Mindfulness has been a really difficult word to process, understand and realize in many people’s lives.
It is a concept you kind of understand when someone is explaining but it is a new one when you are actually trying to make it work for you.
Many people will admit that it is not easy being mindful and the effort of making it a part of your life is just too tiresome, or is it?
Well, personally I can totally relate to anyone who says mindfulness is a hard nut to track, when I consider my very own journey.
But I would also agree with the one who says it is possible to become mindful if you put your mind into it.
As a person who has been practicing mindfulness for a good number of years, I can say it has not been an easy journey for me, and to date I cannot actually say that I am completely mindful.
It has been tough and demanding but my desire and focus on it has also grown tougher and it has also borne some really good fruits over the years.
Just like any other training of the mind, mindfulness requires a thick skin. You have to be determined to make it happen.
You should not just want it to happen to your life. You should have the mentality of necessity. You should make your mind understand that you need, not want, to be mindful.
And then take the necessary steps to make this need met.
Wow, preach Dave!
I see I am becoming a motivational speaker, but that’s not who I normally am. Lol.
I am a regular person who has decided to better his mental health and I think sharing my journey, experiences and lessons I have learned with you will also encourage you to do the same.
See, every time I remember who I was and where I was before mindfulness, I appreciate this practice and state thrice as much as I do.
It has taken me literally out of the gutter and made me a useful human being.
Years ago, I was a person who was overwhelmed by emotions. I was too sensitive for a man. I was also short tempered, conclusive and I used to overthink situations a lot.
I was also the kind of people who would be there with you as you talked but couldn’t tell you what you just said a few minutes ago.
I was the person with most terrible memory I ever knew.
I had great trouble relating with people. I wanted to make friends and become a people person but the way I used to judge myself and conclude very fast that people didn’t like me was a great hinderance for me.
I also weighed down those people who were genuinely interested in knowing me and becoming friends by overthinking.
Whenever I saw a close friend staring at me and then laughing, like a teaser, I would quickly conclude that they have a bad rumor about me and they are playing with my mind.
My overthinking was playing at 120%. Talk about overworking my mind and emotions.
Needless to say, it was a really bad period in my life because I didn’t have peace, self confidence and positivity.
And for the most part, I stayed alone and felt left out.
That is until I discovered mindfulness.
How I Got Started With Mindfulness – My Light
Before even coming to know that something like mindfulness existed, I had a feeling that would often come to me that made feel very awake and interactive with the present moment.
I had no name for it but when it came I recognized.
I used to think it was a feeling as I could not control it. When it came, things in my life got clearer.
My mind got more stable and calm, my emotions were in good balance and I felt just right.
When I went out, the environment was much greener than it was, I could feel the breeze beating against my face, I could even feel the freshness of air as it got through my nostrils.
And when I talked to my friends, the conversation was much more interesting and I had that captivating flow that kept us talking for long.
Suddenly, I knew when to speak and when to listen, and it was awesome.
But the sad part was, it faded away eventually.
I wanted it to stay but I couldn’t and it felt it bad because I needed that in my life.
But maybe that was life trying to hint at me that I had the ability to change my life for the better, but was it really?
I do believe in natural things happening for good but I thought this idea was too superstitious.
So I enjoyed “the feeling” when it came and went back to my normal irritating self afterwards.
I did try to learn a few things from that feeling and add it to my life but it was as good as trying to wrap water with a piece of cloth, just impossible!
One day, I stumbled upon someone who was explaining the nature of the mind.
Oh, sorry I forgot to tell you that I was, and still am, a person who takes keen interest in mind talks, intelligent speeches and intriguing aspects of life such wanting to know the nature of the mind and nature of reality.
This guy was an Indian guru and the way he explained it made me realize that I have been getting to the state of awareness whenever I got that “feeling”.
It clicked instantly when he explained what being aware means.
And from there I took the initiative of wanting to know more about awareness.
I soon came to learn that there was a practice called awareness meditation that helped you train your mind to be always aware.
This sounded exciting and I said I would do it until I perfected that state in my life.
How I Made Mindfulness Work For Me
Just like any other person, I was all excited when I started out thinking that I would only need to meditate and I would instantly get that feeling back.
And from there I would make it permanent.
Well, that didn’t happen.
The journey was quite the contrary.
I started out well on the first day and the feeling was there and I embraced it with all my being. But later on after I was done meditating, it faded away and I felt bad.
I tried getting it back and it wouldn’t come back.
The following day I did it and the feeling was much less tense than on the first day. This was saddening.
My overthinking abilities kicked in and I started thinking that I was not doing it right or it was not meant for me. And I concluded that it was just a waste of time, so I stopped doing it.
But I would later on come to learn that meditation is not easy and training your mind needed patience and persistence.
So I got back to doing it, this time, well equipped about what to expect and how to handle it.
The best that made me stick to the practice was becoming an editor of a website that talks about the many proven techniques for improving the power of the mind including meditation.
That is where I learned more about meditation and the nature of the mind.
I even got to discover other techniques to keep you mindful during the day.
When the feeling disappeared a few hours after meditation, I would use these techniques to bring me back to the present moment.
And doing this really transformed my mind and life.
I stoped overthinking, became more attentive and mature, learned to appreciate the moment I am in, in its fullness, and appreciate others as well.
It didn’t happen overnight.
I trained myself continuously without taking breaks.
I went on with my daily life but I did it more mindfully, and this really spiced up my life.
I became more confident, quiet yet focused and alert.
I would easily listen and understand people and even remember what they said days and weeks after.
I think mindfulness saved me from my lower self.
My Encouragement to You If You Are Where I Was
I was not perfect, neither am I right now.
I know how it feels to be lost, when everything around you seems to be an illusion and when you can’t handle the weight of your own mind and emotions.
That is why I don’t judge anyone who seems unstable, because I have been there myself.
If you are that person, I encourage you to consider doing meditation.
It is not easy and it won’t solve your problems with only one session.
It is hard and the experience of each meditation session is unique and different from the others, but with time you gain control and things get better.
You have to stick through it and make it work for you.
If you understand the fact that your mind wanders often and you have to tame it through constant effort without giving up, you will succeed in it.
That is how I did and still doing it.
And you too can, if I myself have overcome that horrible phase of my life.
I have pretty much what you have, so you can do pretty much what I have been doing and get pretty much the same results if you are determined to do it.
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