Why I wanted to win a mindfulness workshop
Breathe in and out.
Feel the air leaving your body.
Your body has created a new sensation.
Focus on that sensation.
Don't drift away.
The mindfulness Yogi (is that a thing?) running the session lets his words hang in the air for a moment.
"Now who got distracted during that sequence; who drifted away?"
The entire room raises their hand, except me - the kid didn't drift. I was fully focused on the new sensation my body had created.
The air filling my lungs, the soft exhale, air rushing out of my nose.
I had emerged the winner of that mindfulness exercise; my intention was to win. But before you go, "that's not the point mate" - let me explain why I wanted to win.
It's a crazy, crazy world.
We live in a world that overwhelms our senses every second of every day; the alarm clock blaring fills our ears as the first sound of the day, phone and laptop screens fatigue our eyes, and stressful human interactions cause us to physically recoil.
Most notably in my field, the ever demanding cycle of content we have to create, publish and consume in order to remain relevant.
It's sensory overload.
Since starting full time work, I've been practicing "checking in" on myself during the day.
That can manifest in a variety of ways - deep breaths when work begins to feel overwhelming, reminding myself of the successes of the week or taking a walk without any screens as a way of switching off.
Just as easy as it is to gain some mental clarity, it is just as easy to lose perspective once more.
Like the gym, repetition is key.
The human condition is one that undulates - ever changing, full of potential yet uncertainty.
Winning a mindfulness workshop was not so much a competitive endeavour but a way to check if my own methods for "mindfulness" were at all efficient or effective.
Being able to remain anchored during that specific mindfulness exercise showed that I was on the right track - a little win, but a win nonetheless.
So let's celebrate together!
It has quickly become apparent that in a world, which demands so much from us as individuals - the only remedy to remain the best you can be for others, is to be the best you can be for yourself.
That means an overwhelming amount of kindness, compassion and time.
And if you've read this far, I'd love to encourage you take part in sharing your top three successes this week (or at the time of reading) down in the comments below.
It can be something little, like making the best pancakes ever; or something massive, like locking in a big client at work worth whatever this amount is - $10000000000000.
Here are mine:
1) I finally got to sit down with my team and talk to them about their personal and professional goals heading into 2020 - it's always important to understand people outside of the office setting and how I can help them grow.
2) I finally got back to the gym after a couple weeks out!
3) I won a mindfulness workshop.
Now, just your top three successes in the comments below!
That way, you'll never forget you're worth it.
