I woke up in the middle of the night. You know, those kinds of nights where the thoughts running through your mind steal your precious moments of deep sleep. Awake. Eyes wide open. Watching the moonlight casting shadows on the wall through the shutters. Listening to the sounds of my beautiful boys and husband breathing peacefully beside me. Feeling grateful for their beating hearts. Feeling grateful for my beating heart. Loving those baby feet in my face. Knowing that these moments are precious. These moments are fleeting. These moments are happening right now.
And a quiet, yet very clear whisper spoke to me. Let go of distractions. Let go of distractions. Let go of distractions.
I let out a sigh of relief. Ahhhhhh. Yes….this sounds nice.
If you are a mother, you know how hard it is to not be a professional multi-tasker! Heck, even if you don’t have kids…you are wildly busy too! Who isn’t? That seems to be the nature of our world, doesn’t it? go…gO…GO…and don’t you dare stop because when you do you’ll finally see and feel and sense how incredibly exhausted, overextended, overcommitted and distracted you really are… Let go of distractions. (Here’s a video I created last year called: Find Stillness in this Go, Go, Go World.)
If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know this seems to be a reoccurring theme for me. Slowing down. Clearing clutter. Letting go…
And I find it takes practice. A lot of practice. I move slower. I let my heart lead the way. I let go of the “to do” list. And then…eventually…the rushing, the stress and the “to do’s” creep back in. Practice. Breathe. Let go of distractions.
I have felt a major shift lately, though. A shift in how I view my life. A shift in consciousness maybe? Who knows… Maybe it’s just that I tire more easily these days. Maybe it’s because I see how fast my kids are growing. Maybe it’s because I see my parents and everyone in my life getting older. Life truly is moving faster than I want it to. But I know in my body and soul that the more I resist that simple fact, well, the grumpier I get. And that’s when I miss out on those special moments happening right before my eyes.
What I know is that I like doing one thing at a time whenever possible. I like moving slower. My shoulders relax. My worry lines soften. I laugh more. And I play more too. I feel more gratitude and have more compassion when I take time to notice the little things. The list still seems to get done (well parts of it anyway). And the more I let go of distractions, the better we ALL seem to feel. Daily life just feels happier and is a lot more fun, too.
Sure, I still have many things on my list. But the urgency to get them all done RIGHT NOW lessens the more present I become. So when I hear, “Mommy, will you play dress-up with us?” my new mantra, Let go of distractions, gently reminds me not to miss out on the love that is always there, RIGHT NOW, in front of me. It’s up to me to be present enough to see it.
Yes, we all have a million things we want to do in a day and in this lifetime, yet the more mindfully we walk, the more open our hearts will be to receive the gifts life has to offer.
Give all the mothers you know big hugs this weekend. Thank them for the love and joy and care they share with the world. And if you are a mother, give yourself a break and a big hug, too! You are doing enough. You ARE enough.
Your Personal Reflection:
Relax. Breathe. Smile. Be grateful for the gifts in your life. And practice letting go of the distractions that keep you from being fully present with the world.
I love the joy in your photos 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful reminder…your title says it all, and your insights–especially the urge to participate as everything around you grows–speak right to my heart.
Happy Mother’s Day this weekend and every day 🙂
Hi Joy! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m happy we connect on this topic. xo
Happy Belated Mother’s Day, Shannon!
Sometimes I wonder if our tendency to try to pack so much into every moment is because we are aware, at some level, that we do only have the right now. We’re scared that this right now won’t be enough, we’re scared of regrets, of woulda, coulda, shoulda.
Maybe it will come down to some contemplation about less is more, of quality over quantity to be able to let go of those distractions, at least for me. So many of them are self-imposed. SO glad you shared, it helps me come back to a theme in my own practice, too. 🙂
Hey Lindsey,
Thanks for your words – I do think so much of our rushing and racing around is self-imposed. I also find that we fill up the space because we don’t know what to do with ourselves when we don’t. I’m learning how to move slower – and I love it – but I still see and feel my tendency when things “calm down” to wonder – now what? Ahh…cheers to more practice… xo
Mothers day is different here in the UK, but here’s wishing you a happy mother’s day. You speak so much sense. I too am learning so much right now and ‘letting go’ is high on my agenda – I can feel now where I hold things in my body!
And you’re right this learning journey takes so so much practice. I’m in a deep learning curve right now and whilst it hurts at times it also feels good 🙂
Hope you’re well my friend,
Amelia.x
Oh Amelia,
As always, it seems our reflections are in sync. Big hugs to you my friend…
there must be something in the air because i haven’t been sleeping either! my distractions have been more an avoidance tactic these days, a way to ignore the pile-up. mindfulness is surely a better way 😉
Hey Mindy,
What a delight to see you here. Thanks for stopping by. Ahhh…I’m working through some piles right now too. Sometimes it’s much easier to look away. For a while anyway. I do love how I’m learning to stay with things – little by little – step by step – because I hate unburying from those piles.
A beautiful reminder this Mother’s Day and every day! Thank you, Shannon. Hope you enjoy your weekend and your beautiful family! xoxo
Hi Kim! Thanks for your sweet note. I appreciate you. Have a wonderful celebration with your family, too. Big hugs!!