You may have heard that mindfulness increases happiness.
Recently, a young man on TikTok spoke about the ever elusive feeling of always striving, always wanting to be more. Being addicted to that feeling of needing to get somewhere with our lives, reach for the goal. Then we get to the goal and what do we do, it’s on to the next goal.
When do we ever get the relief of having a feeling that we’ve arrived, that we can settle into the now and sit comfortably with where we are, no matter what that is? Have we tricked ourselves into NEVER having that feeling, simply because we don’t let ourselves?
If we’re always striving, working for the next best thing, that’s a way to let the present moment slip right through our fingers. And is there ever an end, the conclusion of the movie, the end of the story, the end of the road?
Where is the period at the end of our life sentence? A sentence that we gave ourselves, by never being satisfied to just stay where we are, mentally clear, awake and in full appreciation of our surroundings, perfectly satisfied with a state of perpetual imperfection.
That’s the ever elusive happiness. That’s the happiness that money can’t buy. The mindful moment is the happiness that we’re so addicted to chasing, like a kitten mesmerized by a butterfly, hovering, teasing but ever out of reach.
If we can awaken to the realization that happiness is not what we strive for, but instead what we already have in the here and now, is when we can truly experience mindfulness in the most satisfying way.
To Live More Mindfully, Simplify
When you read about mindfulness, and find yourself longing to settle into that emotion like a needed escape, how difficult does it seem to actually achieve that?
Because of technology, life has become a race, with no real finish line in sight. What is the race about? Do we even know what this frantic feeling is, of wanting to get to that goal?
The truth is that directives, obligations, musts and shoulds have found their way into our already cluttered minds thanks to the messages that bombard us on the daily. This is the reason why, when we try to work on mindful living, it just seems like an impossible state of being that we’re only fooling ourselves thinking we might ever get to.
So if we hold fast to the dream of living our best and most mindful life, we have to let go and give up something. But not just one thing. To live mindfully and be authentic about it, rather than just say we’re living mindfully, means forcing ourselves to simplify.
- The less we have, the less we’re forced to upkeep.
- The fewer commitments we take on, the less of a taskmaster we’ll feel forced to be.
- The more time we can preserve to keep as our own and choose how we wish to live, the more we can settle into our most cherished pastimes. And we’ll do it without feeling like we’re always being yanked away by the next important thing.
How to be a Mindful Minimalist in Our Daily Life
Mindfulness takes us out of that state of perpetual want or need. In mindfulness, we haven’t managed for once to convince ourselves that there’s something better we need to be striving for. To put this into action, we must practice living simply, and maybe even embracing a life of minimalism.
Below, find some simple changes you can make to help yourself live a minimalist life.
Purge yourself and your household of non-essential belongings.
Save only that which holds utilitarian value. After the necessities are sorted through, give yourself the gift of a few treasured items. Unburden yourself of the rest. With fewer material goods, you’ll have less to manage and that’s a huge relief.
Stop giving your time and energy to toxic people and time wasters.
Be honest with yourself about the value of your relationships. Certain people serve a purpose in our lives, but just how much of our personal time are we required or is necessary to give to these people? Think about the last conversation you had that left you feeling like you were snatched out of another moment where you would have preferred to be instead. What can you do to limit time spent in moments these so you can make room for more meaning?
Prioritize what’s important to you, and let the rest go.
Maybe for each season you have three activities that you cherish and look forward to every year. Commit to those, and start giving a polite no thank you to everything else.
Find ways to simplify occasions to make things easier on yourself.
Stop fretting over appearances and trying to outdo your neighbors. If it stresses you out every time you try to be the next Pinterest mom, then pass the torch and instead relax with a beer in front of the campfire like you know you want to.
Give up pointless causes.
Sometimes it’s better to put a check in an envelope and call it a day instead of taking time away from your family while you train for the next 5K to fund the next important thing. Yes, the cause still holds meaning. But you get to control how much time you donate.
Or how about choosing to stay in the moment instead of being distracted and outraged by every problem of society? We can only deal with so much… so why not focus on what’s before us?
Self-Coach Your Way to Mindfulness. We Have a Wonderful Mindfulness Journaling E-Guide for You.
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