purposeful: activity

One of the classes I'm taking this semester is a health science class.  It's not quite what I've expected it to be, but it's not bad.  Something I've learned to be more mindful of is purposeful activity. At first we discussed that purposeful activity [in our minds] was activity that included multi-tasking. For instance: walking while talking to a friend. These kinds of multi-activities are not bad. They're very good. But what she was implying was that there's activity that we have a chance to do daily that we pass up regularly due to our society of efficiency.  In grasping this mindset, I've been more mindful of the activity I choose to do daily.  This looks like: opening the automatic door with my hand instead of the handicapped button; walking the quarter mile through the woods to get to class rather than driving a mile around to get there; and not taking shortcuts to get chores done. All these opportunities to use the muscles and ligaments, perfectly put into place, are often passed by in our very lazy society.

On another side of the coin, there can be purpose in every action done. As I've mentioned already, Adlerian therapists have this idea that every action has a purpose; if you file a paper in the wrong folder, there was a purpose for it.  It's a little outlandish, honestly.  But I can agree with the principle that you can give purpose to what you do.  When you are mindful of where you are going, of how you are stepping, of what you think about while you're going there, of who you are speaking to, of how you are speaking to them, of your body language while you are speaking and listening - you can really absorb every moment you live.  You can give a purpose to the way you are around others; you can give a purpose to the way you choose to carry yourself.  Purpose can be found in or given to any action or word that departs your body; be mindful of that purpose.