Mindfulness

Kelsea wrote about watching the stark northern edge of the Alaskan wilderness for nature to call forth something hidden inside her.

Her listening throughout the day reminds me of a journey in my past when I paid attention to everything going on around me and I felt connected to the wonder of everyday life. Since then, distractions of secondary importance have taken over and control my days. Unfortunately most of them are worthwhile, so it’s hard to say “no” to them. But I end up skimming the surface of everything and do not connect to the depths of any.

Thich Nhat Hanh says that when we are doing something like washing the dishes, we should not be thinking about anything else. We should be mindful only of washing the dishes. Hanh is speaking of being fully present to the moment, not just by listening and watching, but also by sharing ourselves with it. 

When I am talking with someone, I should be focused on that person, on what he or she is saying, and not on what I’m going to make later for dinner. I should also let the other person’s words settle in me before deciding how to respond.

Because of Kelsea’s words, I feel the desire to renew my old journey by taking time each morning to open myself to the day’s possibilities. I want to leave the day’s schedule flexible and not pack every hour with tasks and meetings. 

Each night I want to go over what has happened and see what I learned, where I connected to other people, and how compassion was shared. And I want to think about where compassion will be needed tomorrow.

I want to participate in life, not wave as it goes by.

Related post

Getting Close to Nature - http://markliebenow.blogspot.com/2014/10/getting-close-to-nature.html