Mindless Or Mindful

Walking through Blue Springs State Park yesterday, there were many squirrels running around, gathering nuts and making all kinds of noise in the brush. It was fun to just stop and watch them scurry about as if they were working quickly because of approaching danger or bad weather.

As we were walking along watching the squirrels, I heard comments from others saying, "I wonder what that is down there. It must be an armadillo or something." All the time, I am thinking that all these people have to do is just stop and observe what is around them. It was not that difficult to see the squirrels but you did have to stop for a moment.

Of course we observed people hurrying along the little board walk trail like they had to get all the park in in less than 1 hour or something. Most people were talking or had their phones out texting messages. Some were upset that they could not get close to the spring although from the viewing points, you could see quite a bit. Most were completely oblivious to the environment they were in as they walked along in a mindless fashion.

Then as we were walking back, a squirrel with a nut tucked in his mouth came running along the path in front of us. He was between where we were at and some other people coming our way. There is no way you could have missed him because you almost had to step over him. As we watched the squirrel with glee, we observed that no one else saw him. Everyone was too busy in their own little mindless worlds to watch something beautiful before their eyes.

It got me to think for a moment of just how mindless we as humans are in our day. Here was a perfect moment and place to just be mindful and sit back and observe all that was around everyone. To hear the birds sing, watch the squirrels play and run or listen to the wind rustle through the trees was a free gift that just wanted to be observed and accepted.

In our culture and society, we spend so many hours a day watching TV, playing on our iphones or other electronic devices that we fail to observe all that is around us. We are more concerned with what a screaming, angry pundit is saying on TV than we are indulging in all that is around us which shows us something greater than ourselves is there for our lives. As a culture, we are too busy rushing here and there that we cannot even take a moment to be mindful of all that is around us or that we can stop and breathe for one moment in time.

In return, we spend countless hours chasing false illusions of health care and endeavors that give us nothing in return. We spend our days walking around mindless which robs us of the enjoyable moments of life. Our lives are full of stress, to do lists and moments where our body just wants to say, enough already - please stop and let me rest!

When we go through our days being mindful, we begin to notice things that we never saw or heard before. As we mindfully observe these things, we begin to realize that life has so much more to offer and all we have to do is slow down and stop to take part in it. Being mindful is really that easy and that difficult to do.

So why not try something different this week. Take a day and find a park or some quiet place that you can just observe and be mindful. Maybe if you live in an area where the weather is not good, you could just stare out the window at the clouds or trees or whatever it is that you see. There are many ways to do this and finding them is being mindful because it means you are in the moment. If you do this, you might just surprise yourself in that it will offer so much to you that you never truly realized existed.

Further Reading on Mindfulness:

1. Mindful Of Our Moments
2. Mindfully Present
3. Author Ellen Langer on Mindfulness
   

Blog Post & Images (c) 1/4/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only

Ask Questions Within

From page 10, Manifesting Change by Mike Dooley: "I'm stunned by how few people ask the bigger questions for themselves about who they really are and what they can really do with their lives. Even professional people who've mastered their trade - doctors, lawyers, bankers, butchers, bakers or candlestick makers - often still march in lockstep with their parents and forefathers, adopting the same ideologies and spiritual beliefs as if there were no other option. If they would just take the time to apply their brilliance by going within and asking some questions about the areas of their lives that aren't working, they could literally astound themselves."

I know from personal experience that it is easy to just follow in the footsteps of how you were raised and then continue believing the same concepts and ideals well into your adult life. In fact, much of the media and political functions of today use these things to their advantage while the the mindless humans trod along as willing accomplices. We often fail to see the differences between our beliefs and what is actually real to our lives. In mindless ways, we continue to accept that which we are told to be the truth. It becomes the only way we can function in our life.

It would do many of us good to turn the TV off more and spend more time searching within ourselves. Biologically, many humans spend very little time developing their high brain and so these belief systems remain as vital forces in their lives. Listening to others proclaim what is good to know and how to feel and think is not going to evolve the smartest of humans. Only going within and asking yourself the serious hard questions of life will bring about the evolution of an individual and our species.

All of us at some level and in some way follow that which we were taught. It is human nature to start out this way but there comes a time when we need to begin developing our higher brain (the prefrontal cortex) and see there is much more in life. If we feel we have achieved a significant level of awareness, than that should not be a resting point. Instead it should be a launching point into further discover, awareness and evolution for our life.

Please don't accept what I am saying as the entire truth for your life. Instead go in and question everything that I've posted and continue to post. See what works for you and what does not. Test it out and try to prove it wrong or right for your life. Maybe what is written about and what you read today is not something you are ready for in your own life. Maybe it will take time before you are aware of these things. Keep an open mind but go in and ask the hard questions within yourself. For when you do that, you will be astounded!

Further Reading: Manifesting Change by Mike Dooley

(c) 11/28/10 by Don Shetterly - use by permission only

Mindless Humans

Often in our day, we have so many influences that determine the course of our actions, our thoughts, our consciousness and in general just how we view our day. Yet, we fail to see the totality of these individual events as they dramatically impact our lives. We often see them as unconnected events without any significance to the higher purpose of our self or of the universe as a whole.

What events am I referring to? These events are the moments in our every day existence that we barely notice yet they account for the many tasks we do. They are things we have to do in order to take care of ourselves or family members in any given day. It may be a job that we go to, running our kids to daycare or after school events or dealing with a myriad of mundane tasks. Yes, all these tasks are important and critical to our lives. For if we stopped doing them, there would be serious repercussions for us. Even watching TV shows and news, while appearing to inform or entertain you, may actually result in you being disconnected and not conscious or mindful.

So if these mundane tasks are important than what is your point? When was the last time, you walked out the door in the morning and just listened to the birds sing with joy? When was the last time you went to lunch in your day and stopped to pause for a moment to feel the sun hitting on your face giving you a warmth and energy that felt so invigorating? When was the last time, while taking your child to daycare or an activity that you truly listened to what they were saying and not just thinking about all the things you needed to get done? When was the last time, you just stopped for a moment and noticed your breath and your body and just how good it felt to do that?

We all have our mundane tasks in sometimes our mundane life that we have to do. That is a fact of life unless you are a lottery winner and can pick and choose everything you do in life. However, even people who are wealthy have mundane tasks that they must do. All of us have to get out of bed at some point during the day and eat, groom ourselves and do whatever it is that we feel is important. No matter how fortunate or wealthy we are, these things are a given for our day. Since we can't escape these normal tasks, can we not enjoy them in a mindful way?

As stated by Ellen Langer in her book, On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity (page 11), "In many small ways we have learned to become mindless without questioning why we do so.". This is a powerful statement and is what I'm referring to as I talk about being mindless during our mundane tasks that we do each day. We all do it, no matter who we are or how advanced we are. Some people are better than others at bringing mindfulness into their days instead of just being mindless.

So what can we do? One of the things that each of us can do is just taking a moment out of our day and being with ourselves. We can do this by spending a few moments (30 seconds would be enough for this exercise) and noticing our breath. Feeling the rise and fall of our breath, how shallow or deep it is and even how rapid or slow it is will connect us to our breath. By connecting to our breath, we will connect our mind with our body and if you stay with this exercise for a few moments, you'll begin to feel the effects of it on your body in how centered you feel, how at home you feel and even the tension within yourself. You need not pay anyone for an experience like this because you can do it with yourself at any time of the day or night. It is simple but effective. Eckhart Tolle in his book discussions with Oprah Winfrey on A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61) did a very powerful example of this. He just had everyone sit there for 30 seconds wherever they were at and focus on their breath. It was an amazing experience for many and I once again saw the power of something that was this simple.

Another simple thing we can do is when we are walking out the door in the morning, just stop and listen to all that we can hear. Some of you may have many noises such as cars and city sounds but see if you can listen beyond that. How many different birds do you hear singing? How fast are the chirps coming from the birds? Is the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees and how does that sound? You may hear a dog barking in the background or a cat meowing. What other sounds do you pick up?

If sounds do not work for you, try picking up on the colors you see as you walk out of your house. Can you notice the different colors of the landscape around your house or your neighbors? What if you look at the trees and see all the colors on the tree? How many different colors are there and how many different shades of the color green can you see? I'm only scratching the surface with all that you can see because the same things can be applied if you just look at the sky and clouds.

There are many ways you can be mindful in your day including feeling the warmth of the sun as you step out of a building or staring at the clouds and creating cloud images in your mind. You could even take a moment when you're in the shower and feel the sensation of the hot or cold water on your skin. Giving yourself plenty of time to eat so that you can actually taste and enjoy your food without having your daily tasks flooding your conscious mind. These are a few examples and if you practice being mindful instead of mindless, you'll find many more.

Please don't stop here thinking this is all that mindfulness is for it is much more than that. Try to take all that you pick up in these exercises and see how it makes you feel within your body. Do you get a warm glow or tingle? Do you feel goosebumps on your skin? Do you feel your body sink down into a state of relaxation? Do you sense your breath slowing down and becoming fuller?

There are so many ways that we can be impacted by becoming mindful and when you feel it in your body, you have truly crossed over from being a mindless human to being mindful of your life, your day and your moments. At this point, life will be much more rewarding and abundant for you while becoming more conscious.