Mindful Living 

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Mindfulness is a practice that expands far beyond the 20 minutes that someone spends sitting and meditating. This is clear as some meditation only involves being aware of the present moment and keeping your attention there. These are some ways to consistently bring that mindfulness to your life.  

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Get Outside - Listen to the birds and the crickets, smell the fresh air and take in the site of a tree that has spent years growing for no other reason than it can. 

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Listen - The next time a friend is sharing a story or perspective, or you are walking down the street and music catches your ear. Just pause and listen, without any thought of a response, listen. 

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Stop fighting the feelings but don’t let them fight you. - Feelings are natural. As human beings, we have complex social structures that often demand emotional responses in interaction. These include showing affection and happiness towards someone you love. Emotions that are not so sweet as love, like anger and jealousy, are important too. They can help you grow and protect yourself by setting boundaries. Living mindfully is allowing these emotions to move through you instead of being overcome by them. 

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Stop multitasking - Give your whole mind to your task. Distracting yourself does nothing but spread your mind and spirit thin. Bring your awareness to the present task and it will always be better for it. 

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Ask yourself what you consume and how it makes you feel. 

What am I eating? How does it make me feel?

What am I buying? How does it make me feel?

What am I watching on television and social media? How does it make me feel?

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Physically Make Something - Get creative, whether you are baking something new or painting a picture. The focus on what you are presently doing is mindful and inspires your innate ingenuity. 

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Stay Humble - True self-awareness means being aware of both your strengths and your weaknesses and without being defensive or judgemental. Mindfulness can help you foster compassion for yourself and others. It helps us be grateful and grow our weaknesses into strengths.  

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Sierra Johnson  last edited November 1, 2019