Thoughts On My Mindfulness

Mindfulness. . . what know I of mindfulness? My mind is full of many things, but unfortunately for me, that is not the meaning of mindfulness! So, am I mindful at all?? I hear this type of thing discussed on shows like Oprah Winfrey's SuperSoul Sunday. Live in the moment! Be contemplative, etc. Let me go to Google, a place of which I am very mindful. . . Four elements of mindfulness I find given: paying attention, doing something deliberately, being in the moment and lastly, doing it non-judgmentally. I now analyze myself by these four standards. First, do I pay attention? I'm pretty good at that, but my mind can stray if I am bored. The article I am reading says to be mindful every moment, like even while walking the dog!! However, when I walk my dog, I happen to find this the ideal time to chat to my dear sisters on my cell phone since simply walking around the neighborhood is not a real treat! I prefer to kill two birds with one stone. Does this mean I'm not mindful? Must I want to put deliberate attention to the one thing that does not thrill me when the other thing I enjoy more can be accomplished at the same time as the thing less interesting? The same goes for driving. The way I'm understanding all this, it seems that mindful people deliberately focus their attention on the actual act of driving. Well, what are car radios for? Yes, I enjoy viewing the mountains around me as I drive, but getting back to the "two birds with one stone" thing, why not also sing along with my radio. . . or better yet - put on speaker phone and chat with dear old Mom! When I do my dishes, I sure don't want to be putting my attention on dirty dishes. Instead I have my television on in the kitchen, or maybe I'm thinking up an idea for a poem. . . Can a multi-tasker be good at mindfulness? I've thought of a favorite activity of mine now which might meet all the requirements of mindfulness. It's when I go see a movie! First, I'm focusing my attention. Second, my focus is deliberate. I really want to see it! Third, I'm not thinking of past or future. Doing either of those two, I won't be able to follow the movie's plot! (and I'd hate that). I'm not sure about the being judgmental part! I might be judging the actors' abilities, but I doubt it. Is that ok to do and still be mindful? I root for the good guys and find myself able to empathize with all kinds of characters. I think that's a good thing! The article I'm reading also says mindfulness is like meditation - best done while sitting and with eyes closed. Well, I am sitting at a movie, and if want to close my eyes, I can do that and still have my hearing focused on the dialogue. if the movie is boring, I can let my mind go mindfully to sleep! I believe life should be enjoyed. Movies bring me joy. From the definition I found for mindfulness, maybe I will be a truly mindful person if I just keep watching movies! Feb. 13, 2019 for Chantelle Anne Cooke's Mindfulness Poetry Contest