Greetings dear fellow minimalists who appreciate the small but most valuable things in life, today I share with you my participation in the #MindfulMonday, which invites us to talk about a topic that as every week, invites us to self-knowledge and also to reflection, this time we talk about mindfulness.
I think we all, whether we are minimalists or not, agree that it is too important to appreciate the present, because time goes in a hurry, but agreeing and being aware of this reality are two different things and I think that is precisely why it costs us so much and it must be an exercise that honestly does not come naturally to us, but sometimes we even have to program it.
For a long time and with a lot of effort I worked (I still do) to dedicate part of my time during the day to reflection, I have the habit of reading a little in the morning and after my reading, I take the time to reflect on creation, on myself, on how to develop qualities and above all on my Creator, it is a habit that I have seen that has helped me a lot to improve as a person, to learn to think and be aware of myself and my environment.
Only as I mentioned it was something that took me quite a long time and even now it is something that more than coming out naturally, I decide to do every morning, because I consider that the world we live in and we ourselves are conditioned to put aside these things and just run and ignore. In fact the world is made so that we cannot take time for anything or to reflect, so it is a decision, a plan that I write down in my schedule and for which I sometimes even set alarms.
This on the one hand, but there is something else that I have been working on for a little while now and that I decided to do because of something that happened. I realized how the excessive use of cell phones affects our relationships, it distances us emotionally and everything can be limited to a picture together and that's it. Recently we were all my family gathered at home and when I looked up from my phone I could only see them all on their phones, from the youngest in the house to the oldest, having empty conversations and answering without paying enough attention or thinking, then I didn't even remember what we had been talking about.
I didn't like this at all, it felt very ugly to see how little by little we are letting a cell phone consume our time and life and not even for something worthwhile. But I can't but work on it in myself, because although one can say something to the other person, or give advice, it is the other who decides what to do with their life and that of their direct family and what things to improve. So instead of getting frustrated, I focus on the fact that it is me who must change that about me that I don't like myself.
So, lately when I go to my parents' house which is pretty close to where I live, I leave my phone at home. Unless I bring it to connect to the Internet because at my house sometimes it fails, in that case I specify that I go there only. Since I can only work on myself, I try to look at the faces when they talk, listen consciously, think before answering and everything else, that helps me to know what they are talking about, not to say something I don't want to and also to remember later what they told me.
I'm not going to lie it causes me some anxiety not having my phone with me and unconsciously I look for it every moment in my pockets, until I remember I left it on purpose, or I get desperate when I see them all on the phone and they don't realize that time keeps passing fast, sometimes it comes out and I make some comment about it, but I consciously make an effort not to do that and try not to meddle in other people's personal decisions, nor in parents' decisions with their children.
For now my plan is to keep working on this and other things I am probably failing at, and develop habits and also qualities that will help me to be in the present without going emotionally or mentally somewhere else and appreciate what I have and those I have.
-Content entirely of my authorship and inspiration.
-Original text in Spanish, translated at DeepL.
-Personal photographs, taken with my Huawei p30 Lite Phone.
-Banners designed in Canva Pro.
Posted Using INLEO
It’s really nice how you began working on yourself by leaving your phone at home whenever you are going to your family. That’s very mindful and I think I’ll learn from this and begin working on myself with anything I want to see those around me do.
Yes, it is a bit complex but I know it will bring good results. After all, when a family reunion is over I feel better than before. Thanks for commenting 💓
Good for you! I've been making small efforts to leave my phone home when I can, as well, as I realize we're already hyper-stimulated as it is in today's world. And I agree with you, phones are destroying in-person conversations, and it's a shame, especially when it comes to family, I think. So it may seem like a small thing, but I think it will count a great deal towards how happy/present you feel in your day-to-day life! :)
It's quite a process, isn't it? But I guess it will get easier and easier. Thank you for your positive words, I really do know that even though it's a small thing it has results in me, and I think that's the goal.
It's a good way to foster change in your habits, even if it's leaving your phone at home while away for a little while. When you are using your phone, however, you might consider taking some more photos, as you seem to be repeating them. Cheers :)
Oh, if they look like the same photograph. Well, I fixed it, sorry. Thank you very much for the suggestion 🤗.
I am absolutely sure that you will achieve your goal. Little by little, it's a gradual process to step away from the phone a little bit but it's worth it
Success my friend 🎊🥰🌻
Thank you for the positive feedback and trust 🤭. And yes, I know it will be worth it.
Being mindful has to do with a full concentration to whatever is being done at that moment. Unfortunately, today, our cellphone is taking that huge part of creating distance between us and our families because at that moment, we would distracted and missed lots of things if we don't try to minimise its usage especially during meetings or bonding. I love that you are working on this and I wish you the best.
Yes totally, the telephone is from my point of view the biggest distractor and although it shortens the distances with those who are far away because it allows us to communicate, it distances us a lot from those who are right in front of us.