Patience and awareness

My daughter is currently in the middle of her school summer holiday break that lasts until the end of August.  This has been challenging as I’ve been experiencing less patience for Amelia because I have started to fall behind on my work schedule.  The inability to have any focus on my work for the entire day has proved to be one of the things that creates agitation and impatience within me.  A short break to Vietnam has definitely helped me refresh my mind but I’m still experimenting with the balance between work and motherhood during this intensive summer period.

This is the time when the power of now comes into play.  If I ask my mind to stop running through the list of things I need to do every half an hour, agitation will not get built up as easily so my mind wouldn’t keep worrying about things that haven’t been dealt with. Regardless of how worried I am, the work will not get done unless I’ve finished attending to the present moment, which is looking after my child.  If I keep worrying about the work I have to do in the future, I will never enjoy the present time I get to spend with Amelia.  What’s worse is that it’s unlikely I’ll be able to perform well when I get the chance to sit in my office since my mind is already in agitation.  This constant mindful approach is explained extensively in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book on mindfulness.  Being mindful shouldn't be selective, it is a state of mind and should be adopted at all times, that includes things that are usually regarded as the most mundane tasks such as taking a shower, washing the dishes, doing the trash etc.

In order to continue my pursuit to bliss, mindfulness remains the key to obtaining calmness in day-to-day life.  It's a conscious effort one has to make before it becomes one's natural state.