Likewise, you could see the plain gray sky as a sign of certainty. You’ve got this one goal, and the entire world is behind your back. There’s nothing else to focus on beyond what’s right in front of you, just like the sky behind the clouds would have just been a distraction in your day. Be you. Rock what you’re doing. As soon as you finish that meeting and step out, your struggles will part. You can rest, you can relax. The rains will fall and clean away all sense of dread you’ve been carrying around your shoulders.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a term that’s caught a lot of steam recently, and with good reason. The concept stems from a mixture of spiritual Buddhist practices and proven therapeutic techniques. As UC-Berkeley explains on their own blog, “thousands of studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general and MBSR in particular,”
So take a minute, or five, or ten, or however long you need, and simply use the opportunity to reflect upon your own state of being. Not focusing solely on spirit and mind, as in meditation, nor on a particular task or goal.
At New Directions for Women, we introduce mindfulness to our women in care, as well as to our staff, asking that they take a moment when they can to reconfigure themselves through mindfulness. Through this, we hope to help them relieve any unneeded tensions, to take the time to restructure themselves and be aware of their own state. As Psychology Today says, “Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.”
Take the time each day to understand yourself through mindfulness training. After all, you have the power to change the world, whether it’s giving the world a sunny sky or simply bringing your absolute best to that 2 O’clock meeting.