How easy it is to forget during every-day-life: to be
We hang on to thoughts that are about the past – or the future.
Or we want to be productive.
It was drummed into us: Faster, higher, further. Now.
Self-optimization.
Right now the trend is more to take time. To breathe. To meditate. To calm down. To be aware … Mindfulness.
And still we live in a time of contradiction. Of being available all the time.
Let alone the existence of smartwatches that I don’t get. I mean, as those were brand new I had one wrapped around my wrist for a few minutes, in the Apple store in Honolulu and thought it was quite cool.
But do I really need my wrist to light up, every single moment someone thinks of me? When someone liked one of my social media posts? Or when an app wants to sell me something?
This is just one out of many examples on how we get a permanent information overkill and we take on more and more stuff that is dragging our energy.
I am no fan of multitasking anymore anyway, but of being focused. But this is not even multitasking anymore. This is a permanent and rude disruption.
Something that is pulling on our sleeves and yelling: „HERE, have a look! NOW! THIS is important!“
And this triggers that it is getting harder and harder for us to concentrate, to have a decreasing attention span and to just be able to concentrate as long as the hyper squirrel from „Over the hedge“.
Because of the fast pace of our life today it’s important to create islands for resting and peace.
Just not doing anything. Or: BEING.
Just: being.
Without input from others, without input from the outside.
This is even more important than doing nothing to my mind. That we just ARE with ourselves. Alone. With ourselves, our thoughts and our feelings.
I thought a lot about this when my orthopedist decided recently that I should get acupuncture on top of everything else. Damn, even more appointments. REALLY uncomfortable.
The idea of acupuncture is to rest when the needles are in place.
While I am lying in the room and waiting for the needles to be inserted soon I am thinking about how to „use“ the time in a good way. Listening to an audio book?
And this is exactly what my doctor suggests a few minutes later. I could bring music or an audio book for my next appointment.
After having overcome the initial pain and while starting to relax I just decide: No, I just want to BE here. I am breathing, relaxing, not needing anything else. Just an oasis of being.
And the more we get used to it the easier it gets: to integrate moments of rest:
- moments just for ourselves
- moments without big plans
- without input from the outside: without TV, books, audiobooks, music
- without smartphone, WIFI and hectic
To be healthy, to become healthy and to stay healthy.
And then we have enough balance for the counterpoles. For all those parts of the day when we work with others, we communicate with others, we can’t look after ourselves so much and when we are making big plans.
Think about how you can be there for yourself today:
I am.
You are.
I wish you much awareness for this!
Be happy & be light
Love, Janina
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