Mindfulness VS Chatter: How we spend our days is how we spend our lives~Annie Dillard
There is a juxtaposition many women face every day- a call to be mindful versus a call to produce.
Recently an article was posted about what it means to “have it all.” I took special note of the idea that having it all is perhaps more complex than it used to be. Now, as the article suggested, it's not just a successful and well-balanced relationship within and between family and career- it's a complex menagerie of lifestyle upgrades. Homemade organic cupcakes, well-trained pets, volunteerism, optimal organization- expectations of being slightly better that can be overwhelming.
If we are paying attention to the details, are we truly appreciating these upgrades, relaxing enough to the enjoy home-made frosting- or are we just on to the next thing? Wanting better and more striving for better, often spurs us to growth and innovation. It gets tricky when this effort creates a kind of chatter in our lives that drowns out what mattered in the first place.
Many of us work to be mindful and aware of what we are doing, and to increase our self-awareness. This is one of those things that sounds simple and easily implemented, but if you've ever tired to relax and look inward but can't stop thinking about what to make for dinner, or if your kid is having a happy day, you understand how hard it can be. Mindfulness, gratitude, and meaning are often found in quiet spaces- but constant strides for subjective improvement and the push to have it all- squeezes out the silence.
Maybe for 2015 the focus needs to be on having “all we need,” not the chatter we produce. Maybe there are hobbies, groups, cookies, unfulfilling personal grooming activities that you are invested in that really don't serve your goals, dreams or well-being.
Is there something that no longer serves you that you can let go ? Can you give up something that's not working if it will enhance your well-being?
