Honest Inner-Self Mindfulness

Im not in the place of being mindful.

Im not in my mind being mindful of feelings/thoughts.

I too struggle alot with mindfulness

But I didnt lose focus or hope.

I have been studying and practicing mindfulness for over 10 years, and still I have issues in my like and being mindfulness. Sometimes being mindful is just ummm A WASTE!!!! Yes I said it a waste for me. But I know that is my mind thinking stupid.

This morning my mind was every where.....

*worrying about my clients at work

*worrying about my kids and their future, or behaviors or school grades

* My OCD takes alot of my brain and keeping things clean and organized

*worrying on financial things although we are sitting pretty comfy now

* feelings on lonliness/abandonment/rejection

*Am I a good parent to my kids

Do you see a pattern here? I can continue naming 30 more things here. All this can and does pile up in my life. And to turn to mindfulness sometimes makes me feel a failure or feeling "something is wrong with my brain" But those are false lies I carry and I know truths

But in all honesty I love mindfulness. My brain loves mindfulness-lol.

Mindfulness is maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that theres a right or wrong way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what were sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

WOW- what do you think of that ^^^^^ That is a great discription of mindfulness and hits on so many areas in my life. To learn and have a skill that can help me with my thinking, my thoughts and feelings, and a skill to help me not focus on what others are doing or saying....wowzers.

So what are some things that has helped me along the way with mindfulness??

1. I cry more- Yes, you read that right! Mindfulness doesnt make life more comfortable, but it does make it more beautiful. Let me explain. I used to have a really difficult time letting myself feel sad, even when that was the appropriate emotional response. I would feel afraid of being overwhelmed by my so-called ‘negative feelings. There was also a subtle sense that to feel sadness meant I was failing at life. Multiple bereavements provided an opportunity to bring mindfulness to this, and enriched my emotional landscape dramatically. So now if sadness is whats arising, I can feel that fully. I even welcome a good cry, and feeling things fully usually means I dont get ‘stuck in them. Ive even come to appreciate the inherent beauty of the feelings that prompt tears. These days, Im much more easily moved in general – by others joy and pain, aswell as my own. This kind of open-hearted engagement with life is very precious to me.

2. I laugh more- One of the side-effects of being less caught up in my thoughts and worries is that Im more open to humour. Whether thats sharing a giggle with my friend, doing something silly to make my daughter laugh, or really ‘getting her inventive 16year-old jokes. It might sound weird, but I dont care that Im starting to get wrinkles – because many of them are laughter lines! (dont get me wrong I still get caught up in my thoughts)

3. Im more resilient- Difficult, awkward and uncomfortable stuff happens in life. We cant avoid that. But mindfulness does change how we respond to it. Over the past 7 years, Ive seen how I bounce back from upset much easier than I used to. Instead of spending days at at time beating myself up or feeling embarrassed about something thats happened, I can now acknowledge the discomfort and find a way to move forward – which frees up a lot of time for other things! I also have a much greater trust that I can handle whatever might come up. So instead of pre-living everything I can let things unfold and know that I will cope, and that I can be there for myself if things get rough. This is also really helpful for being able to let go of things that ‘go wrong – often I can find an alternative perspective and feel glad about how things turn out. I still do have my moments, and get so down on myself-but I notice that I do bounce back with a new view more times then not.

3. I really listen more often- Being more present in my life is a tricky thing to describe. But one of the ways it really shows up is in my relationships with others. Ive heard it said that attention is the most basic form of love. This certainly feels true when Im really listening to my daughter sharing on her day and her plans for the weekend – rather than mentally doing the shopping list in my head. Or when I ask my friend how their day was, and actually listen to the answer. This is the beginning of mindful communication when we really listen, and then speak from a place of better understanding. Everyone wants to feel valued and understood, and its gift I can give to others just by listening a little more deeply. The result is often more connection and less frustration all round.

These are just a few personnal things in my life that stand out to me on mindfulness. Now please Id like to hear somethings you have grown to love and use on mindfulness that has changed things in your life

@SoulSings @KrinkTheMellowUnicorn @Laura @Pat @Amelia @BurningEmber @diplomaticShade2167 @fluffyUnicorns84 @AutumnLeigh @vivelespatates @Power @PassionatePeyton