The Simple Power of Mindfulness

What does mindfulness mean to you? This was a question posed by Martha McJacobs, of Life by Design, at the October Coffee & Conversation. A simple enough question that elicited straightforward answers as we went around the room – acting with intention, being present, having awareness, being quiet, listening to understand. You get the picture; but the act of being mindful, however, seems to be a bit more elusive.

 Truly being in the moment with someone, or even with yourself, takes practice and can be a real challenge as we are constantly bombarded with input from all directions and an ever-present to-do list. All the have to’s, must do’s, and need to’s; coupled with the should have’s and meant to’s that plague every waking moment keep us in a perpetual state of doing. Even at rest, we’re thinking about what we did or did not do, what we will get done next, how we will move forward, etc. Our minds are always firing, and our thoughts are always racing. We’re always doing.

 We are not meant to be human doers. We are human beings and to truly live, we need to slow down. We need to give ourselves permission to pause and rest, and not just when we are with others, but when we are alone. There is freedom in simply sitting quietly in our own minds without judgment or criticism. Practicing this level of mindfulness with your own being allows space for the mind to rest and come back to the present.