Apologies for the poor picture quality, but I love scenes like this one. Since I was a kid, there’s always been something about lights in a dark setting; the kind of ambience it provides. I remember when my Dad was taking us home from a trip to the city, coming home at night along the dual carriageway I’d just be staring at all the lights, and to be honest I’m not sure exactly sure why…it’s just when I see a view like this one, it kind of sparks something in me, you know?
I wanted to talk about that because it kind of sets the overall scene of what I’d like to talk about, and that’s mindfulness. This word was introduced to me last year, when I was having problems separating myself from my University work; just like thinking about it all the time. I was recommended a book on mindfulness meditation, which summarised is a philosophy about really taking in each and every moment, reconnecting with yourself.
While I’m on this topic, I’d like to quash rumours regarding meditation; it’s not anything like some people would have you believe, it’s just (in my experience anyway) sitting in a straight-backed position whilst focusing predominantly on your breath. That’s a very simple way of putting it which perhaps doesn’t do it justice, but it’s really something that everybody can do; that’s my point. Mindfulness teaches you to appreciate the here and now, and it has been a great help to me when my mind is constantly racing, wondering what I have to do next and focusing on the best way to achieve it.
Lately, with the rush which comes from your final year of University I’ve been feeling a bit anxious; like my mind is racing all over the place again. So, I wanted to write a little bit about appreciating the here and now, as much for myself as for anyone else. The picture I took on my way home today is just one example of this, but there are countless others out there which if you’d just take a moment to stop and notice them can be really nourishing and rewarding.
Today for example, I’m working in the IT labs; I have a headache and I’m tired already at 11am. My friend shows up, and we’ve both been talking to each other about things lately, asking advice..friend stuff. She comes in and we’re talking, and she’s like:
“We are such losers!”
Haha, amazing right? …Wait, doesn’t sound too great? Well, I can’t really put it into context because it was kind of private but I just love moments like that, when it’s like two people together through difficult times. She may not know it but that really made my day; kind of like a really cool, sentimental friend thing 🙂
I guess my point is that I have this great stuff going for me – it’s not perfect of course but you know, a lot of things in my life are just as I want them. I realise that it can be difficult to recall these moments in times of stress but it’s what I always try to do, because these experiences are everywhere if we take the time to look, and appreciate them. I hope that no matter how much pressure you’re under, if you’re reading this then you can just take a step back to appreciate the smaller, unseen things in your life. The smell when you walk outside your door, or in my case the wonderful colours of the sky, or the illumination of the streets on the way home.
Until next time 🙂
“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.”
Musings 