We were having our morning coffee, my hubby and I, and he observed as he looked out the window, “look at that bird, just flitting from branch to branch.”
I looked, but the bird was gone… just couldn’t settle down, I guess.
Somehow the phrase stuck with me… maybe because I identify with it. Sometimes I’m “flitting from branch to branch.”
I’ve often wondered what it is like to have a boring life. I know some people who do, and they are lonely. Their worlds are small. So as I have been examining my full life, with many things, I remember to be grateful for it all.
But I also want to be mindful. Mindfulness is the latest buzz word (unless we’ve moved on to something else and I hadn’t noticed). No, I’m stuck on trying to be mindful. What does that mean?
Some might think it is New Age take on approaching life, but since I love words, I would rather just see it as this… my mind is full! And how do I get it to slow down, to focus on the present?
I was at a seminar last week and the presenter shared that if we focus on breathing, really paying attention to our breath, our thoughts will cease. I’m not so sure about that, but I do know that when I am feeling anxious or overwhelmed it DOES help to practice breathing.
I take a deep breath now…. I breathe in peace, I breathe in Love. Sometimes I imagine God’s loving spirit enveloping me, like that wonderful prayer of St. Patrick… God behind me, God before me… God within me! I breathe it in. And I slowly exhale, my anxiety, my worries…
Another word I love to focus on… is focus! Can I focus on the present moment, to the person I’m talking to, to the task at hand? Or is my mind flitting about?
When I pray, this can be especially challenging, as I rein in all those thoughts. What will I make for dinner? Oh, I needed to make that phone call, and perhaps I should check the e-mail. I find this especially challenging at night, when there is much going on and I can’t sleep. Sometimes I pray through the alphabet, or down through my family, by name.
I find art especially helpful in this area of my life. When I pick up a wonderful blank sheet of paper or canvas, or whatever, and start to draw, my mind calms, and even rests. I stop flitting.
I was challenged recently to record all the tasks and responsibilities of my life, so I did that. I realized there are some that are imperative if I am going to face the rest. The daily rhythm of praying, reading, stretching, and hopefully a good walk, preparing healthy food… all of these tasks help me to do the rest of life.
So this is a blog to myself. Stop flitting… settle down. Focus on God, on the present moment which is a gift. One day at a time, Sweet Jesus… so the song goes, and I’m singing it as I sign off.
