A few years back, I enrolled in a yoga teacher training program. I was eager to get limber and attempt all the “bendy moves” I so desperately wanted to show off to my friends. Little did I realize the program was more mentally transformative than physical. From a physical standpoint, I walked away learning what it felt like to be in perfect alignment for all yoga moves and in everyday life positions (including sitting and eating a donut). I have yet to be able to succeed as far as the fancy moves go.

All kidding aside, the program started me on a mental exploration. I’ve learned a lot about myself and continue to do so. One particular subject near and dear to my heart is mindfulness. It’s easy to associate mindfulness as a concept from the study of meditation. But mindfulness is more than an aspect of meditation. Being mindful is a way of life!

In the spirit of a new season, a busy Fall, and “back to school” time, I have a mindfulness story to share and possibly challenge you to take on. I can’t tell you how many times while driving to work or from work that I had no perception or awareness of what happened in between the route. I am sure many people can relate to.

My mind was always busy. Sometimes very busy with subconscious “junk.” I remember my yoga teacher assigning us homework in mindfulness. At first, I had no appreciation for it. I immediately began to moan about not having the time for homework in addition to my kids’ activities and my job. But, like any good yogi, I pushed that negative thought out of my head and accepted the challenge. Our assignments were to spend each day for one week, being mindful and fully aware of our surroundings. So, I started day 1 on my morning commute to work. I opened my mind entirely in search of something I hadn’t seen before (yet was always there) on my daily commute. And I had a wonderfully silly a-ha moment. 

Now, you may think I am crazy for noticing a small detail on the green highway signs, but I was extremely impressed with myself. I discovered something new, and I’d never seen in all my years driving on 271 or any highway in the US. I looked at the green highway signs as I drove and was amazed by their simple beauty, dare I say elegance. I specifically was impressed with their curved edges, perfectly die-cut. I thought to myself that these simple, yet beautiful signs seem inefficient to make, wasting a lot of material (the corner pieces). As I looked closer, I could see the corners of the signs were not die-cut. The signs were perfect squares and rectangles. The white borderline was designed with curved corners creating the illusion that the sign had curved edges. I felt better knowing the Department of Transportation is being smart about managing costs and silly for never recognizing the actual shape of the signs.

If I had missed something so simple like the shape of the green highway signs, what else could I be missing? I thought about all the times (in personal and business relationships & projects) I have let the “junk” get in the way. I choose to be mindful and take deep breathes to remain mindful during work and play. Imagine the possibilities if we were 100% mindful all the time?