Hey friends! Sorry I’m a bit late to posting this recap for August’s Mindfulness Challenge… Still wanted to make sure I did it though!
Believe it or not, August marked the EIGHTH mindfulness challenge of the year. I’ve learned so much this year by focusing on mindfulness in different areas of life every month – I hope you guys have too! Whether you’ve held on and participated (somewhat) in all of the challenges so far or just done one or two, THANK YOU! It’s been so fun to learn and grow with all of you.
For the month of August the challenge was to stay mindful of what other people are going through. This was my friend Sarah’s idea and I couldn’t be more thankful to her for bringing it to me. Why? Cause it’s definitely something we all need to work on.
Most of us encounter so many people in some capacity in our everyday lives: cashiers at the grocery store or coffee stand, other drivers, our co-workers, bartenders and servers, the list goes on. When these people do or say something that bothers us, we can be so quick to judge or become aggravated.
BUT the truth is, a lot of (if not most) of the time, we don’t know what their personal lives looks like. Maybe they just got a phone call that a loved one died. Maybe they lost their job. Although they shouldn’t be taking out their frustration, sadness, or anger on us, it’s so important for us to have grace and assume good intent.
Lessons Learned from Staying Mindful of What Other People May be Going Through
It can make room for human connection.
Take a second to breathe and be kind to that person that may not be so kind to you. Lots of times they’ll soften up and who knows, they could become a friend.
It improves your mood.
When you’re mindful of what those around you might be experiencing, you’ll have a lot more grace and patience for them. You’re choosing to be less reactive instead of letting every little thing bug you, therefore you’re taking charge of your mindset and can ensure that you’re in a positive & happy mood.
It’s a small thing that goes a long way.
The world we live in today is full of chaos and turmoil. People are degrading each other and knocking each other down left and right. If we can make a conscious effort to be more understanding of one another, even when people may not deserve it, it WILL make a difference in the end. Life is made up of little moments and interactions and we can control our part.
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My hope is that we can keep this challenge in mind throughout every single day, whenever we possibly can. These challenges are meant to be building blocks to become more aware and present people, not just worked on for one month and then forgotten about.
XO Sorelle