I think I am at the beginnings of an epiphany.....
Today started out rough. While I knew to get the boys' swim gear together for our morning trip to the YMCA, I forgot my essential running tool: my phone / mp3 player. Since we were running late to my WW meeting, I couldn't turn back. Thus, my challenge was to do five miles sans any musical inspiration. Oh, was this a challenge!
However, while on the treadmill, I was skimming a magazine to take my mind off my unmusical run. An article stared me in the face and it read like someone spied on me. It mentioned things like:
-Letting your husband kiss you on the head as he leaves because your too busy with your e-mails and Facebook.
-Doing the dishes while your kids talk about their day.
-Texting one person while out with another.
-Making a to-do list while on a family outing.
...and the list went on.
This "multitasking", what I thought was being productive and efficient, is now being frowned upon as quite inefficient. What's more, while technology brings you closer to distant peeps, it keeps your close ones away from you. So, you mean to tell me I shouldn't be doing this? Ugh! Just when I thought I had it down pat.
The article recommended practicing (emphasizing practice) mindful living, or "mindfulness". This state of being allows you to live and function....in the present. You focus your physical, mental and emotional being on what is going on NOW, not what will happen tomorrow. While it concedes that some planning has to be done, it is important to spend mindful time with your loved ones and with yourself!
Some examples were, again, taken from my life:
-While taking out the trash, instead of thinking about the next cleaning mission, why not look at stars / sky, inhale the outdoor air, and enjoy a moment of peace?
-While reading with your child, instead of thinking about what to take out for dinner, why not marvel at their reading or get involved in the plot?
-While sitting with your husband at night, put away the laptop and put on the imagination cap. Talk about each other and what happened during the day.
I had the opportunity to practice some mindfulness this morning after my run. Usually I have my phone with me, Facebooking profusely while the boys swim. Well, since I didn't have my phone, I had no other choice than to....be present for my boys. I watched them swim their little hearts out, JOR demonstrating his strength by swimming a decent distance and SRR demonstrating his goofiness by imitating a dolphin and a hammerhead shark. I watched as they socialized with other kids and how they took turns jumping into the pool. Had I had my nose in FB, I would have missed those moments. Now I have them in my memory and no one can take them from me.
This is something I am going to practice. I'm curious to see how my life will function while I try to lead a mindful existence. Who knows? Maybe I'll be a little less stressed. Maybe I'll have more enjoyable time with my family. Maybe I won't forget my phone for my next run.
Until next time....mind away!
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