The Mindful Way

Be mindful even if your mind is full. — James De La Vega.

One of the hardest lessons to learn in life is that of being mindful. The dictionary tells us it is to be conscious or aware of something. In meditation, the ‘something’ is ourselves, a challenging task. In life, the most selfless lesson we can learn is to be conscious and aware of the people around us. They are the ‘something’ we need to be mindful of and learn from.

We live in a world with enormous pressures. If hearts and minds bled when hurting, every street, school, and office would look like a war zone. Friends, family, the media, and ourselves pile expectations upon us far beyond what we can expect to achieve every day.
We must be homemakers, chefs, accountants, devoted, exciting, stable, and sane if what we believe is correct. Wrapped up in our stresses, we lose sight of the human family around us. Although we are all one species, there are times when we are alone.

So how can we learn to be mindful? Should we seek out the wounded and forlorn spirits to give comfort and succor? Medical professionals do not heal people; they help people to heal themselves. Most of us are not psychiatrists or soothsayers; we cannot fix a broken mind or determine what tomorrow may bring. Better not to try and heal another soul. To be mindful is to make the space where a person can heal.

Not all wounds heal with money, but most can heal with time. Offer what time you can spare. Listen and wait, be the rock in the rapids. Hold back on advice until asked. Hold your tongue before your wisdom spills forth. No one knows how someone else feels, so they shouldn’t say they do. Even when our experiences may seem identical, they never are. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, this is the time to think of yourself less.

Lastly, in the study of being mindful, we must recognize that not every wound shows. Who knows what inner battles rage in everyone around us? Rather than seek out those in need of thoughtfulness, treat everyone as a wounded soul. Your every word, deed, and expression might harm or heal, so choose wisely and act with love.

When we embrace mindfulness and become the shelter in someone’s storm, we unwittingly heal ourselves. As we ease the pain is another soul, our spirit is also soothed.