Did you enjoy my last post? Did it give you pause for even a moment? Or perhaps for even a little bit longer? I hope so…that was absolutely the desired effect.
Like I said…sometimes being bored, lazy, and unfocused is positive.
It’s where you are right now…and likely where you need to be. Go with it…don’t fight it! You are being in the moment. You are being mindful. You are being present with yourself, with others, and with the universe. That is great!!
So what does “being mindful” really mean?
I understand it to be about learning and practicing to be more present in the moment. Whatever you are doing…your complete focus is on that very thing, nothing and no one else. You are not reading a book and thinking about what you’re going to have for lunch, or picking up your dry-cleaning, or that you should call your sister. And you’re not talking on the phone with your friend and thinking about how many loads of laundry need to be done, what you need to buy at the grocery store, or what research you need to do for that presentation on Monday.
And for most of us…being mindful does not come naturally or easily. It is something that needs attention, work, and practice to hone…just as any worthy task or skill demands.
And the benefits of living a more mindful lifestyle are great!
Those who live in the moment tend to feel more relaxed and calm. They tend to be happier individuals with a great sense of appreciation of all that they have and all that is around them.
Being more present also allows for a stronger and (perhaps) deeper connection to our inner self…our inner voice. We are better able to tune into our own thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. And in doing so, we are better able to communicate these thoughts and feelings with ourselves and with others. In essence,we are really getting to know ourselves better as we learn to truly listen to our own wise inner voice.
Have you been mindful this summer…how so?
Have you found yourself distracted and were able to redirect your attention back to the task at hand…back to whatever it was that you were doing in that moment? Was it easy or a bit of a challenge? I would love to hear ALL about it…please share!!!
Joy & Love,
Goddess Mandy 🙂 XO
Thank You Goddess for this post. The subject is why i try to take at least 90 minutes to prepare myself for a naughty session with You. During this time, besides cleansing my body inside and out, i focus on Your energy. i think of all those little “ankle bitters” that have been occupying my mind of late, and breathe them out to the shelf to wait until we are done with our session. They will surely be there when we are done. Same with all those real world crisis. i’m not going to solve them in the next few hours, so i set them aside. This allows me to become completely open to Your energy and You aura. Bright green, from Your heart chakra. And then, Your energy homogenizes with my energy to become us. Such a wonderful connection we share. Thank You for letting me share how i am able to feel You so near when we play.
Hi Mandy! Mindfulness is something I’ve been talking about a lot with my therapist, because in work I often have issues of distraction and loss of focus. One
solution I’ve found is simply to do and not think. If I’m thinking and worrying about a project, I try to think of three small things I can do and just do them.
Quickly. And that can help me regain focus.
My work – and I’m sure this is true of most people – is most satisfying when my mind is fully engaged throughout the day and I don’t even notice the time passing.
These last two weeks I have not been working but have been very active with volunteer work and then traveling, and I think I have been mindful throughout,
which is a great feeling. Of course, part of mindfulness is, I think, when your mind is occupied, to have the ability to recognize and enjoy your emotional engagement.
I always enjoy your thoughtful and well written blog entries!
– Princess
PS — Book recommendation: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience