WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE MINDFULLY?


Owning that sense of empowerment enables us to live the life we imagine not one that is dictated by someone or something else. When we become more mindful and develop that ability to pause and thoughtfully recognize how our daily choices affect our lifestyle, then we empower ourselves to positively affect change in our lives when, where and how we want.


To begin living mindfully, start with one task at a time. For example, we know exercising our bodies is an important part of staying healthy, but how are we exercising? Have we fallen into a habitual exercise routine or not exercising at all? Take a moment and became mindful of how you may be ready or need to begin move your body differently, or be surrounded by different people, energy or music.


Pausing to think about how we are choosing to exercise, allows us to not only change this activity, but also discover something new about ourselves. One client used to go out dancing every week, but now complained the she no longer had any time to dance because of all the other stuff she had to do. When she became more mindful of how she was living, she tried a Zumba class which incorporated both her love for dance as well as her need to exercise.


This simple change made such a positive difference in her life. Also she’s now even incorporating dance into her life in other ways because she and her Zumba classmates attend various dance events together. As another example, pause before you get out of bed each morning and ask yourself what are you thinking even before your feet hit the ground. Become mindful of how do you wake up each morning. Are you thankful for another day, are you dreading the day, are you hopeful? Learn to pause and listen to yourself because it is in those first moments waking up that we determine our mindset for the day.


Then again there are aspects of life we can’t actually change, but we can change how we think about them. Let’s take doing dishing as an example. I have never liked doing dishes, this task just doesn’t offer sense of fulfillment for me. But that doesn’t mean I can stop doing them! So I have learned while I am washing the dishes that listening to a Ted Talk enables me to fulfill my need for learning during what to me is the very dull task.


Another example, what if we love our job, but can’t change our current commute? Then we need to think about how we can change our attitude about the commute itself. Instead of letting it fill our minds with dread, we can mindfully focus on thinking about how we can use that time to our best ability. Maybe changing into comfortable clothes before you begin your commute home would help you feel more relaxed?


If you are driving your car hook up Bluetooth and view this as time to catch up with family and friends via enjoyable phone conversations. Or consider it as time you use to be quiet and process the day, or sing your heart out as you listen to your favorite music or listen to a book on tape...you get the idea, there are lots of ideas to help you reconsider your view of this less than ideal part of your day even if you can’t actually change it for now.


So while it’s easy for all of us to fall into habits without thinking too much, it’s much more rewarding to learn how to develop a sense of awareness in how we are choosing to live. Therefore, we need to remember that living mindfully is a learning process that when cultivated daily we enable ourselves to live more authentically as well as more joyfully.


Amy Collins is a mindful living Instructor who teaches empowering workshops that help people clarify who they are and how they are living. www.CreateClarity.net


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