I’m 11 days into January. What have I realized about my goal to be mindful?
It’s hard. But someone I know once told me, I can do hard things. This way I know it’s possible but I can still admit that it’s hard.
I mess up. LOTS.
What I have noticed helps with being mindful.
Making those cranes. It pulls me in for those few minutes I’m folding that flat paper into a bird. Not just a bird but one that actually represents peace. One that I had seen so much after my grandpa passed on. In the most unusual spots too. Even now when I see what I call an egret or crane because heck, honestly I’m not a bird expert. I just know it’s a bird with long legs, a long neck, a long beak and a pretty wide wing span. Pure white. It’s always the pure white ones that I seem to notice. Those remind me of grandpa. This practice of folding a crane has a calming effect on me and it pulls me into mindfulness.
Listening to music is nice too. I have always been one to have music playing. I prefer music as opposed to television. I love to cook with music, clean with music, drive with music, walk with music. I used to wish my life had a soundtrack that just played all day long depending on what I was doing. I know it’s good to listen to the things around me too. Especially when the rain falls or a waterfall, airplanes, birds, cars just the noises that surround me. However when I listen to music really listen to words and stuff then I can be mindful. I have noticed that certain songs make me cry when I really listen to the words. So I have tried also to be more mindful when I hear songs. That’s actually hard for me too because my mind wanders so much. Working on it.
I sure don’t want to give up. That would be too easy. I’ll keep working on it.
