Mindfulness has changed my life in more ways than one, but the most significant benefits for me are very simple:
a) I have more patience
Have you ever noticed that you get home after crushing it at work, after providing an essential service to the community, and just not having any patience with your loved ones? I know the feeling because I have been there. And in this area of my life, mindfulness allows me to be aware of these moments when I am impatient. With practice, I become aware of my patience levels, and the actions in my life that help conserve patience/cultivate more of it. It’s easy to forget that patience too is a skill, and it is good to know that mindfulness can help us build this skill while also being kind to ourselves.
b) I enjoy the enjoyable moments in my life more fully
We all have experienced driving from one place to another and not remembering the details of the experience. But what about the more pleasant moments in our life? I have a friend who started practicing mindfulness after returning from a vacation and realizing she did not remember most of the experience. She was sad because she had planned this trip for a long time, and she understood the privilege of going to a beautiful destination. But she had just arrived home and could barely remember any of it, in part because of her stress load and taxed nervous system. Mindfulness has helped her be more aware in the present moment.
And you know it doesn’t have to be an exotic vacation for us to know we are missing the joyful moments in our lives. What about a special meal, how present are we then? I can relate to my friend, and to be fair, I did not use to be very present at the dinner table before. And now? Well, I am not perfect (no one is), but I find myself more often simply enjoying a meal or the sweetness of a moment as it is happening and, in these moments, being flooded with joy.
warmly, and with wishes of wellness,
Luz
p.s. I am offering a Free Mindfulness for Beginners Program that will run every other Monday from May 17th, 2021 through July 26th, 2021. The program is open to ALL active dispatchers and I would love it if you could join me, it would also be extra special if you could share the information with those you think could benefit from the practice of mindfulness! Click here to register Here for printable flyer to share in your centers
