Can You Be Too Mindful/Intentional/Aware?

Mindfulness~Space~Reductionism

At first, mindfulness feels good because it starts as a path of self-care, compassion, and individuality. Sometimes, though, an intentional way of life can lead you to being in an “I” or self-centric world. It’s not that your selfish. It’s that your occupied—constantly checking in with yourself or with your body. So, inadvertently, you miss moments of “we.” You miss small miraculous every day moments. You could block yourself off from spontaneous creativity or, perhaps, even to laughter or full-flying play.

Let me be clear. It is a brilliant idea to have a few simple rituals that center you and bring you peace, so that you’re charged up to give back to our planet and so you can simply feel awesome. I wouldn’t necessarily equate more rituals with feeling more centered or more spiritual though. More, more, more is excess. You gotta get to the point when you say enough is enough! Choose your most favorite/important rituals or mindful situations and LET GO of mindfulness for the rest of the day. Why? Being sensitive to every detail, thought, desire, or bodily function crowds out your own personal space of freedom, surprise smiles, and unforeseen opportunity. Your life will be full--too full like how you feel after you eat a big meal. Leave yourself plenty of space. Bring yourself back to your center by simplifying your routines or rituals. Create pockets of space in your day without an agenda to give magic the chance to skip across your path. This could be riding the subway to work, out of your own head, open to the world around you engaging all your senses. This could look like taking a stroll open to coming into contact with new plants, people, or animals. Protecting your space of unplanned, cartwheel territory opens you up to vibrant life rushing into you. A lifestyle of reduction gives you back more breath, softer stomach muscles because you’re not holding on anymore. You’re no longer afraid life is gonna slip right out of your hands. You’re here. You’re alive. You did it. You arrived. Now, let go.