It's About Time! Cultivating Mindfulness in 2014

My Father's Wisdom
It's about time!

When I was a kid, my dad was full of nonsense. He often shared crazy stories and theories, both factual and completely imagined in his very creative, yet silly mind. Dad likes science and trivia and sometimes alluded to this time-relativity phenomenon. He cautioned me that as my age increases, the speed in which each year passes will also increase. The notion that time speeds up with age -- far too abstract for my young mind to grasp! Yet as I grew older, time did seem to pass more rapidly. Is this just perception or is it reality? Is rate of time age dependent? 

To oversimplify Albert Einstein's theory of time dilation, the faster things move, the slower time passes. Conversely, slower movement results in a faster rate of change. Now to parallel my dad's wisdom to relativity exaggerates Einstein's theory (differences in time passage/aging are not noticeable or significant unless traveling at light speeds). However, recent research and super accurate optical atomic clocks have demonstrated very slight variations of time passage rates based on motion and gravitational pull. Whoa, time really is relative! How in the world did Einstein figure that one out?

With the exception of moving in the direction of school, my 13 year old proceeds through life at light speed. He is constantly "buzzing," it gets tiring to simply watch! Clearly, many kids zip through life at speeds incomprehensible to most adults. Another interesting phenomena is how children completely lack stamina and patience when faced with a situation requiring them to wait. Remember how long it seemed before your next birthday or school break? Or how about the incessant road trip interrogative, "Are we there yet?"

While time practically stood still as a kid, as an adult, the opposite experience became increasingly evident. I often find myself surprised and amazed by how quickly the hours, days, weeks and even years are passing by! At the ripe age of 41, I realize dad was spot on in his assessment of the age-time relationship. Einstein wasn't too shabby with the science either.

Each Passing Year is all Relative...

So Now What?

A friend who lacks sensitivity and common sense regarding age discussions with female counterparts, referred to this point in our lives as "middle aged." Had I wrestled him to the ground, I may have added microseconds to my life. But, in the spirit of unrelated wisdom learned over my extended lifetime, I politely conceded. It is not as bad as it sounds, 41 really is not so old. I have many years, even decades to experience and enjoy my time here on Earth. BUT, the significance of my dad's imparted knowledge cannot be ignored. The latter half of my life, will undoubtedly move more rapidly than the former. Now what? Time to hustle! 

Time to Hustle Up and be more..mindful? I suppose this is quite the leap, but this notion of mindfulness seems to be on everyone's mind these days! And why not? It is all about being present, active engagement, observation and focus. 

Mindfulness, cannot co-exist within the context of busy or negative chatter that clouds our minds and holds us hostage from fully experiencing lifes pleasures and challenges. Often, lack of engagement and presence stem from worry, anxiety, obsessive thinking or disconnect. When we are unable to focus and engage, life passes us by. And as evidenced by science and my wise father, this happens much too fast. Who has time for that?

Greater Good (UCBerkeley) explains mindfulness as, "maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment."

Additionally, mindfulness, "involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

My purpose in this blog is to attain a more meaningful and connected life. Admittedly, I have been stuck in a rut and "out of my mind," for far too long. Adversity, demanding schedules and life's complexities may act as roadblocks to mindful living. I crave not only peace of mind but to find greater appreciation and joy in my everyday. Who doesn't?

Reality check. Will being "mindful," achieve all this? Research suggests that practiced, mindful behavior has the potential to work miracles of the mind! 

Study after study says that practicing mindfulness creates greater presence and focus and then some. Research cites a vast array of benefits including stress reduction, stronger resistance of autoimmune disorders, decreased incidence of illness, heightened focus, increased cognition, greater empathy, better interpersonal relationships, the list goes on and on. Sign me up!

Just a few days into 2014,achieving mindfulness is a lofty goal. Not your typical New Year's resolution, rather it is an ongoing and continuous evolution in pursuit for greater meaning and purpose. 

Revised goal: cultivating connectivity and mindfulness, with "baby steps."

Baby step one: Take notice and find pleasure in the ordinary. Remember to breathe.

- Jennifer Fox

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