Skip to main content

Mindfulness

Thank you to Holly Mueller for giving us this space to share our spiritual journeys. Join us here. 
I am so far behind in my OLW posts for Spiritual Journey, I am sorry. I offer no excuse. I am here today.

Mindfulness. This word pops up everywhere lately. The simplest meaning to me is "the state of being aware". The roots of this word come from Buddhist meditation, according to The Greater Good. I wonder why it's become part of our broader vocabulary. The reason seems obvious to me, we need it.

The world is filled with distractions...more arrive everyday. It's easy to get lost. It's easy to forget what's important. I've gotten lost in the minutia of social media. I've wandered through the maze of Candy Crush and Words with Friends. I've allowed email and messages to rule my time.

It's too much. Being mindful means being present. It means consciously choosing where my time will be spent. When I am aware of that, I feel different...more peace-filled, calmer, healthier. I believe that being mindful takes great discipline and awareness. It's not easy until you create the path.

Mindful practices in my life include prayer, painting, writing morning pages in my notebook, listening to music, and walking. Each of those practices brings me to a state of peace and awareness. In turn, when I'm in that state, I feel closer to God and my relationship deepens. My faith grows.

Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God!


Labels:

Comments

  1. bethanyFebruary 25, 2016 at 6:59 PM

    Yes! "Be still and know that I am God." Thank you for bringing to mind this key focus for being all we can be in a balanced, healthy--holy--way! God bless you! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Irene LathamFebruary 25, 2016 at 8:18 PM

    I love that list of mindful practices... there is such a craze right now for coloring, and I do find that to be a meditative, mindful activity.. and I can keep it in my van to pull out whenever and wherever! Thank you for sharing. Indeed, we NEED mindfulness!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Carol VarsalonaFebruary 25, 2016 at 11:51 PM

    Be still my restless mind, let the clatter and chatter cease-I loves these lines. I can be still in the yoga studio and even find the Lord in the stillness so why do I have a more difficult time outside of that room? I need to listen to the rhythm of His heart of love. Thank you for this video song that is a great thought at the close of the day. Be still, be still, be still.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RamonaFebruary 26, 2016 at 1:40 AM

    So hard to be still in today's world - love the words of the song: "Let the noise and clamor cease," all so that we can know that He is God. Thanks for the song and your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Violet N.February 28, 2016 at 12:05 AM

    I like your list of mindful practices, so simple yet practical. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Holly MuellerFebruary 28, 2016 at 7:10 PM

    We both talked about social media - it can be a great connector, but it can also rob us of mindfulness. I love that Steven Curtis Chapman song featuring my favorite verse! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. DoraineMarch 1, 2016 at 8:13 AM

    What a wonderful list of ways to be mindful!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please share your thoughts. I love comments!

Popular posts from this blog

Whatever Happened To...

Sharing this post on Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Do you ever wonder whatever happened to your students after the year you spend together? I imagine how my students are finding life...are they happy? Successful? Do they still read? Write? What is going on with them?   I taught fifth grade for eight years. Fifth grade was such a fun year to teach because the students were still young enough that school was something they loved and old enough that they could show some real signs of independence. Fifth grade is the oldest grade in our elementary schools, so the students enjoyed their final year before moving onto middle school and the challenges that came with that new adventure.  2007 was a tough year for me personally. My dad collapsed in September of that year and then died in March of that same school year. He lived thousands of miles away, so my mind was definitely unfocused that year...but that year, Catie was in my class.  Catie was a quiet stude...
29 comments
Read more

Chasing My Dream

I'm doing it. I'm chasing my dream. I've always wanted to run writing retreats and workshops for people, but I've always been too scared to do anything about it...until now. I don't know what's changed...maybe I've changed. I'm not allowing the fear to stop me anymore. I've started Selah Writing Retreats.  The past couple of weeks I've been getting the business end in order. I thought I would hate that...I don't. It's scary, but I am surprising myself with how efficient I am. Yesterday I went to a bank to set up a bank account. The woman I met with was kind and helpful and so enthusiastic about my dream. My website is set up. I've done lots of work on it. I hope you stop by and let me know what you think. It's  selahwritingretreats.com . Balancing creative with business has been challenging but fun. Creating the website, getting a federal tax id, making business cards, planning dates... My favorite voxer group is called Butt Ki...
21 comments
Read more

I Love Me...All of Me

I'm fat. It's true. I'm not looking for comments like, "Oh you're not fat." I am. I want to take that word back. When we say that now, it has a negative connotation. I'm tired of that. I'm done. I'm fat. I'm working on loving my body just the way it is...by reading a book. I confess I'm reading the book on my Kindle app because I was embarrassed about the title. It's called, "Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls" and it's written by Jes Baker . Her mission is self-love...for all. I've highlighted so many lines, I can't possibly share them all, but here are some of my favorites: "Our bodies are our physical bookmarks that hold space for us in the world. Our bodies are magnificent houses for everything else that we are. Our bodies are a part of us, just as our kindness, talents, and passion are a part of us." (p.10)  "Your size is irrelevant to your ability to find fulfillment, purpose, love, a se...
21 comments
Read more