What am I to be mindful of exactly? I don’t know about you but across the years I have been asked (more often told) to “keep this in mind”. Or other variations: keep in mind, just remember this, be reminded, well you get the idea. My experience is that this is said when negative consequences could be just around the corner.
What is this mindfulness we are supposed to keep? The ever-present Wikipedia says that it is: the psychological process of purposely bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment. So, let me examine this: first and foremost it is a process, something to learn and to be practiced. That makes sense, we all have to be mindful of what we are doing, seeing, hearing, experiencing. Another way to say this is to be “living in the moment”.
However, there is another part here that is so very easy to overlook and that would be the without judgment part. This is the part that matters and that is so very difficult to deal with. We are, quite often, not judgmental of those experiencing the moment with us. We are often incredibly judgmental of the very one experiencing the moment – ourselves. To be able to live in the moment is not what we have been taught, we must lay judgment aside and take in the moment.
Here’s the thing, I struggle with laying judgment aside. It is hardest to lay aside my judgments about the things occurring in the moment and most of all, my judgments about myself and how I fit into that moment or if I even deserve to be having that moment. And this is what makes praying difficult. To pray is to be “in the moment” with God, without any judgment. How can we love our enemies? By being totally in the moment without judgment.
There is a larger question here, though. The real question we all struggle with is being in that very moment with the Creator of the Universe, the All-Knowing God, the Most High. That brings to mind the very judgment we are supposed to lay aside. Why is it so hard for us to remember that we are called to be “in the moment” with the Lover of our soul, the Creator that looked at us and said, “it is good”.
Contemplation is to be mindful, to be in the moment with God. It is a place to live from, but it takes practice. You have to ease into living aware of all without judgment. This path seems frightening because we are being called to let go of all that we have preconceived and been taught and live in the moment with God. Think for a second: this is true freedom. I don’t have to judge anyone or anything, I don’t have to decide, I just have to be in this moment and experience Grace.
TMM