Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson! In this third quarter of the year, my posts on The Mindful Path will be about mindfulness in the community. There’s a great connection between the two, when the individual practice of mindfulness, which involves attention to the current moment without judgement, is also applied broadly to our neighborhoods, communities, and society.
How does this happen? One example is work performed by Peace Learning Center for Irvington Community High School to help their freshman students learn conflict resolution skills and resolve interpersonal issues. One component of this involved mindfulness exercises that helped the students better respond to stressful situations. Although this focused on school issues, the skills learned could transfer outside the educational environment, with the potential to positively impact all current and future relationships. To read more about this, click here: https://ow.ly/Pcpl0
Let’s go back to talking about us as individuals. Some people actively take advantage of ways they can be of service to others, and this can enhance the benefits of mindfulness in the community. But what if you aren’t easily able to do this? You may already be tapped out by juggling multiple jobs, by the commitment of being a care-giver for a family member with special needs, or by many other possible situations.
You might not easily see opportunities for how you as an individual can mindfully impact the community. However, consider all the roles you may have: employee, child, parent, partner, church member, neighbor, etc. In every interaction you have with others, you have a chance to make a difference through what you pay attention to, and the next action you mindfully choose to take.
I hope that this post sparks your thoughts and encourages you to approach your next interaction with mindfulness.