Day 96

It is Monday June 15, 2020 Day 96. Some updates on coronavirus numbers. The number of total cases has surpassed 8 million, but it is important to note that about 4 million of that total is recovered patients. Total deaths comes in at 437,206. We continue to navigate the world with a virus outbreak and world pandemic.  Each of us is on this journey with our own perspective, attitude and belief.  These in turn warrant our actions and our actions in turn effect those we interact with. So much talk has been about respecting others and understanding their views and feelings about the pandemic that sometimes what is lost is our own self-reflection. I would like to speak on that today. Any time we look to investigate ourselves it is a personal affair and possibly emotional as well.
The following questions are not mine. I read them on psychology today and found them to be introspective as you take the journey inward. Consider: Why am I thinking this?
This may be a new thought you have been wrestling with and pondering its origin may lead to deeper thinking and an interpretation of oneself not seen before. What is happening? The current state of affairs in the world, your city or your personal are included in this as well as the thoughts passing through your mind. What am I seeing? The eyes see a lot.  But in the subconscious state it may be nothing of importance because our mind is not present. When we are in a conscious state we can truly see what is garnering our attention at this moment. Am I listening? Clearing the mind will help listening truly happen. And listening in the true sense can help us decipher our own thoughts.
Am I using all my senses? This is one we often do not consider.  When I first studied the power of the subconscious mind and being mindful I was taught a simple technique to help you be present and that was rubbing the fingers of one hand together.

I found this helpful and use it now and then to keep me mindfully grounded. It is so easy to slip into the subconscious realms of our past and projecting thoughts of our possible future.

Using your senses to be in touch with the reality around you is a great way to meditate and can provide some calm in an otherwise stormy life circumstance or world situation (hello?2020)

Am I present? This is the one question we are most likely to struggle with. Mostly because our day-to-day affairs keep us thinking about deadlines, time, dates, and other controlling realities that make up our 24 hour period (or 16 hours if you sleep at all). The thoughts flowing through our mind most moments of the day are focused on everything but the present. As an exercise single out a few mundane tasks during your day in which you can focus on (think washing your hands- you are doing plenty of that lately) and during those tasks use your senses to feel, smell, see, hear and/or taste the experience like never before. Remember to clear your mind of thought and focus on the senses, one at a time. Good luck and may you be present more often.