All I Need to do Is...

 I was on a run the other morning and noticed a mantra repeating in my head "all I need to do is run".  It was on a loop that kept going for the majority of my circuit.  This may not seem like a very motivational mantra on the surface.  Not terribly awe-inspiring...while on a run, keep running...What this phrase did for me was allow me to keep my focus on the task at hand.  In other words, stay present.  I find it hard to be present while I am running.  I often find myself on a run unraveling problems that have been on my mind, or ruminating over ideas or things that have taken place, or are going to take place once my run is completed.  I relish these opportunities to problem solve and do find moments of inspiration while on the move.  The downside of this is that I end up disconnecting from my run.  I don't keep a great stride or cadence and instead of finishing my distance and feeling like I was really a part of it, I am just feeling like it is time to move on to the next task at hand.  Some days that is great, but more and more I am finding that I want to be in the moment.  I want to be present and just sink into the experience at hand.

As I was stretching after the run, I started to think about how this mantra could apply to so many other moments in my days.  Instead of just plowing through activities while thinking of other things, I could centre myself around what it is that I am doing and what it is that I need to do in that moment.  Multi-tasking is a habit that has been lauded as a superpower and yet is what takes us away from our ability to be present.  It is hard to focus on any one thing when you are attempting to accomplish everything at once.  I don't often find time to sit and meditate and was thinking that this new focus on the task at hand might be my way to invite moments of presence into my day.

What would it feel like to be cooking dinner and to remind myself "all I need to do is cook my dinner".  Nothing other than the activity of cooking and what is required to complete that.  Or maybe in the shower "all I need to do is wash my hair" or "all I need to do is gently cleanse my body".  There are so many moments in our days that we skip through while thinking about something else and instead of coming away feeling like we are ahead of the game, we are robbing ourselves of small moments of sanctuary.  These do not need to be extended periods of time and we don't need to light candles and get all woo-woo about it (unless we want to).  What I am suggesting is that we just allow our minds to slow down a beat and focus only on what it is that we need to do in that moment.  Give ourselves the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds and sensations that we have been missing and to come away feeling more connected and conscious of these precious moments in time. 

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