Mindful and Full
Thrifted top //
dress c/o // Topshop heels // H&M earrings
Glass half full or glass half empty, you still have a glass of water waiting to be stirred. And our minds work no differently. It is as full and as empty as our souls desire but the awareness stays prevalent in the mental abyss, asking for us to awaken its justice. We're deceived into believing that being mindless means convenience and efficiency. That the less things we have to attend to, the less we have to worry. But in fact, it leads way for discontent and unfulfillment. Mindfulness is actively practicing self-observation--being completely engaged in the present and acknowledging everything that is "now" so we can appreciate life in its fullest form rather than constantly waiting for it. We're so caught up in our next step, our next move, an envisioned future, but we forget there is our current state that needs addressing, too. Just like how we feel it is important to invest in our futures, our present selves also need equal amounts of personal investment. We carry so much weight in securing a bright and happy future, but the only way we can fully ensure its greatest entity is to carry that same happiness within and right now.
And that's what I realized I needed in order to feel content and self-love. It wasn't until I placed myself entirely and whole-heartedly in each current event in my life--consciously aware of every thought, feeling, emotion, sight--that I understood the significance of mindfulness. Of fully embracing the right time and the right place and entrusting it all in the fateful hands of time and patience. Living presently to love life as it is, right here in the now, of the now, for the now, and the rest will fall peacefully into place; my future will be as secure and solid as I invest into my present. Maybe that's why it's called a present: because we take for granted what is handed before us in our hands, eagerly unwrapping just to see what benefit it will unfold for our future lives. It is a gift to be able to accept and love what is simply in the moment.
It is an act of bravery to feel your feelings.
And I personally feel stronger knowing I can openly allow every single feeling--the good and the bad--to radiate from within.
I unknowingly practiced mindfulness on my trip to Peru when I was utterly enveloped in fields of green and heights of mountains. Seeing how small I was amongst Mother Nature's creations and understanding what sorts of challenges it took to make it as beautiful as it was, made me appreciate every atom bit of it. But I also realized I carried this same mindset into my everyday life. When I'm amongst friends and we sit around playing "questions" until 3am on a Thursday night because it leads to discussions about life, each other, and ideals. Moments like these make my mind full of appreciation and my heart full of happiness. Moments like these make me believe in my future.
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