Morning Mindfulness

 

The start of a new season is a time that brings moments of morning mindfulness for me. 

 

September is here and suddenly the sun has moved in the sky while storms roll along with the clouds. 

 

As this happens, I also find that the random thoughts seem to pound like drops that could fall from the sky at any moment. 

 

I can go from thinking about the bright pink sunrise to the to-do list that has been sitting quietly on my dresser to then what is needed from the grocery store. 

 

What else comes next? 

 

How about social media to start the day? 

Are there new pictures from someone that I must see right away? 

 

Even more can come into my mind if I follow every rabbit trail, as the saying goes, if I don’t pay attention to what I need to do next. 

 

Perhaps this has happened to you. 

Bring more morning mindfulness.

I started to think more about this as I watched the sun move in the sky and thought about how to bring more morning mindfulness to the start of my day. 

 

Some of this is my ongoing desire to stay focused in the few moments I have as I get ready each day. 

 

Here is what I heard recently that has helped me fine tune my start instead of what has been happening.

 

Let’s replace the random thoughts on racing trails. 

 

Jay Shetty, a man who gives information about how to rediscover what living with purpose means, shared these three questions as a good reminder to go with what I do now. 

 

Consider this with me as we move along. 

 

First, what am I going to do today? 

 

Now I will tell you that this is a question that Brandon and I have asked each week for a few years as we go about our days. 

 

What are we going to do? That could be the one question to ask myself as a main focus point daily along with the weekly pondering I do. 

 

How does this feel for you? Is this one to think about a bit more? 

Here is the way I can wind my way through.

Here is the way I can wind my way through this first question a bit more.   

 

I can open a door for the person at the store or say thank you to the people who help me answer yet one more tech question at work.

 

Listen as I meet with families in their home. 

 

What if I wait for the car in front of me to get up to speed as we both merge onto the freeway at the end of a long day at work? 

 

That is a place to begin. 

 

Yes, that is what I am going to do. 

 

Now, for the next question. Are you ready? 

 

What am I grateful for at the beginning of the day?  

 

As I have been thinking about this question my mind has cleared and the rabbit trails have become a wide-open space. 

 

Being grateful has a way of bringing space to my morning mindfulness. 

 

This question brought back the memories of when I did yoga many days a week. 

The poses varied and were at times like the easy ones you see with these frogs. 

 

Do you see that there are different poses and levels? 

That’s how gratitude is for me.

That’s how gratitude is for me at times. 

It doesn’t mean that life is all easy peasy and without times of being stretched beyond what I think I can do. 

 

Somewhat like one of the yoga poses here or that I have done over the years. 

 

For me, it means that I am able to see that pink sunrise and be grateful for colors or the sun or for the cloud that brings the brightness to the sky. 

 

What if it is each of those things at times? 

 

Looking for something to be grateful for at the beginning of the day could be a question to begin with for me and you.

 

Now, let’s look at the third question together. 

 

What is one my one goal for the day? 

 

How I loved to hear about this one!  It is one that reduced the rabbit trails for me. 

 

One goal seems not only do-able but brings a powerful focus. 

 

This brings me to the other things that I have thought about along with this final question. 

 

If I have one goal to remember and work towards each day, then I am able to create a timeline and SMART goals along with the one goal.

 

I do not become concerned about getting my ducks in a row and feel good that what needs to happen will come as it needs to. 

I have started to add to my morning mindfulness.

These are the three questions that I have started to add to my morning mindfulness. 

 

Here is what I have come to think about next. 

 

As I have added these questions to my day, I have noticed that my random thoughts about a long to-do list and social media have faded into the background. 

 

I continue to do my daily devotional and get ready for my day. 

 

This will be what I add to bring another layer of possibilities for mindfulness.

 

Can one of the questions be one for you to think about with me? Perhaps choose one and let’s see what comes as the sun continues to move across the sky.