TO BE MORE MINDFUL
Try a sound fest. As I was walking home from a meeting today it started pouring. Fortunately, I was prepared and actually like the rain. As I was walking, I realized my mind was all over the place, so I started to pay attention to the sounds. I was present with them for a few moments, then my mind started to wander again, “the streets are starting to flood”, “did I return that email”, “hmmm what should I have for lunch”……. Each time my mind wandered, I gently brought it back to the sounds of the rain or cars driving by—a walking meditation. As I was with the sounds—sometimes only for brief moments—it was really nice, much more enjoyable than when my mind was wandering. And the science confirms this. When we are present with what we are doing—even if it’s something we don’t enjoy—we are happier than when our minds are wandering. Remember—EVERYTHING is an opportunity to practice, an opportunity to train our brain to be more mindful.