“Mindfulness teaches us to be fully aware of each experience, letting nothing remain unnoticed, taking nothing for granted.” –Holly Whitcomb
Is that all?! Then why can I NOT?!
I just cannot seem to do it.
Not regularly anyway.
Oh but I wish!
“Mindfulness is the arch monastic virtue. Maybe that’s why monastics choose small cells, unfrequented places, simple surroundings. After all, it can take a lifetime to really see flowers, feel wood, learn the sky, walk a path and hear what all these things are saying to us about life, about our own growth, about the spirit in the clay of us. But once mindfulness comes, life changes entirely.” –Joan Chittister
Ahhh… but Joan says it can take a whole lifetime! So I suppose I’m not really behind.
I’m so convinced of this mindfulness business. At least I think I am. I’ve been reading books and attending seminars, learning about the value of mindfulness and meditation and every so often, I even spend a few minutes doing “not doing” … in a mindful way. Because it’s more than just anecdotal– there is legitimate evidence that mindfulness practices really can change you.
I want to go to there.
Turns out, you don’t have to live a monastic life to be mindful. Supposedly, it only even takes a few minutes a day. I know I waste at least a few minutes a day that could be put to this much better purpose.
Especially now that 30 Rock is over……….
PS: Not lent related, but lent is long and I just finished another book… and it’s sticking with me so I should tell you about it. I just finished listening to All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I have to admit, it had a slow start and probably wasn’t the best choice for an audiobook to run to, but man. I don’t really want to say anything about the story except that it’s about a blind French girl and an orphaned German boy during World War II and I have to say, it’s got to be the saddest war story I have ever read. It just… stuck. In my gut, in my heart. It broke my heart. Wowie zowie. Highly recommend, just maybe the print version.