Keep on Practicing Mindfulness

There is the temptation to compartmentalize our practice of mindfulness just to times when we feel stressed or are working through major upsets or decisions.  And the rest of the time, we live our “other, real” lives.  

“Little” things, like food choices or exercise, can be moments of reflection and progress.  

An example: 

You are training for a 10k race.  It’s 6:00 am.  You mentally debate going for your pre-breakfast long run, as scheduled on your training plan, annoyed that you feel fatigued and hungrier than usual.  Objectively, you recognize that the annoyance is a messenger - the idea of a rest day, activates a limiting belief:  

“I need to prove myself > I need more self-discipline > I am flawed.” 

So, you take a moment to understand whether this is your belief or someone else’s story put on you.  You realize the belief came from a time in your childhood when you gave up karate and gymnastics, even though you excelled at both. Your parents were not impressed at your “quitting,” deeply disappointed in your decision (I.e. this is their story of wanting to experience your success).  You feel compassion for the parts of your parents that were unfulfilled, hindered by their own real or perceived obstacles.  And you forgive them and yourself for pushing your body and mind too hard in response.  You reframe the limiting belief into the Truth: 

“I don’t have to meet anyone else's expectations >  I am loved as I am > I am worthy.”

Then, you eat a nourishing breakfast and take a nap, accepting the fatigue as a message to take care of your body.   In humility, you acknowledge that your body’s unique fitness requirements don’t have to align 100% with some 10k training plan you found online.  

Practice Makes Progress 

How much progress would you make on your path if you lived moment-to-moment, objectively, in humility and acceptance?  As mentioned in The Power of Habitual Thinking, we are always evolving, so we have to keep practicing, ideally every day.  Remember:

Each of life’s moments…every person we encounter is a teacher who gives us an opportunity to practice and heal.  

The more we practice, the faster we evolve to recognize and live in our true nature. The more we practice, the more we are able to navigate through life in joy and freedom from all the “stuff” that used to weigh us down and hold us back.

Now for some self-study: 

How would you benefit from practicing objectivity, humility and acceptance in the “mundane” moments in life? 

How can you begin to carry your practice into the whole day?