So much of our lives is defined by highs and lows. Those life changing experiences get a lot of our attention and memory. Yet the bulk of our life is made up of small moments - often neutral ones - that we tend to move through on autopilot.
At the deepest valleys of my chronic illness - what I always find myself yearning for the most are those day-to-day pieces of life... Getting out of bed in the morning and moving through a routine; the ritual of packing school lunches or making a meal; the tendrils of satisfaction gained from a newly organized cupboard or an uneventful day at work. When loss is present, it can be much easier to see the full meaning of those mundane, ordinary things we do everyday.
It doesn't have to take an illness to help wake us up to being present for ALL of our experiences though. We can intentionally practice leaning into the spaces in between the highs and lows - the neutral experiences of life. When we begin to notice neutrality, the potential for peace can develop drip by drip as we wake up to the full spectrum of experience.
Presence in these spaces in between the bigger, more attention grabbing parts of life helps us see what we might have been missing. It helps us explore how we relate to tasks that once felt like a chore. Perhaps there is more to these ordinary moments than we first expected.
A few invitations for bringing more awareness to the neutral parts of your life:
Pay attention to your transitions. How do you move from one experience to another? Whether it is driving, walking, hurrying or otherwise -- transitions can be full of feeling, tension, ease or other possibilities.
Add mindfulness intentionally to everyday tasks like bathing, brushing teeth, washing dishes or meal preparation. When the daily grind gets mindful - life changes for the positive.
Lean into moments of boredom, feeling static or like you're going through the motions. What feelings, sensations, moods, questions, or thoughts are present as you find yourself in these experiences? Get curious (not judgemental) and explore.
My wish for you all as you practice being mindful of the spaces in between:
May you see things as they are
May you remind yourself "it's okay for me to feel this"
May you explore with curiosity
And may peace be part of your experience