Written from a plane en route to Vancouver from Baltimore.
"Mindfulness" is a concept and ritual that is important to practice. I'm reading a book titled Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. This book talks a lot about the Buddhist mindset of being in the present and fully embracing each moment. In the fast paced world we live in today it can be difficult to appreciate each present happening, and easy to forget to notice what is going on and the good in it. It is not necessarily a religious concept, and nor is it being forced, by any means, upon anyone as a religious coercion. It is simply a means of appreciating life. We are often in a bustling fog, with our focus on what has happened before and what we are looking forward to. The question the book challenges us to avoid asking ourselves is the "now what" and instead seeing the importance and significance of what is now.
I am by no means the master of this, but rather passing on the knowledge that I am learning to work with. I think "mindfulness" can be used often to help nurses excel at their profession. I was speaking with a nurse on my floor last week about how easy it can be to lose sight of the good nursing provides, for both the patients and the nurses. The rewards aren't always visible or present. One thing one of the nurses shared with me that stuck came shortly after we had exited a patients room. This particular patient had just shared his graciousness by thanking us in advance for "all the help he is confident he will receive for the duration of the day. You two are very sweet for checking on me."
We had, before entering, just visited with a patient who was very demanding and unhappy with their care. The nurse turned to me and said "see the difference. You have to hold on to the moments like these, to remember all the good we are capable of giving," referring to the second visit. And she is right. The few jobs that provide the employees to nurture their clients, and to heal them, are the few jobs that allow us to pause in certain moments to simply appreciate the good in human nature.
So, I would consider giving mindfulness a portion of your every day routine or ritual. Without it you may not notice the difference you make in someone's day, or the difference they make in yours. It is important to have a grasp on your importance in the world and to be satisfied with that role.
Good is a term I am using to describe any act done by somebody for the benefit of someone else, or just out of kindness.
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