Making Mindfulness A Lifestyle, Not A Fad

"Mindfulness is the invisible string that connects us"

Happy Sunday everyone! Today's topic is something I do everyday. In fact, it's a daily practice for me. It's something I chose to do when I went vegan over three years ago. At first I didn't know what it was called until I started doing yoga and meditation. What is this thing? Well it's called mindfulness.

But the mindfulness didn't start to take full effect until my freshman year of college. After my first semester, I sort of relapsed into my eating disordered behaviors. I could feel myself slipping and needed to learn what being present was all about. Plus I wanted to build muscle and rebuild my self-esteem. Then I started following a YouTuber by the name of High Carb Hannah. Her weight loss story inspired me to cure my disordered habits and the relationship I had with myself. Hence this is when the self-love journey really started for me. 

Now I don't want ya'll to get the idea that this is some voo-doo concept. It's very practical actually. The idea is that this  moment is great. Nothing will be as good as this moment. It's beautiful and amazing. Even if the situation has negative circumstances, there are still positive aspects to it. For instance, you learn more about yourself and what you need to change as a human being. As a theatre person I know exactly what this is like. I've had experiences where I know what to work on better in collaboration and the creative process.

An interest in listening to your gut (aka intuition) came up as well. I had the realization that the person who knows what's up is me. In other words, the gut is woke. I believe that listening to your gut is the universe's way of talking to you. It feels strange at first but eventually it becomes a guiding light.

So here are some ways to help make this a priority in your life because you're important:
1. Take Time For Yourself
As an introvert this is important. In order to know what you really want, you need to be alone and let your intuition talk. Sounds weird but it works. For me it was sitting and watching countless theatre performances in high school and being like, "I need to do this." Even when I went vegan it was sitting and watching countless documentaries and vegan YouTubers. 

2.  Remind Yourself That Everything's Okay
Not matter how bad the situation is, you must know that this will pass. As someone who came from a destructive past, I know this works. Even when I was having some negative thoughts I had to remind myself that everything will be okay.

3. Enjoy Silence
In other words find stillness. Even if it's a millisecond. In meditation this is something that's discussed frequently. I often find myself letting go of mindless worrying and situations that I can't control.

Now I'm not saying we need to attend a monastery to become a monk or nun. No, my point in writing this is to say that mindfulness isn't a fad. It's a way of life. I can't tell you how many people I've seen take this as a "test trial" and fail because they were only thinking about the end product. They aren't taking in the process that eventually becomes your lifestyle. My mindfulness has led to meet and curate long lasting friendships. It's also helped the negative thinking habits I get into. It's a way to understand yourself and the world around you. Furthermore, mindfulness is the invisible string that connects us.

Don't get me wrong, it takes a while to get the hang of it. I'm not kidding. It wasn't until last summer to understand this concept. I realized that I had present problems that I didn't want to deal with when it came to my mindfulness. I didn't want to accept my reality and actually work towards my goals.  

With that being said, I hope this helps you guys understand this concept. I hope you have a great day or night wherever you are.