"The secret to happiness is happiness itself. Wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine, the presence of each other, the wonder of our breathing. We don't have to travel anywhere else to do so. We can be in touch with these things right now." -Thich Naht Hanh (from Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life)
If you read my last blog post titled "No More New Year's Resolutions", then you'll know that I tried doing something differently this year: setting a word of intention rather than writing out a list of resolutions. The word I chose was BE. While some may roll their eyes and laugh at me for being "weird" and "hippie-ish", I think there is a lot of power in stripping back our desire for hard results in order to uncover our core of BEing (just allowing things to unfold and finding inner peace regardless of our surroundings).
In my search to become more mindful and "just BE", I have adopted 3 simple yet highly powerful habits that have transformed my life. It's only been about 2 weeks of using these mindful tools, but I can already see incredibly positive impacts in my life, so if you're interested in changing your life for the better, keep on reading!
Habit #1: Cut down on the time you spend scrolling through your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter newsfeeds.
On New Year's Day, after a few hours of contemplating ways to increase mindfulness and decrease negative energy in my life, I came to the conclusion that I would stop wasting my time scrolling through social media newsfeeds. For me, Facebook and Instagram are 2 things: 1) incredible time wasters and 2) great ways to make myself feel insecure, left out, or like I'm just not cool/beautiful/smart/*insert your own word* enough. Hmm sounds like negative energy to me! So, I made the personal decision that I would stop looking on newsfeeds completely. I still allow myself to post on social media when my heart feels compelled to do so, but wasting hours on something that drops my self esteem seems like a pretty negative habit. So, goodbye newsfeeds, and hello to extra hours in the day and increased confidence!
Habit #2: Take the earbuds out, and actually admire your surroundings.
As a college student, it is not uncommon to walk around on campus with earbuds in as you jam to your music and tune out the real world. Every walk to class is an excuse to hear a few more romantic Sam Smith songs or pretend you're in a dramatic movie as you listen to Hans Zimmer's Pirates of the Caribbean masterpieces (not personal experience of course...). However, by walking around and jamming to our playlists, we are living in our own worlds, separate from the beautiful one in which we live and interact with others. So, ever since I got back to school about a week ago, I haven't used my headphones once. No more endless stimulation to entertain me. No more musical distraction as I walk to lecture. No more tuning out the world, even when I don't see it that way. Instead, I walk around campus listening to birds chirping, rain falling, students chatting, and wind blowing. I also pay more attention to the beautiful sights around me: the glistening snow on the sidewalk, the cute boy who accidentally splashes me as he rides his bike to class, and the groups of friends laughing at each other's bad jokes. All of a sudden, I'm not imagining myself in a pretend world with dramatic background music; I'm actually living and breathing a world of melodic sounds, engaging sights, and sweet scents. And guess what. It's actually real.
Habit #3: Stop getting angry at things you can't change.
Isn't it funny how red lights have the ability to piss us off? Isn't it laughable that the red hand at the crosswalk can frustrate us beyond words? Well, I think it's pretty funny, and I've decided to change these ways. Let's look at this by focusing on red lights. Let's say you're in a hurry to get to work, you left 5 minutes late, and you end up hitting red light after red light. Chances are, you're going to be pretty annoyed. You might clench your steering wheel and yell at the light, "Come on! Are you kidding me? I need to get to work!", as if the light actually cares...Well, let me ask you this: what's the point of getting angry at the light? Getting red-faced and hot isn't going to change the light; it's only going to change your mood (for the worse). So how about, instead of getting frustrated at things that are out of your control (traffic, red lights, a slow person walking in front of you), just take it as a reminder to stay mindful in the present moment. I know it sounds silly, but it seriously works. Whenever I'm rushing to class and that red hand of evil pops up at the crosswalk, I take a moment to inhale deeply and gently smile. After all, I'm alive. I'm breathing. I'm seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling the world around me. It's actually pretty magical. So, stop letting that red light bother you. Your annoyance won't change the light; your annoyance will only change you.
Well, those are my current favorite, mindful habits, and I am so glad I got the chance to share them with you. Please give them a try, and see how you feel. Good luck, you mindful being you!
Quote of the Day: "We are very good at preparing to live but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive. Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment." -Thich Nhat Hanh (from Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life)
Peace, Love, + Happiness,
Deviva