I have the nicest life. That sounds like bragging. It’s not. I have problems like everyone else. I have people who crap in my proverbial corn flakes. They make me mad, and sad, and then I get mad and sad that I let them affect me. I could stand to lose some weight – some for vanity; some for health. None of that matters. I have the nicest life.
I took a day off this week. Actually, I took off half a day. And, I am paying dearly for it in piled up work. I don’t even care. I spent four glorious hours doing something that I love and it completely rejuvenated my spirit. Just look at this day!!
Not everyone can take a day off of work and not everyone wants to ski. That’s cool. What makes your heart sing? What do you love to do? What do you look forward to? It could be yoga. It could be playing monopoly with someone special. It could be running or climbing or cooking or painting or anything really. The only thing that matters is that you really love it and that it brings you into the present moment.
Once you know what it is: DO IT!!! Let the world fall away for a little while and just be you doing the thing you love. Doing something that puts you into the present moment is another form of mindfulness, and can provide similar benefits to a meditation practice, namely
- Stress release
- Memory boost
- Increased focus
- Less emotional reactivity (I can attest to this one)
Check out the APA’s list of mindfulness benefits here.
Basically, if it quiets the mind from the normal chatter, it’s meditative, whether you’re sitting on a bolster or pounding the pavement. If you can get there by doing something that you love, especially if you have a hard time sitting still on a bolster, you are much more likely to keep going!
I love the blue sky. I love the white snow. And I love sailing down the hill. I am still riding out the high from my half-day off. Life is challenging. People are hard and don’t submit to my will, like ever. However, instead of focusing on the challenges, I can focus on the feeling I get when I do something I love and fall head over heels in love with life.
Living Joyfully 