Sometimes, I have to "re-mind" myself to be Mindful, by Joe Hood

Sometimes I have to “re-mind” myself to be mindful.

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to travel in Asia.  If you ever get to Singapore, you might want to ride the "Singapore Flyer". The Flyer is the world’s largest observation Ferris wheel, and it takes about an hour to make a complete rotation. It was one of the attractions that I was really looking forward to experiencing.

As I boarded the capsule and began the revolution, I took out my camera and started to take pictures. I moved from end to end of the glass enclosure, and each moment offered a unique photo vantage point. The views were spectacular, and I captured as many amazing photos as I could.

As I completed my revolution and exited the capsule, I took a moment to pause and reflect. That's when it dawned on me.  Although I enjoyed the experience, it did not seem to be very mindful. Mindfulness is "paying attention in a particular way". I realized that I was so preoccupied with snapping as many pictures as I could, that I forgot to focus "with mindfulness" on what was unfolding in front of me. I certainly enjoyed the experience and took it in, but I think that if I had applied more of a mindful approach, it could have been a deeper one. 

I am a bit of a newbie to Mindfulness and I would imagine that the longer I live life being mindful, the more natural it will become. In the meantime, maybe I'll write on my hand "Live Mindfully".

I do have great pictures and an amazing mindful life lesson from that day.  Perhaps that was how my experience was meant to unfold.

J.H.

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