Today's Inspiration comes at a time when I am needing it most. Mindfulness is something I have struggled with all my life. I am always planning for the future (the next trip, the next outing, the next, the next, the next...) and not living in the now.
We are taught to plan, make goals, prepare for the future from the time we are born. As young children we are asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" As teens we are pressured into thinking about what we will take in college. I had a hard time imaging what I was going to be doing for lunch most days.
When we get out of school we are asked "When will you get a job?". Once we get a job the question changes to "When are you going to get a girlfriend or boyfriend?", "Have you started saving for retirement?", "Are you going to buy a house?". After we have found the a person to share our life with people start in on "When you getting married?" Almost the same day as you get married people want to know "When are you starting a family?" and once you start a family "When are you having another baby?"
I could go on and on. All are fair questions -but what about just allowing people the time to enjoy the now - the moment! Let kids play with abandon and not worry about tomorrow..that day will come. Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy the new job, the new relationship, the new baby for a while?
There were times when it is just nice to wallow in this moment. To be present! How many times do you find yourself talking to someone and zoning out because you are thinking about what is to come? I do it all the time...I don't mean to do it but I do.
I am learning slowly to enjoy my time with people at this moment because I won't ever have this moment back.
With the adoption I am living 8, 10, 12 months in the future, quite often dreaming of the day we get a referral, what it will be like to travel and what meeting our future child will be like.
I am forgetting about all the good things I have in front of me right now. My wonderful partner in crime, Yvan, our family, our friends. Once our baby comes to us, we won't ever be able to get these moments back of being "just the two of us" ever again.
So, this day's intention is one I need and will keep in front of me to always remind myself to be Mindful!
Wednesday's Inspiration - Day 9
"Mindfulness,
Mindfulness involves bringing one's awareness to the present moment.
By residing more frequently in the present moment, people begin to see the true reality
of what is happening. One sees that the mind is continually chattering with commentary
or judgement. By noticing that the mind is continually making commentary, one has the ability
to carefully notice thoughts seeing them them for what they are without aversion or judgement.
One is free to release a thought (let it go) when we realize that the thought may not be the present moment.
Mindfulness is an activity that can be done at any time.
Bring the mind to focus on what ever is happening in the present moment."
6 comments:
Mindfulness is something I have struggled with all my life, too. I am a worrier -- I worry about every. single. possibility. Everything. Every outcome of every situation. So I have missed living in the moment a lot, too.
But now that I am a stay-at-home mom-to-be, I have really been conscious of trying to enjoy moments as they happen. And it's easier, I think, because I don't have anyone putting any demands on me to plan and worry and think about the next thing.
I hope you find some mindfulness, and enjoy the moment, more these days!
I could really use some of this. At work, I am constantly planning for the future, anticipating the next moment, day, etc. It is really hard to turn off that thought process when I am home. I want to enjoy more sunsets, more sunday mornings drinking coffee on the deck, just being. Great post Rana, it is a good reminder to all of us.
We should get together soon.
Shannon
I am also a worrier...but I come by it naturally...my mom and grandma are both avid worriers too.
I think as I get older and time goes by so much more quickly, I realize that life...well..doesn't last forever so you better live now.
Shannon, yes, we do need to get together soon!
This is a great post, and so true. Esp with this adoption process, it is just so easy to wish time away and forget that all the days until then are a gift too. I've been trying to remember this over the past couple of months and we're starting to make plans based on the notion that we better enjoy this time now before everything changes!
I use to be a horrible worrier, my mother says I was the only 3 year old that had a 5 year plan. I was always planning!!! Until my son came along. I think partly because I was just to exhausted to worry, but now I am just trying to cherish every second. He changes and grows so fast. It is also helping me cope with the big adoption wait, I want to cherish these moments, I have learned how much things change, and that you need to really focus on the now, because the one constant in life... epecially with children... is that everything changes.
I never thought in a million years that I will be this way. I still have all my planning journals. I even designed my "dream house" when I was 7, and still have the blueprints. :)
Take care, loving the inspiration!
Isn't this the truth! I am such a planner, plan for next week, plan for next month, next year, etc.. I think we all need to step back and take a breath and just chill in the moment!
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