So…um…right… I am humbled in the face of my humanity, and admittedly ‘doing my best’ isn’t always…adequate? Suitable? Ideal? Perhaps not even functional. I am very human. Not unexpectedly, practicing mindfulness throws me the occasional curve ball, or offers me an intellectual or cognitive challenge I didn’t anticipate.
A great morning to share a smile!
Yesterday, I took a walk on the wild side… ‘brute force mindfulness‘. O.m.g… the humor of it buoys my general good spirits today, and I am still sort of scratching my head that the eventual outcome included a completely unexpected ‘thank you’ for ‘being there’… but I am not sure I was ‘being there’ the way I’d ideally like to be for people. No fooling, I had hit a wall of frustration at one point that actually resulted in my yelling – literally yelling, in a rather unpleasantly commanding tone – directives that were borrowed directly from my mindfulness practices…but… how effective is it to shout orders to ‘Breathe!’ at someone who is losing their patience ? Or to resort to angrily demanding that someone ‘Be here!‘ when they seemed trapped in some other moment? (That last was only a fragment of what I was moved to say, but the ludicrousness of shouting commands to be in some way more mindful got to me before I got more words out, and I forced myself to shut the hell up before I went further down the path of the ridiculous.)
Compassion wins out, this morning, and I accept that I was in enough pain last night to be pretty easily tested to my limits, even with people who matter to me a great deal. I sure don’t feel like I was at my best for emotional resilience, respectfulness, or consideration – and as humorous as it still is that I snapped in that very odd way, I hope to build a lifetime of good skills and habits that allow me to bend as a reed in the wind, instead, and to be able to comfort rather than berate. I’d throw the hormone card, but facing menopause on the horizon, that’s really too unpredictable to be certain, and this morning it sounds like a crutch or an excuse, more than a mitigating circumstance.
It’s still pretty funny. 😀
My quiet morning resulted in some whimsy about the whole thing, and I want to say simply this; I’m in an all or nothing place with mindfulness, tending my roses and my heart with care, showing myself and my loved ones mercy, and living the best way I know how. If I have to, I know to tell haters to back up, and just keep practicing and taking care of me. In the mean time, I’m going to give myself a chance to appreciate the humor of life, and lighten up a bit. 😀 It’s a lovely Tuesday…
Evening Light 
‘but… how effective is it to shout orders to ‘Breathe!’ at someone who is losing their patience ? ‘ He he….this is too funny. Wish I’d been there. take care
In a wonderful sort of way, you are. We share our stories; you read mine, I read yours. I feel compassion and a desire to reach out, regularly wishing we could sit down for coffee and really ‘talk it all over’. You no doubt have your own experience with my words. Thank you for commenting. I hope I gave you a moment to smile. 😀
Reminds me a little of the occasional “Put your shoes on! I love you!” that has come from my mouth in unexpected tones. More so when my boys were young enough to need reminding to put on shoes, but…
Jo, you make me grin at the idea of me having even a shred of maternal impulse that might drive me thus… I think perhaps I was just frustrated and in some forced way trying to share what works for me right now. 😉