On The Way To Simple Living: Learn To Seize The Moment

12.6.2014

04.30 pm

acknowledge-and-prioritize-the-meaningful-moments-of-your-life

Before: How I used to live?

  • I used to miss many meaningful moments in my life because I was so busy working or preoccupied with some other things.
  • I used to notice meaningful moments afterwards, when it was already too late to actually live them.

mom-talking-with-her-child-after-daycare-day

Changes: What changes I´ve made to my life since I started to pay more attention to my wellbeing and simplify my life?

  • I´ve learned that working mom´s life easily goes on autopilot if you´re too tired and your days are too full all the time. By eliminating meaningless things from my life and by prioritizing my basic needs, I´ve been able to live less automatically and be more fully awake in my everyday life. Living on autopilot is one of the worst enemies of mindfulness and the ability to notice and seize the meaningful moments of your life!
  • I´ve consciously learned what things and people mean the most to me. I´ve done it by making a priority list about my life and practising gratitude. We´ve talked with my husband what are the most meaningful things and moments in terms of our marriage, children and the wellbeing of our family. Life’s experiences have also taught me my real values and how to appreciate life more. The most powerful experience has been my pregnancies. The challenges that I’ve faced during those times, taught me not to take my family, the most meaningful thing in my life, for granted.
  • I´ve learned to slow down and stop more often. I´ve noticed that when my rhythm of life is more peaceful and closer to my natural rhythm, it’s so much easier to notice and have energy to seize the meaningful moments.
  • I´ve processed my old emotional and physical gridlocks. I´ve also developed my skills to take care of myself so that my mental and physical wellbeing would stay as good as possible and new gridlocks wouldn’t form in the future. It is so much easier to notice and live mindfully the small, beautiful moments in life when you have less (or at all) physical ailments and/or things in your mind that bother you.
  • When I have to choose I´ve learned to ask myself “What is the most meaningful thing to do now?“. That question has helped me to separate relevant things from irrelevant and make better choices for my wellbeing.
  •  I´ve learned to put my plans into action. I´ve learned to make life decisions according to my values and priorities.
  • I´ve also learned how to live those meaningful moments deeper by combining mindfulness to them. I´ve learned to push all the other thoughts away from my mind when I, for example, talk with Unna after her daycare. Or when I talk with my husband or or hug him. That way I´m not only able to seize the moment but I´m also able to enjoy the moment more. And I´m able to be more present for the people with whom I´m sharing the moment.

if-you-value-it-give-it-time-and-thought

After: What kind of positive effects I´ve noticed now that I´ve been able to get closer to Living Simply.

  • I´m happier:  The happier you become, the more you´re able to live your life according to your values. When you become happier you’re more able to seize and really live the meaningful moments of your life.
  • Our family life has become better: When you´re able to notice, share and be present in the moments that are meaningful to your family, you promote not only your own deep state of wellbeing but you also help your family members to be happier, individually and together.
  • Making choices is easier: The better you know what things you value and what is meaningful to you, the easier it is to choose to do them. And to feel confident and good about it.
  • My positive attitude towards life has strengthened: Possibility and ability to live wholeheartedly and mindfully good and meaningful moments of you life, strengthen your positive attitude towards everything.

family-having-dinner-together

Next time you can read about consuming media. (I´ll publish the next post in this post series in August.)

Click to read the On the way to Simple Living: Intro.

Read all posts from my post series called On the way to Simple Living.

finnish-moomin-calendar-in-kitchen-wall

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