Have you
ever caught yourself using that fateful phrase: "I can't wait
until..." Or its twin culprit "If only it was..."?
Yes it's
important to have things to look forward to - good stuff planned ahead can
provide a real energy lift. However, sometimes it's just too easy to chop out large
chunks of our lives just existing from one holiday or weekend to the next!
During my
first day back at work after the summer holidays I overheard someone say
"I can't wait until Christmas!" At that point there were still 114
days to go. I had to work it out on a calculator. I felt sad at the thought of
wanting to forward wind your life 16 weeks. The days will only ever arrive one at a
time and the future will never appear any faster than that. There's no App for
that, no 'iRush' software, whatever brand of mobile phone you have.
One simple curious day at a
time, thank goodness, for each day has enough trouble and surprise of its own.
 |
| My uncle (in wheelchair), now living with the illness MND, but who hasn't given up on still racing in marathons! |
As their limbs
weaken, their speech packs up and their taste buds fade (by the way, MND is
uniquely different for each person with it), it has forced them
to...slow...down. In the face of total deterioration of their bodies, they have
been confronted with how vital it is to experience every single moment to its
fullest, while they can. As author Jon Kabat-Zinn once said, we need to get out
of our heads more often...and into our bodies. My friends with MND can teach us
all something life-giving.
Consider
the difference between rushing through our lives, and actually noticing what we
are experiencing through our senses:
•
Instead
of driving everywhere, walk somewhere. Give the brain a chance to catch up.
•
Don't
zip past blackberry bushes, pick some, squish them like a two year old boy
does.
•
Stand
outside in the evening, close your eyes and notice what you hear. Birds?
Chatter? Aeroplanes? Stay still until you can hear and sense your own
breathing. Let your breath breathe you. Feel the ground beneath your feet.
Remind yourself that this is it. This is your life you're in.
•
Give
yourself five minutes to stare at the night sky. Notice the magnitude of life
above us all.
•
As
autumn progresses, take the chance to smell the roses.
•
In
a conversation, allow a moment of silence and smile for the sheer sake of
smiling.
Were we
really designed just to lurch from one stress-filled day to another? I don't
think so. Is there a better way? Yes, and it's right under our noses and at our
fingertips. We need to come back to our senses and I mean that 100% literally.
To pay closer attention to what we see and hear and touch and taste and smell, for each day can reveal unexpected joy.
Isn't this
what we'd want to teach our young people?
Adapted from the original article featuring in Connection magazine, Oct 2013 (c) Chris Spriggs 2013
Mindfulness image courtesy of mentallywell.co.uk
