Mindfulness: Your New Superpower

Mindfulness is a power each of us is born with. We can either ignore it, allowing it to lie dormant, or, like a superhero, we can train ourselves to make this power strong.  

Mindfulness means paying attention to whatever is happening in the present moment with interest, curiosity and openness. It is like a warm light that we can shine on what is inside us (sensations, emotions, thoughts, etc.) or around us (people, conversations, traffic, etc.). Sometimes the light is like a laser beam focused on one thing. At other times, it’s like a floodlight illuminating everything at once. With practice, we can choose how and to what to pay attention.   

The opposite of being mindful is being mindless -- on automatic pilot, reacting to whatever we encounter in unconscious or habitual ways. Automatic thinking and acting are efficient and have their place in certain situations. However, if we’re always on autopilot, we’re more like zombies than superheroes -- not fully alive, disconnected and missing out on the vividness of life. Right now, summer is upon us. Do we “stop and smell the roses?” Do we even see them? Or do we rush past, preoccupied with our problems or projects, thinking we already know all there is to know about roses, or looking at virtual roses on our phones?  

The easiest way to increase mindfulness is simply to slow down. Try walking at half-speed as you walk through the neighborhood or to your car and see what you notice (even if it’s just how powerful the habit of rushing can be). Or pause before eating your next meal and engage all of your senses: look at your food, take in the aromas, savor the flavors. You might be surprised how rejuvenated or satisfied you feel after just a few moments of pausing or slowing down.  With regular practice, you will find you are more able to respond to whatever life brings with more intention, interest, and intelligence.