions to things that happen during your day is your own voice to the story, your own perspective. The flip-side of the voice inside your head is everything else! Imagine if you were able to shift perspectives and worldviews from one person to the next, one living thing to the next. Imagine the opportunities. No voice telling you that green will never be your color. No voice telling you that journalism isn’t for you. No tiny voices telling you NO, and no tiny voices telling you YES. Romance novels are no longer the cake and life is no longer as bland as a pb & j lunch without milk.
Once you are able to become internally mindful, the lever to the gumball machine of life unleashes a multitude of colorful opportunities that you literally never imagined could be in your hands.
The idea that emotions are all in our head is a modern notion- in ancient tradition all feeling came from body and from soul. Mindfulness is a task that allows you to feel the vibrations in your own heart strings, literally tugging at the outer linings of your soul. Wake up and out of your sleepy little head! Life dishes us joy and peace all the time, you just have to let your body and soul be still and open to appreciate it. Be mindful of that.
My Recipe: Running, yoga, and meditation. Three simple exercises with the same goal in mind: to find a way to be present.
What’s yours?
