It's impossible not to be distracted by memories or hopes. It's important to pay attention to future plans and remember our past experiences. Reliving wonderful memories and daydreaming about times to come are some of the most pleasant ways to pass time. And we're nearly always present when it's important. So what's the hubbub about mindfulness?
When I was first pregnant with my son, I bought a book called What To Expect When You're Expecting. It was fabulous. It told me what I was going to feel before I even felt it. Two minutes after exclaiming that my nails and hair were growing like crazy, I would open my book and read "You've probably noticed that your hair and nails are growing like crazy about now." I kept that book near me wherever I went. Knowing what would happen as my body changed and grew and changed and grew gave me a feeling of security. But the book also mentioned all the things that could go wrong in each and every stage of my baby's development. And that's where I managed to get off course. As I anticipated each new phase and each possible problem, I began to get stuck in the "what if"s of the future. What if this goes wrong? What if the doctor doesn't notice this? What if I don't notice something in time? I spent so much time worrying about the what ifs, that I missed a huge chunk of the miracle I was living. I was growing a baby inside my own body! Things tasted and smelled different. I felt different. I looked different. My dreams were vivid and different. I could hear my son's heartbeat and feel him kick and hiccup. Sure, it's an experience that's been lived by millions of women over time, but this was my one chance to live it. And I spent far too much of it living in the future instead of in my present miracle.
Mindfulness is a focused awareness of the present moment. It lets us absorb the sensation and fullness of the moment, the small things as well as the big, instead of going through life with half of our attention on the past of future. The self-knowledge that comes from mindfulness lets us be more intentional in choosing priorities and actions that fit our life mission. Mindfulness keeps us centered and grounded in our current life, aware of the real possibilities and experiences of right now.
When we turn off our autopilot and fully live in the moment, there's no telling what we'll learn or notice or discover. How many opportunities have passed us by while our minds were somewhere else? How many things could we learn by listening to our experiences and feelings in the moment instead of focusing on things we can't change or control? Everything we do consciously is an act of our own power. By being mindful and intentional, by letting go of the crazy mental chatter that accompanies our auto-piloted state, we become more powerful. We can change more, learn more, live more.
I won't go into the many ways to practice mindfulness (meditation being one) because I am a brand new student of mindfulness. Mindfulness is not my natural state of being. But I'm finding that it is a benefit to me in both anxious and depressive states. I'm finding that both joy and peace increase with mindfulness. When I spend time in the now, I see so much, feel so much, learn so much. Mindfulness is the way to truly live life, instead of just going through the motions.
May you live every day of your life. ~ Jonathan Swift
Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~ Unknown
The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive you will see it. ~ Thich Naht Hanh
Do not ruin today with mourning tomorrow. ~ Catherynne M. Valente
If your relationship to the present moment is not right, nothing can ever be right in the future - because when the future comes, it's the present moment. ~ Eckhart Tolle
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