Mindfulness is a way to feed your brain positive stuff–from the inside. I like to remind people that our thoughts very much effect our experience of life. They can be positive and have a positive effect or they can be negative and have a negative effect. Therefore, it’s important for us to manage our own thinking so we can have enough mental and emotional energy to live our calling.
I don’t claim to be a master at mindfulness, but I have found the practice useful. Partially, it includes being aware of what’s going on in the moment. Sometimes it’s just a good way to take a break from the stories we tell ourselves all the time. You know what I mean, right? We try to:
• Explain to ourselves why someone did what they did
• Figure out what someone meant by what they said
• Recap some events from the past
• Try to anticipate what’s going to happen in the future
I’m not referring to mental energy going into making useful plans. That kind of thinking is actually productive. Instead, I’m talking about the great variety of ways we waste our valuable mental and emotional energy on a regular basis.
One of my favorite mindfulness exercises is based on paying attention to the simple experience of eating a raisin. The raisin is OK, but enjoying one single chocolate Kiss is even better.
Instead of cramming a handful of candy in my mouth, chomping down on it while I think about what I’l be doing next and swallowing it right away, I enjoy the full experience.
At first, the chocolate feels cool on my tongue. Then as I turn it around in my mouth, I feel the soft contours and sharp point at the top. As it begins to melt, the chocolate lands on my tongue. I continue moving around in my mouth feeling it change as the original shape begins to literally melt away. Sometimes it’s necessary to swallow and then to continue experiencing what’s left in my mouth until, finally, the whole thing has melted away.
Now that you’re probably craving some chocolate, take heart. You can enjoy one single chocolate Kiss and get more satisfaction than you would have from a whole king-sized candy bar.
There are many moments in life we can enjoy in the same way:
• A hot shower
• The birds singing in the trees overhead
• The colors of the clouds during a sunset
• A fire in the fireplace
These are just a few examples of some of the ways we can help our mind focus on positive things. There are two books I recommend if you’d like more information on this topic:
Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life by John Kabat Zinn
Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams
