I was awake at 4am this morning. AND it wasn't because one of the kids woke me. I was just awake! I could't fall back to sleep. The hours between 3am and 5am always seems to be ripe with insight and therefor it comes in the strongest. I wish it were more like 3pm but alas 3am is more quiet so there's that.
Mindful parenting came to me. Mindfulness in general has been a big topic on my mind as of lately.
The fact is that our culture is more connected with more people than ever before in history. The internet and social media have made it possible for one to connect with countless people all over the world. While those things are a blessing, they have inadvertently began to strip away the interpersonal connections to the things and people that are right in front of us. In many ways the focus on over production and also social media has shifted our attention from the inner peace that sits in the here and now. The focus for many, including myself at times, is towards the chaotic chasing of getting things done and on mindless distractions. But the real magic lies in the stillness of moments spent being completely present. Over tasking and stimulation takes us out of the peace of the present moment and into a whirlwind.
Having two small children there are many parts of my day that do feel like a whirlwind. Where I am wearing 6 hats and trying to get 10 things done at once. It happens, life happens. But there are other times of the day that I can choose to pick one task to do mindfully. Or I can choose one person to give my full attention to. Or at the opposite I could choose to fill the time with overtasking or mindless activity. We do have a choice. When I look back on my day and reflect on the parts where I was fully present, it's almost always my favorite most prized part of the day. When I can sit with my toddler and fully BE there with him reading a book or building a train track. It then becomes a gift to us both. When I can stop what I'm doing for just 2 minutes and give my husband my undivided attention to tell me about his day, it then becomes a vital moment of deep connection and is a gift to us both. When I can stop the over tasking, stimulation and mind chatter THATS where the magic of life lies. There are absolutely parts of the day that I over task, that I have my phone next to me or that I'm not present. But there are other magical parts of my day that I savor a single task, a single breathe. There are glorious parts of the day that I don't see a text come in because my phone is purposely in the next room. Because the most important thing in that moment is me looking into my babies eyes while he nurses. The magic is in the here and now. The practice of mindfulness is a gift. And I'm looking forward to slowing down and receiving more and more of it!
Love & Light,
Christina
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