What I want is a quiet life.
I mean a life that listens: to other people, to my place, to silence. I want to notice even the smallest things, to stay immediate to my surroundings. But daily distraction can be so fragmenting, so addictive, and the kind of attentive patience I seek requires clarity of mind. To find this clearheadedness, I must make a commitment to do so – I have to say no to the constant, frenzied consumption of “needs” (more often wants and excesses), and I have to make room for the quiet, contented yes I actually desire.
It is a generous gift – to choose the way I want to live, in spite of circumstances. I believe that I am daily shaping myself through my decisions, and so I make them earnestly, carefully. But I too easily fall into patterns I believe to be obligatory – habits of convenience I depend upon. I am carried away by the impulse to keep up, though this sentiment inspires only a perpetual state of wanting. I’d rather punctuate my days with actions turning me towards gratefulness, revitalizing my eyes to see the calm goodness already around me.
– Julie Pointer (from Kinfolk, volume three)
This is exactly where I am right now. I have sincerely been attempting to live in a state of gratefulness and contentedness for months now. It is so easy to be swept away by want. But there are so many things to be thankful for, so many things to take joy in that are right around me. All I have to do is notice them.
Youre right- mindful living does take conscious thought and commitment- at least until it becomes a habit. Keep making it a priority and I bet you’ll be amazed at what falls into place.
I find that my movement often works to quiet my heart. I’d rather hear my myself than run.