Learning to Be Mindful

Succeeding with Mindfulness

So many incidents trigger my motivation to be more mindful. Sometimes it from other people’s mishaps (I’ll take that as a reminder to be careful backing out of my parking space), but just as often from my own.

Like when reaching for a plate in the cupboard without looking and it hit the shelf and broke. (I’ll look at what I’m doing and slow down)
Or running down to the basement, I kicked some boxes accidentally and they tumbles down the stairs spilling their contents. (I’ll step more carefully)
Or get this: I carried my cup of tea to the car with an armful of other items to take with me. Putting the cup of tea on the car roof, I tossed the items on the passenger seat, backed out of the driveway and drove down the street. Just where the road curves, I heard a loud smash. Uh oh.

So you are thinking, I never did that again, right? Wrong.

Not three months later, heading out with my teen daughter, I carried my cup of tea to the car and set it on the roof while I dropped my items on the back seat. Same curve in the road, same smashing sound. One less cup that fits in the car’s cupholder.

So you are thinking, I really won’t do that again, right? (or maybe I’d use a plastic cup from now on. Not likely).

Most days, when I want to travel with tea, I now make a separate trip to the car just to put my cup in the holder. But to be perfectly honest, I do occasionally still use the top of the car for a temporary holding place for my tea.

I do it a little differently now, though.

Now, as I’m putting it there, I say in my mind “I’m putting this cup here just for a moment until my hands are free”.

And wonder of wonders, it does work. After I dump my stuff in the car, I carefully deposit the cup into its holder. Just saying in my mind “I’m putting this cup here” wires the deed into my awareness.