mindfulness and being wholly alive

"Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough."

Ernest Hemingway

I am working with all of my might to breathe deeply at least once a day. To be alive with all my might, and to not skim over the surface of this life.

As a society it is all about rush rush rush - so busy, so much to do blahblahblah. So often I hear people exclaim "that is the date?! Wasn't it just christmas/easter/newyears etc? Where did all that time go?"

So often I hear myself wondering the very same thing. The time goes by while we are multi tasking, rushing, and playing on our freaking phones. Don't think for a second that I am not the worst offender of this, believe me! Every day I find myself hoping in the car to go someplace with himself and before we are even out of the driveway I am checking facebook/instagram/emails. It has become such a habit that we don't even notice our conscious mind slipping into auto.

We have become so adept at this that hours can slip by before we come to. 

Sometimes (I am totally ashamed to say this) himself has asked me a question while I am on the computer, I have answered it and after ward have no memory of the conversation.

When I was seeing my head doctor we focused big time on mindfulness, urges, and of just how good the mind is at doing its own thing. 

Some exercises sound simple - eating mindfully for example. Creating a dedicated place for eating, of turning of music/televisions, and being present when eating. This is a big one I struggle with. 

Even when waiting in line for something I feel a mild panic if I don't have my phone on me to play with. To actually be standing there with nothing to do but wait and be present is at times terrifying.  

Recently I was waiting for a train, and I forced myself to put the phone away. To not grab my book out. I just waited. It was super difficult at first, I was almost twitchy wanting to tune back out. But you know what? Once I truly let myself be aware of where I was, the smells, the sounds, the temperature of the platform - I was still okay (turns out not so scary haha)

 My thoughts began to flow, and almost the whole train journey home I pondered and looked out the window and saw things I never had before. Present and very alert. Had light bulb moments, and felt more 'me' than I would have otherwise.

My point? We are all rushing around, missing out on life, not truly experiencing the every day.

Join me, take a few minutes everyday where you would usually tune out. Concentrate on the smells, the sounds, the textures. Hear what you usually wouldn't.

Be alive with all of your might.

Thanks Danielle for linking to this.

Love those weekend links posts, I always find happies in there at the very precise time I needed to most