Sleepwalking through life is increasingly the human condition. For many reasons, it is just too difficult to be in the present moment. Our day becomes a routine to get through. We miss the small things that make big differences. We multitask: texting or talking into the screen of our phone while driving, going to the grocery and forgetting why we are there, trying to do too much and not doing much well. In our multitasking, we miss what is important — being in the moment.
Being in the moment requires mindfulness. This way of being awake physically yet not aware of life blooming is the antithesis of mindfulness. Instead of being in the moment, we try to stuff as much into the moment. In doing so, we miss opportunities to recognize and fulfill our needs and the needs of others. Lost in a maelstrom of minutia, we focus on our wants and lose our self in the storm. Those fragile life blooms, only possible in the moment, are blown away.
We do not need to be battered by the storm. Simple steps move us from sleepwalking to hyperawareness. This is the state where we really see with our entire being. Instead of merely living in the world, we actively engage the world around us. We rest in the eye of the storm and choose how we will respond to the maelstrom instead of haphazardly engaging it.
Peering past the mundane, we see how truly extraordinary the world is. We see the veins on the individual leaves of a tree and marvel at their beauty. We hear the joyful laughter of a child. We respond to that beauty instead of trying to accomplish too much in too little time. We not only recognize opportunities for gentle encouragement but we also respond to them with lovingkindness.
Within the extraordinary, we are hyperaware of the harried expression of a mother or uncertainty reflected in the face of a colleague. Instead of ignoring or discounting these cues, we respond with lovingkindness and connect soul to soul. Recognizing that we are not separate, we act with gentle encouragement. We are compassion.
Even if our initial thought is that we cannot make a difference, this is soon quashed by our awareness. We recognize that no action is too small — even a gentle word of encouragement has a profound impact on another person. What we see as small may, in fact, be a tipping point in the life of the other person. A gentle encouragement is a light that anchors us into the present moment while giving us the strength to move forward.
Gentle encouragement doesn’t begin out there. It begins with our self. To transform the world, we need first to transform our self with lovingkindness. Waking up, we are prepared to be in this world as an active, engaged participant. Once awake we are alert — in a constant state of vigilance ready to be a font of lovingkindness.
But, vigilance is not our end destination. The natural outcome of being awake and alert is to truly be alive. In our aliveness, we act upon what we discover in our vigilance. We respond with gentle encouragement. Each moment we respond to the other, we move beyond the mundane and are alive to the extraordinary. This is a place where we slow down and are truly in the moment.
The extraordinary powers our lovingkindness. The other is no longer objectified; instead, they become part of the “we” — an active, respected, engaged member of community. Relationship is powered by a gentle encouragement offered to our self and to others. In this community, we support one another in our effort to be awake, alert, and alive.
Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Mindful Coach, Compassion Consultant, Professional Speaker, and Author who weaves her inner wisdom into all she touches. Contact Vanessa @ hurst.vanessa@gmail.com
Her books are A Constellation of Connections: Contemplative Relationships and Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action.
Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2017
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