word of last semester: mindfulness

The word of last semester was mindfulness.

I learned more about what it meant to be mindful of my surroundings, mindful of what God was teaching me, mindful of how I react to external and internal conflicts and events, mindful of what food I am putting in my body, mindful of what effect each food has on me, mindful of what I was learning and how it coincided with my attitude and behavior and how I felt physiologically. I learned to be mindful of my presence around others and others' presence around me. I learned to be patient with myself, how to show myself grace, how to rest and relax, how to let go of unnecessary troubles and stresses. I was more mindful of the people I chose to spend my time with, and how our time was structured - or not structured.  I learned to be more mindful of the way my body reacts to stress.  I learned to be more mindful of what I was doing with my time, rather than planning what I could be doing with my time.  It was a semester of growth, and I felt that mindfulness was a term that was redundantly applied to many aspects of my life, and I was more aware of how frequently it was used, and in what context it was being used.

To be mindful means to be made aware. Aware of thoughts, feelings, motives, surroundings, desires, friends, food, senses, time, rest, grace, peace, work, God, life. How I am aware of these things determines how I carefully place my next breath, and to whom my breath belongs.

This semester, we will see what word is most prominent, and consistent. Here's to my last semester of undergrad!