Mindful Hack #54

Hello Lovely Souls,

For the second week in a row, this week’s hack is inspired by my own challenge (I’d really appreciate if someone else could be an example for me sometime soon 😉).

Back in lockdown for what feels like the millionth time, I have found myself seeing the darker side of things rather than the light. There’s nothing to do. There’s nowhere to go. It’s still cold and the trees haven’t even thought about budding yet. You get the drift…

I was reminded this morning that perspective is a choice, even if it really doesn’t feel like a choice – it feels like it just happens to us or just is, rather than having any control over it. But that’s a victim mentality, which I’m really not a fan of and don’t want to fall in to (or rather stay in).

The thing is, what we pay attention to, we notice more of, good and bad alike. So as I’m grumbling about the cold, I’m more likely to notice the barren trees, a shrill barking dog and an eyesore on the road. BUT I can choose to shift my focus. And as I turn my attention to the sunshine, I can feel its warmth on my face, smell the promise of Spring in the air, hear the sound of children’s laughter and marvel at the pure joy in our dog as she bolts after a ball. 

I’m not saying everything needs to be rainbows and unicorns all the time, sometimes it’s okay to acknowledge that things are trying (and that will be a hack on a different day). But the truth is, right now, there is far more going right than going wrong and I’d rather notice more of that. To those who have experienced me as cranky lately, thank you for your patience, I appreciate you.

Mindfully yours,