As you walk across the shop floor, attend a meeting or tend to the tasks at hand, your mind exists in one of two places. You’re thinking about the plans you have, the things you want to accomplish and the changes you wish to make. Or, in addition, you are also observant and are a part of what is going on around you within your environment. I refer to this first state of consciousness as being absorbed, and the second as being mindful.
The cliche “absorbed in thought” really should be rephrased as “absorbed by thought”. At this level of thinking, there are a myriad concepts and ideas running through your head as you look for answers to questions and solutions to problems. These thoughts and ideas control the actions that you take, your interaction with others and the decisions that you make. Its not bad, at all, to take advantage of this way of thinking. Provided, of course, that it is the most effective state of mind to be in at any particular time. The real problem is that most people tend to remain in a state of absorption at all times.
An Example of Absorption: First Party Interaction
Place yourself in a meeting. If you are absorbed by your thoughts you are listening to what others have to say, evaluating their ideas against and in addition to your own and providing your own reactions based on the way you think or feel about what has been said. In being absorbed, to some level, you are enslaved by the thoughts that are running through your mind. It is more likely than not that you are frequently, if not always, in an absorbed state of mind.
An Example of Mindfulness: Third Party Perspective
Place yourself in that same meeting with a different mental perspective. Instead of listening to others you are both listening to and observing the speaker as well as the actions and responses of the others. You are aware (of course) of your own thoughts, ideas and desired outcome. As opposed to “attending” the meeting, you’re observing those who are in the meeting, the environment of the meeting (tense, lax, hurried, cooperative…) and you’re observing yourself as well. Basically, you are looking at things through the perspective of a third party. Instead of reacting to what a person has said, you respond to their input within the context of both the topic and the environment of the meeting as well.
The benefits of mindfulness, as well as having a third party perspective in a meeting, are numerous and far reaching.
How To Be Mindful
First and foremost, you must be aware, within any particular context, that the opportunity exists. Consider writing the words “Be Mindful” at the top of your notepad. Being a mindful person is both a choice that you make and a skill that you practice. Having made the decision, you need to learn to pay more attention to your surroundings, as well as the comments, actions and body language of others. This actually takes a lot of practice! Learning to meditate will certainly help you along this path, but practicing meditation is not a firm requirement in regards to becoming a mindful person. More than anything else, being mindful is the skill of listening to someone else speak, while they’re talking, instead of thinking about how you will respond.