What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is often misunderstood or overgeneralized. You might hear the word and roll your eyes, or picture someone in a lotus position meditating in the middle of nowhere. You might just gloss over it, assuming you know the meaning, and not open to hearing anything else about it. This was my attitude for most of my life, so when I came across readings and teachings that offered a different view, my perspective changed. I learned there is so much more to it than what I originally thought.

Mindfulness really represents present-moment awareness. It is about knowing that we are having a human experience - but that we are the noticer of our thoughts and emotions, we are the watcher or the witness consciousness of our situations, we are the observer of what happens in front of us and inside of our bodies. It's about humbling yourself, seeing small problems for what they are, and recognizing that most of the things we habitually get irritated over or upset about are not actually that big of a deal. It's about correctly measuring what's going on, and noticing that our thoughts about it do not have to control the way we react. It's about noticing our emotions, but not falling victim to them and reacting out of anger, fear, or sadness. It's about taking space, taking a few moments to pause, considering another's point of view,  looking at the situation objectively, or considering larger problematic situations that are happening at the same moment - that you can be grateful you aren't in one of those. Mindfulness can generate gratitude, kindness, love and compassion, along with freedom from unhealthy or distructive habits. At first, all of these things seemed like too much to look at. "Who cares"  or "I am the way I am" was my response. However, I didn't like the way I felt inside. I didn't like the consequences of the actions I took while emotional or the things I said to people while angry. I didn't like that unsettling feeling. I didn't like the things I would do when I would use something outside of myself to make me feel better about something instantly, instead of feeling, processing, and healing. I usually just made things worse for myself. And I was not helping anyone around me. So I gave this whole thing a try.

I tried meditation, because I heard of so many of its benefits - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I would feel better while meditating, and I would generally have a better day. I would be proud of myself for doing something that I knew was "good for me". However, throughout many moments of my day, when I was not meditating, I'd find myself frustrated, annoyed, irritated, or acting out in the same ways I always had. That's when I found mindfulness. 

Learning about mindfulness taught me how to bring in the peace that I felt in my meditations into my actual day-to-day life. It taught me how to practice reacting and behaving differently, taking a pause before responding to people, taking self-care breaks throughout the day, and have more honest, vulnerable conversations with people. It also brought compassion to others into my life, which I had always struggled with. I started to see that we are all connected - that my attitude will affect another's mood - and this continues on and on. I started to realize that most of us are doing the best we can with the information we have - and that if we knew what that person who was aggravating us was going through at home, or what was going on in their head, or what trauma or childhood they had - that we probably wouldn't be as aggravated. I learned that I just don't know everything. And that I shouldn't act like I do. I learned that I can't change anyone else - I can only change myself. Having an expectation that someone will change and getting frustrated when they don't change - that's just me refusing to change, because I'm refusing to accept them for who they are. I also learned that helping others can bring on the greatest feeling in the world. There was really nothing to lose by practicing and sharing mindfulness. 

Mindfulness cards have been a part of my regular practice for a few years now. They are the perfect tool, because they create a little piece of inspiration at the beginning of the day, and that's sometimes all it takes to carry you through your day and to think positively about whatever happens. I knew I had to follow through with the idea of creating my own cards, because I know sharing positivity with others can only spark improvement.