I had a good talk with Lucille over wine right before the holidays. And it mostly revolves around her 2015 resolution: mindfulness. It’s interesting because mindfulness is a word I have overused in the past year.
I have gone to such point that I’ve obsessed about tracking myself in an attempt to be more mindful of everything that I do. Take note: Daily. With graphs. I measured my sleep hours, food intake, steps taken, workouts, finances, computer activities, travel time… I have transitioned from the happy-go-lucky, don’t-really-care-about-anything backseat kid to the person who absolutely needs to be behind the steering wheel and taking control.
I realized that time cannot be stretched. It is not a train that can be stopped midway, and it will keep ticking, no matter what we do or say or feel. Also, our minds and souls and bodies have limited spaces and energy, and so despite our desire to consume the world, and to explore every beauty, and to be present in every event, we can only really fit so much within ourselves and throughout our lifetime.
And so given that, here is my wish (for both you and me):
Dear You,
I hope that this year, you be mindful.
Be mindful of your body. I hope that you nourish yourself and eat well. Enjoy your food and be grateful. Because if you don’t wake up having to worry about whether you have anything to eat on that day, then you’re more blessed than many. I hope that you move. Enrol in that yoga class you promised yourself a year ago. Swim, run, lift, dance, fight. Do amazing things. Maybe sweat a little for a change. Maybe push yourself to new heights.
Be mindful of your mind. I hope that you read fine books, choose your movies well, study something new, hang out with people who are smarter than you, ditch TV. We have only so much mind space. Be mindful of what it consumes.
Be mindful of what comes out of you. Words and actions cannot be unsaid and undone. I hope you think before you say or do, especially to those that you love. Decide based on the value (or lack thereof) that it will put out into the world. Good things bounce back, but then, bad things too. I hope you share what you know and what you have, and if you can, teach.
Be mindful of how you spend your time. I hope that you spend your waking hours expanding yourself and the world. Time cannot be stretched or stopped, and so I hope that you choose what to do with it wisely. That when you work, you work to the best of your ability. That when you make art, you make it the most beautiful it can be. That when you kiss, you kiss passionately. That when you love, you love greatly.
I hope you make time for the people and things that matter most. And that you don’t forget to make time for rest, too. After all, our time is our life.
Happy New Year. 🙂
Wishes from past New Years:
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