You put the key into the ignition of your car. The car starts running, but now you want it to stop. You try to turn off the ignition, but your car won't let you, so you get in the car, and you decide to drive. You can't take your eyes off of the windshield. Your vision is forward and focused. You don't know what's around you except what's in front of you. This is you, and the car is your mind.
Once you start thinking, your mind has the tendency to rocket-fire thoughts before you even get the chance to think about something else, and you keep thinking about the same thing, over and over. Your mind might enter a period of tunnel-vision in which you focus on the topic in front of you instead of anything else around you. It could be stress, anxiety, worry, something you know you have to do but don't want to do, and anything else that dominates your thoughts with negative effects.
What kinds of negative effects would those be? Maybe it's those times when our feet take us where we need to go instead of our minds because our minds are preoccupied thinking about something else. Maybe it's those times when we internally complain about the really slow people, walkers or drivers, in front of us, and there is no way to pass them. Maybe it's those times when we're exhausted or tired, and our minds won't let us focus on anything. All of these things can have negative effects on our minds.
What I have realized, however, is that changing the way I perceive those situations can have a marvelous impact on my mind each day, and it's called mindfulness. Being mindful, according to Merriam Webster's dictionary, is being aware of something that may be important, and it is also the practice of a nonjudgmental state of increased awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, and experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.
I am no expert on mindfulness, but I practice it in the way that I interpret it for myself. Because I love nature, when I walk outside, I might be dissatisfied with all of the buildings, roads, and cars everywhere, but mindfulness helps me to focus on the positive things, like how beautiful the flowers look that are still in bloom, how wonderful it is to see the leaves changing colors, how adorable the cute chipmunks are that run all over the place, and how good the fresh air smells early in the morning. There are so many other ways to practice mindfulness, however.
If it's a nice day outside, think about how beautiful it is. Watch the leaves sway with the wind, pick your favorite cloud in the sky, or look for little creatures and the smallest forms of life. If you're having a bad day, think about your presence. Feel yourself breathe, and hold onto the fact that every breath is special and that you exist. You exist. If you're feeling worthless, think about who you are and what you have done. Surely you have made someone's day at least once. People don't naturally admit how much one means to them, so chances are, you really mean a lot to someone out there. If you need a little pick-me-up, listen to a good song. Listen to "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack or something else with motivational lyrics. Maybe even sing to yourself a little bit to just stop and live in the moment.
Practicing mindfulness can help relieve a lot of stress. It is a way to practice living in the moment you've been given and realizing that there is more to life than the problems you face or the worries that come your way. It is recognizing that you are alive and well, even amidst the struggles. It is a way to live happier. It is a way to recognize that you are a person and that your mind wasn't made to think unhappy about everything. Be mindful, and be happy. Don't let your mind take over the car, but let your heart take the wheel.
