Tag: decisions

What even is it to be ‘mindful’?

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A little while back I was offered the chance to try a subscription to the app Headspace on the recommendation of a friend. The pretence was for it to assist with a busy working life and give the opportunity to clear space within the mind.

With some reluctance, I tried it…and really liked it – well, on the occasions I didn’t fall asleep whilst meditating!

The premise is simple. Control the breathing and think about things, without actively forcing yourself to think about them; as odd as that may sound. I completed the courses linked to appreciation, self-confidence (recent dreams seem to indicate a lack of this) and understanding about emotions, all of which were interesting and engaging. From there I’ve looked to further the philosophical side of thinking about the bigger picture and turned to podcasts.

One that I’ve become a big fan of is the Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan is someone I have been aware of from his involvement with UFC, but I’ve got to say that I’ve found his podcasts fascinating. Often he’ll explore, with the help of a wide range of guests, the idea of being mindful. One of the big messages I’ve taken away recently from his session with Russell Brand, is that ‘this is only a temporary thing’. This being life. And he talks about the need to ‘eek out as much goodness as possible from it whilst we’re able to’.

In a society now where we’ve become obsessed with ‘what next?’ we’re forever forgetting the need to appreciate what is happening now. Right now. None of us knows how much time we have left, or how much time we have left in the current state. We don’t know what the day could bring, or even what that phone call could bring. Rather than worrying about how things could turn out in the future, we need to focus on how things could turn out in the now.

Embrace the day and eek out all the goodness that you can from it.

Why Can’t It Be Finished?

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Ever since I can remember, having things come to an end was something to be avoided. You’d never take the last of the milk, the cereal or the bread growing up. It was always to be seen as a selfless act to allow others to have that final piece or portion. But now other things bring trouble with the idea of nearing completion.

A common concern at the moment is with books or television shows. That final chapter, series or episode comes with a foreboding feel of absolute completion. That the time, effort and emotional attachment that came with the build-up to the completion, was seeming to be leading to a void being created.

Take Ricky Gervais’ new Netflix series After Life a genius mix of heartbreaking drama and genuine laugh out loud moments. Having ploughed through the first five episodes of the series yesterday morning, there is just one remaining. But it’s not been watched yet. Watching it would create a void, with the necessity of it being filled with the start of a new series to draw the mind into. There is a desire to find out how things fare for the characters, but the finality of not having further episodes to gain insight about them from provides a barrier. Being well aware that they are only characters in a fictional show makes this conundrum seem even stranger.

The same concerns come with books. Having invested time into 300 page novels, that final 20 page chapter indicates that the previous 280 have built to this climactic resolution. But doesn’t it also feel that those other 280 pages will be wasted when the final page is completed? Of course, everything builds to the end of the book and of course you are aware that the book has to finish at some point. But the finality of it provides the issue.

Finding something you enjoy, like or love, means that it’s something you want to continue with, but the ending of specific things that you enjoy, like or love may not necessarily be within your control. Yes you can read or watch other things, but finding the thing that you want to be engaging with provides the challenge. If we knew we had more to enjoy following the completion of another book or series then that void could be avoided. But what if those tailored recommendations are not accurate? What if you find that you take on board other people’s views relating to what to read or watch next, but then find that that time is wasted?

Time is a precious commodity after all, so is it sometimes better to avoiding the ending of things, by not starting them at all?