Stressed out this past week, I became so absorbed in way too many details that I forgot to be mindful-- forgot to slow down and be aware of the present moment. Just within the past two days, three examples of mindfulness presented themselves to me. They reminded me of the power and the impact of awareness of the present, of the here and now.
1. Driving home from work on a sunny Friday afternoon, I witnessed a scene that is rare in the frantic, quick-paced world in which many of us live. As my car slowly crept up to a red stoplight, I glanced to my right and noticed a vehicle that had stopped in the lane next to mine. The driver hopped out of his car, closed the driver's side door, and began pushing the back of his pick-up truck. Immediately, a man dressed in a suit on the sidewalk, walked straight up to the man and volunteered to push the truck while the owner started his car back up. No sooner had the man placed his keys in the ignition, then another man, more casually dressed, ran over from the sidewalk to help push the truck into a parking spot about 100 feet away on the side of the road. Halfway towards its destination, a man riding his bicycle toward the scene, promptly parked his bike and joined in on the effort. Still wearing his helmet, he too pushed the truck from behind. Three strangers, suddenly united by an event that they had witnessed, jumped to action as they were mindful of the moment and aware of how their actions would positively affect others. At the end of a crazybusy week, this scene was inspiring.
2. This afternoon I enjoyed a relaxing lunch with my good friend Nancy and a former colleague of ours. I loved the cafe. The atmosphere speaks to me with its multiple areas for dining (some tables and some comfortable couches and chairs), a delicious menu, and flyers that adorn the bulletin boards announcing concerts for singer/songwriters and book clubs that meet in the cafe. While waiting for our meal, we began chatting with one of the owners of the cafe who spoke of the multiple activities she manages to squeeze into her week including working at the cafe as well as taking a class. It turned out that her class is none other than the Stressed Based Reduction Workshop at MGH, created by Jon Kabat-Zinn. She talked with us about meditation, full body scans, exercises on CDs, and the effect that the techniques are having on her life. Although she mentioned that she initially had difficulty getting into the techniques, as she has continued with the course, she has been realizing the benefits that they have had in helping her to slow down and relax. Listening to her speak reminded me of the impact that every mindfulness workshop that I have taken has had on me. It was a great reminder for me of why it is so important to keep up with mindfulness practices, especially during times of increased stress and busyness. It is precisely when I have the least time for mindfulness practices that they are the most important to include into my daily routine.
3. After lunch I was nervous about driving home since I was in an area that I don't normally drive to. Mapquesting directions to get there, I had forgotten to write down directions for the way home. Notorious for my lack of a sense of direction, my friends are usually patient with me in describing different routes, drawing out maps for me, and describing landmarks. One friend described multiple ways that I could drive and with each option, my eyes glazed over more and more as I lost track of the street names and the turns. Nancy turned to me and said, "You can follow me. I am going in the same direction." Mindful of how stressed out I become about driving in unknown locations, not only did she volunteer to lead me to the correct place until I knew where I was going, Nancy was also incredibly aware of where my car was as I followed her. There were multiple occasions where it would have been very easy for her to lose me whether it was driving around a rotary, being stopped at a stoplight after she had driven through the yellow light, or having a huge truck enter the highway. Each and every time Nancy made sure that I could still find her car-- even pulling over to the side of the road to wait for me. I deeply appreciated the care that she took to make sure that I did not get lost, especially as the dark sky threatened an imminent thunder storm!
Mindful acts can take many forms-- whether they consist of being aware of a scene unfolding before us, learning and practicing mindfulness techniques to reduce stress in our daily lives, or being aware of how our actions positively affect others. Acts of mindfulness are inspiring, invigorating, and relaxing for me. As I enter a very last seven weeks of school, I hope that I remember to take time to be mindful.
1. Driving home from work on a sunny Friday afternoon, I witnessed a scene that is rare in the frantic, quick-paced world in which many of us live. As my car slowly crept up to a red stoplight, I glanced to my right and noticed a vehicle that had stopped in the lane next to mine. The driver hopped out of his car, closed the driver's side door, and began pushing the back of his pick-up truck. Immediately, a man dressed in a suit on the sidewalk, walked straight up to the man and volunteered to push the truck while the owner started his car back up. No sooner had the man placed his keys in the ignition, then another man, more casually dressed, ran over from the sidewalk to help push the truck into a parking spot about 100 feet away on the side of the road. Halfway towards its destination, a man riding his bicycle toward the scene, promptly parked his bike and joined in on the effort. Still wearing his helmet, he too pushed the truck from behind. Three strangers, suddenly united by an event that they had witnessed, jumped to action as they were mindful of the moment and aware of how their actions would positively affect others. At the end of a crazybusy week, this scene was inspiring.
2. This afternoon I enjoyed a relaxing lunch with my good friend Nancy and a former colleague of ours. I loved the cafe. The atmosphere speaks to me with its multiple areas for dining (some tables and some comfortable couches and chairs), a delicious menu, and flyers that adorn the bulletin boards announcing concerts for singer/songwriters and book clubs that meet in the cafe. While waiting for our meal, we began chatting with one of the owners of the cafe who spoke of the multiple activities she manages to squeeze into her week including working at the cafe as well as taking a class. It turned out that her class is none other than the Stressed Based Reduction Workshop at MGH, created by Jon Kabat-Zinn. She talked with us about meditation, full body scans, exercises on CDs, and the effect that the techniques are having on her life. Although she mentioned that she initially had difficulty getting into the techniques, as she has continued with the course, she has been realizing the benefits that they have had in helping her to slow down and relax. Listening to her speak reminded me of the impact that every mindfulness workshop that I have taken has had on me. It was a great reminder for me of why it is so important to keep up with mindfulness practices, especially during times of increased stress and busyness. It is precisely when I have the least time for mindfulness practices that they are the most important to include into my daily routine.
3. After lunch I was nervous about driving home since I was in an area that I don't normally drive to. Mapquesting directions to get there, I had forgotten to write down directions for the way home. Notorious for my lack of a sense of direction, my friends are usually patient with me in describing different routes, drawing out maps for me, and describing landmarks. One friend described multiple ways that I could drive and with each option, my eyes glazed over more and more as I lost track of the street names and the turns. Nancy turned to me and said, "You can follow me. I am going in the same direction." Mindful of how stressed out I become about driving in unknown locations, not only did she volunteer to lead me to the correct place until I knew where I was going, Nancy was also incredibly aware of where my car was as I followed her. There were multiple occasions where it would have been very easy for her to lose me whether it was driving around a rotary, being stopped at a stoplight after she had driven through the yellow light, or having a huge truck enter the highway. Each and every time Nancy made sure that I could still find her car-- even pulling over to the side of the road to wait for me. I deeply appreciated the care that she took to make sure that I did not get lost, especially as the dark sky threatened an imminent thunder storm!
Mindful acts can take many forms-- whether they consist of being aware of a scene unfolding before us, learning and practicing mindfulness techniques to reduce stress in our daily lives, or being aware of how our actions positively affect others. Acts of mindfulness are inspiring, invigorating, and relaxing for me. As I enter a very last seven weeks of school, I hope that I remember to take time to be mindful.
Very nice entry! I had a great day with you too. After listening to the owner of the cafe, I found myself not as stressed out as I might be by that traffic jam in the town we encountered today and instead noticed pretty clusters of white and purple violets in someone's yard which to me is a sign that summer will soon be here.
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