“Pay attention!” These words echo from childhood, I say them to my children, but even more often I say them to myself. It’s my mantra. What I pay attention to matters so I don’t miss the subtle, important moments of life.
The small moments of life are what I want to remember. A quiet whisper or giggle with my children, an unspoken act of love, or the beauty of a Tuesday with friends. This is where I want to focus my attention.
I educate on mindfulness and paying attention at MemoryMinders. I pay attention to have a better memory. But it’s about more than remembering moments. It’s about paying attention to the life God has planned for me.
My mind wellness word for this wellness journey is mindful. I want to be mindful of what’s going on around me, big and small. The definition for mindful is: actively attentive, deliberately keeping something in mind.
Usually what I am actively attentive to is the minutiae of life: the to-do lists, the grocery list, work and home responsibilities. While all of that is noteworthy, my most memorable moments are not about groceries. They are about the people and relationships in my life.
I want to be well for myself and the people in my life. Being well is not just about physical wellness, however. It’s also about soul and mind wellness-where I pay attention and focus my mind. Where and on whom I focus is crucial.
The mind goes where it’s focused. Think of a racecar driver-if he does not focus ahead, he will crash. Think of a ski racer-always focused down the hill. Sometimes while walking, I realize I’m looking down. While important to avoid tripping, looking down means I’m not truly seeing what’s ahead. Looking up, I see the beauty all around me.
Looking up, I see where I want to go.
I want to go and pay attention to what is significant in this life-God, family, friends and the people I serve. Many days it’s easier said than done. The Bible reminds me where to focus in Hebrews 12:1-2:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
To run the race and live the life God has for me, I have to pay attention and look up to Jesus, especially when life has me looking down. The apostle Paul describes how to do this in Romans 8:6:
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
God will lead me to the life He has for me, I just need to pay attention. Paying attention assists me to remember the small, significant moments in life. Paying attention to God allows me to completely live the moments He has planned for me.
For further info on paying attention and memory see MemoryMinders blog page by clicking here.