mindful monday

sacred pauses in oklahoma sunshine with le pug

on the second leg of my flight from oklahoma back to dc, i picked back up a book i've been digesting like a fine wine, manage your day-to-day: build routine, find your focus, and sharpen your creative mind. i know, not your average "oh, i can't wait to read what comes next!" text, but it has been for me. never said i was "normal."

a piece i read yesterday in an essay called "reclaiming our self-respect" by james victore stuck with me. he writes, "busywork pulls our attention from the meaningful work--taking time to think, reflect, and imagine. yet it's these pauses that make our lives better and lay the groundwork for our greatest accomplishments."

he went on to write, "just as we watch our intake of caffeine or candy or alcohol lest we become addicted, we need to consciously develop a healthy relationship with our tools--or we lose perspective and become slaves to them." this is all in relation to what he describes as "our convenient connections" such as smartphones, social media, et cetera that prevent us from being fully present.

while in oklahoma i found myself posting heaps of pics on instagram and checking my phone more often than i'd like. it's a fine balance between capturing the moment to share and being fully in the moment with the people around you. and it's a balance i continue to struggle with mastering.

thus, my last day was declared a digital day off until i got to the airport at 5pm and sent text messages that i was boarding. then into the in-box i peeked. delighted to see not a thing that needed urgent attention and to have broken the cycle. the cycle of checking in when there is a lull or transition. why not simply savor said lull or transition?

as you start this final week in february, consider your relationship to your tools {social media, smartphones, food, exercise, libations, tv}. do you have perspective? can you be alone with your thoughts? are you mindfully or mindlessly consuming? can you stand in line or wait for a bus without pulling out your smartphone for entertainment?

remember, it's in those pauses that magic happens. let's pause today and tomorrow and the next day, too. and to make this easier, the sun is beginning to shine longer, brighter, and with more warmth. i like to believe we're gearing up for spring blooming. get outside and savor a sacred moment sans smartphone. preferably with a four-legged friend in tow. bisous. x