Live Mindfully

New mantra.

Here's a question: How many of you can remember who you talked to first this morning? Where were you? How many people passed by you while you were conversing? What color were the other person's eyes? What did you talk about? What was the other person wearing?

What color are the mountains? How many colors? Could you sketch from memory the basic shapes of them?

How did you get to _____ this morning? Did you pass any people? How many of them were talking on phones? Were there birds chirping? How many different kinds of trees did you pass, or were they all the same?

Flowers are popping out all over campus. Stop and look at one. REALLY look at it. What do you see? How many colors? How many parts? What shape are they?

So much of life is spent rushing from place to place, constantly "doing" and never seeing, hearing, noticing whatever is around us. The Buddhist view is that we must live mindfully, for this is all there is to life. While I certainly don't believe that, I agree that I spend much of my time focused on the future, either close or distant, and I miss the moments happening all around me.

My challenge to myself is to be where I am. Really be there. To really see people when I look at them, to really experience my surroundings. It's not that hard with a little practice, but it adds ever so much depth and beauty and meaning to life.

Live mindfully.
Viva la Vida.