Sometimes I Don't Want To Be Mindful

                                                                                                    Image:Marie Vonow

These days we are provided with much information and many opinions on the topic of how to live a happier life. Hey, the topic of this blog is simple ways to live a happier life. Some of the ideas I read or hear about are ones I basically agree with or support most of the time, but not all the time. An example of this is the concept of living in the moment or being mindful.

Yes, I do believe in living in the moment rather than reflecting extensively on the past or concentrating on the future. Some of my blog posts give suggestions for ways to live in the moment, the benefits of doing so and some quotes relating to mindfulness. However, this post is about why there are times I most definitely don't want to be mindful. I think the best way to make my point is to share a poem I wrote recently.

Sometimes I Don't Want To Live In The Moment

'Live in the moment,'

That's advice the modern experts give,

Mindfulness is said to be the thing -

A better way to live.

But at the moment there are roadworks

Right outside my front gate,

So I will ignore the now

Full of dust, noise and things I hate.

'Be aware only of this moment,

Notice what you see, hear, feel,

Don't think about another time,

Thoughts of right now make life real'.

This modern belief holds much truth,

See the life around everywhere,

But it doesn't improve my life

When I'm in the dentist chair.

There are extensive roadworks happening near my home as a link road is being constructed and an intersection receives a much needed upgrade. This will continue for several months as the work is complicated. The result should make the inconvenience worth it but there are times when the noise and dust are unpleasant. Rather than dwell on what is happening I do my best to ignore it. I am not living in the moment but thinking about other things and I am lookng forward to a time when the work is completed.

When I go to the dentist I don't concentrate on the feeling of the instruments in my mouth. I do not listen to the clink of dental tools but think about something else. This makes me less nervous than if I was being mindful.

I think mindfulness is a helpful practice for getting the most enjoyment out of life, but not always. Living in the moment makes one aware of simple pleasures and can make one happier, just not all of the time.