dailydatewithgod

One of the fundamental elements of a mindfulness practice is in honing the ability to observe.  We mindlessly observe things all day long.  Our eyes never stop.  Our senses never cease taking in information.  Some observations become more consistent.  Others are fleeting.  It is the ones we find ourselves observing over and over again that we pay attention to.  The Buddhists and others teach of non-reactive observations or what is sometimes called being the silent observer.  One of the purposes ideas is to get to a place where you have no reaction to what you are observing, especially something you normally react to.  Another idea is to find yourself wondering who is doing the observing.  We create space when we pause within moments of observation where we can choose what to do if anything with what we are observing.  Everything is a choice.  We may not choose what our eyes fall upon what we do choose whether our attention stays on it.  We can observe with curiosity, contempt, or question what we are observing.  It is not the observation that is the difficulty.  It is what we make what we are observing mean.  It is easy to think our observations are the full picture because it is all we have in the moment.  Judging by how many court cases have been overturned that relied upon eye-witness testimony, one might be reluctant enough to make us rethink the validity of our observations.  Like all things it is an opportunity to check the eyes in our head with the eyes of our hearts. Before our minds run out the door with meaning attached to an observation, we can pause, take a breath, and check in with the observations happening in other areas of awareness.