LET'S TALK MINDFULNESS
OBSESSION WITH HAPPINESS
Let's talk mindfulness since it's #mindfulnessmonday in my my private FB group (Link In Bio)
I was listening to the stronger podcast this weekend about "Why America's obsession with Happiness is stressing us all out"
It moved me to share about this subject as it comes up for me when putting out content that reflects a certain lifestyle or mindset and how it could be affecting others.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS IMAGE
My hair and makeup are professionally done, I'm taking photos in my sister-in-law's glam apartment and I'm hiding a 12 week (or so) not quite showing but definitely out baby bump that could be confused with an extra helping of fries and dessert.
Next, I'm also doing a yoga pose but between hair, makeup, snacks and outfit changes, I definitely didn't squeeze in a sun salutation that day. On top of that this photo is edited and tweaked for lighting and cropped- plus about 20 or so were taken and this was the best one.
On the topic of actual mindfulness I am a work in progress, I love to share about this topic because it has changed my life. I was a stressed out, achievement obsessed work-a-holic who couldn't fall asleep without a tv show blaring in the background and woke up in cold sweats at 3 am (ok I still wake up at 3am but at least I can calm down right away).
Mindfulness Monday
MINDFULNESS MONDAY
Mindfulness Monday is a weekly topic for me because it helps me and I know it will help others. In light of this subject I believe it needs to be stressed that mindfulness is ONLY awareness in a moment.
It is not the lack of pain and suffering in ones life, but a way to move through it. It is the practice of facing ourselves; silence or discomfort and realizing it will all be ok.
It is NOT the practice of becoming "Happy" That could be the result one day and the result could be total discontentment the next (as was my evening #float last night where I confessed to my fellow floatee that I just wanted to watch TV instead of being in a sensory deprivation tank for 90 minutes.
It reminds me of being at the gym on the treadmill where my inner monologue says “I hate this I hate this Is it over yet Is it over yet” and then I feel like a sweating goddess an hour later when my workout is rapped up and the mental struggle is beaten down once more.
So how do we get on the mindfulness bandwagon without getting all the stress of the current hype that is surrounding it?
I think a good start is to realize it’s work, like a mental workout session and that mindfulness doesn’t = happiness. Happiness is fleeting and humans are not designed to be happy. We are designed to survive and solve problems which is sometimes but not always a happy job!
So remember happiness isn’t everything, give yourself a damn break!