I'm in the process of trying to break my addiction to self help podcasts. Yes, there are far worse problems to have then filling up every bit of silence with advice for self improvement. But, what I've come to realize is that my mind is never free to wander. I'm consuming all this information but not leaving myself enough time to process what I'm learning in order to create theories of my own. And ironically, my super power is making connections between seemingly unrelated topics. Can't really do this if I never stop consuming long enough to let my mind wander!
By constantly filling up my time with podcasts, I'm also not giving myself the space to just be. How the heck can I truly be who I'm meant to be if I can never be?! How can I make decisions that align with my values and goals if I'm never still and silent enough to hear my inner voice?
When I think of long car rides as a kid, I envision myself with my forehead pressed against the glass, observing bunny shaped clouds and dreaming away. To this day I'm at my core a happy passenger who can spend a whole day looking out the window watching the world go by. But alas, I'm a mother to three children and more likely to be driving (or shall we say racing) franticly from here to there. On the off chance that the whole family is in the car and I am a passenger, my role is to break up fights over NOTHING, play music that some how appeals to everyone in the car and explain over and over again while I won't be handing out technology. I'm always begging my kids to just look out the window to see what they can see and THINK. But they're products of this modern world and they're just as unaccustomed to mind wandering as I am.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? How often do you let your mind wander? How often do you give yourself the space to just be?! Are the children in your life capable of daydreaming?
According to my research (and ok, numerous podcasts), letting our minds wander is essential to experiencing joy and fulfillment. So-called "mind wandering" allows us to be creative, get in touch with our true desires, problem solve and most importantly it allows our brains to REST. We live in a world that is moving at the speed of light and we race from one thing to next without much deep thought. The result is that we're stressed, not fully present, not engaged and unfulfilled. We need still time to figure out what things in our life are not working and what changes might need to be made so that we can create lives we love.
Because I want nothing more than to live up to my fullest potential AND live out my purpose, I'm creating more time to let my mind wander. Here are the ways that I'm
going to pull this off:
No podcasts in the car for trips under thirty minutes.
I'm not going to look at my phone at the gym in between sets.
I will meditate for a minimum of 10 minutes a day.
I will journal in the evening.
I won't listen to a podcast or music when I go for walks outdoors.
Let me know how any of these work for you or if you have any tricks up your sleeve!
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