Reset to Refresh - YoM Day 335

Eleven months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 335. Yesterday, I talked about what I learned from my first day of teaching. Today is a new day.

"The term we use on our team is 'reset': when you go through, you get your next opportunity - not focusing on the past, but going back into your attack mode." - Dan Quinn

With this year of daily mindfulness practice, there have been plenty of times where I have no idea what I want to write. Every day I've been reflecting on myself and some days putting into words what I'm thinking is like trying to describe what something smells like to someone unfamiliar. You can try, but not everyone's going to get it. I like to think of such days as signs that I'm still trying to figure out what each day is trying to tell me. Like I'm still processing it all and the lesson is in the middle of being revealed to me. Some days take more time to figure out than others, but whenever I try to force the thoughts to come out it almost always ends up with me writing something that's not really from the heart.

Full-disclosure: I wrote at least 3 different drafts for today each with their own main themes, yet I got stuck each time to the point of frustration. I decided to rest my eyes for a few moments and listen to the silence of my apartment. It was nice and relaxing. As I opened my eyes to process what was in front of me I was reminded of something a student once told me:

"When I enter elevators it's like I'm resetting myself. As the doors open it's like I've traveled to a new world and I feel refreshed. Like a new beginning."

When I thought about this, I thought about all of the times I've gotten stuck trying to solve some sort of problem. Sometimes I get through it right away, other I need to set them aside and give myself time to collect and reset myself. Having some breathing room helps me come up with new ideas. The same idea applies with physical activity. We need to give ourselves breaks in order to recover and continue on. Slow and steady, like the children's fables.

Sometimes diving too deeply into something makes you prone to losing all inspiration quickly. Be it an elevator, a nap, playing a game, watching a show, or going shopping, anything that keeps your mind occupied elsewhere might the solution you need in order to help get those creative juices back. Let yourself cool down before going back to the grind. It's a a way be productive through clearing out the clutter. Like taking a nice hot bath after a long day's work.

How do you 'reset'?

                                                                                                             Peace

You do something long enough and start thinking about it you can see the evolution of your psyche. It can drive some people mad, but if you're lucky you come out of the hole stronger and wiser. That said, I'm gonna need a break after this year of reflections is over.