What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the idea that we are not our thoughts. When we are mindful, we are tuning in to the present. The past is behind us. Regrets about the past cause us to feel down. Glorifying the past diminishes the power of the present - it pales by comparison. Likewise, focusing too much on great things that might happen in the future pulls us away from what is happening now. Worrying about what might happen in the future causes us distress in the present.

Mindfulness has the power to liberate us, to unshackle us, from dwelling on the past or future. This does not mean to never reflect on your past or plan for future, but there are times to do that and there are times that we should be fully present and soak up the experiences of the moment. Much of our anxiety and depressive feelings come from dwelling on the negatives of our past or worrying about possible negative outcomes in the future. Thus, becoming more mindful has the power to improve our mood and decrease psychological distress.

Cell Phone Follies

The next time you are driving and considering making a call (or answering one) on the cell, ask yourself whether this is really necessary. The temptation of using the cell phone while driving is like the call of the Siren. Yes, it's fun to chat on the phone while we are driving. Sometimes we can even conduct our business over the cell while driving. We can accomplish so much more this way, right? Can we really afford not to capitalize on this opportunity?

In short - yes! Talking on the cell phone increases our risk of having an accident, which is a steep price to pay for talking on the phone. You or someone else could be seriously injured or killed because we are not great multitaskers when it comes to driving and talking on the cell (even with the hands-free mics). You are deceiving yourself if you think otherwise.
So, the next time you are tempted to use the cell while driving, stop and take some slow, deep breaths instead (with your eyes open, of course!). If you really need to make a call, pull into a parking lot and give that person your full attention. Talking on the cell while driving is just not worth the increased risk when it comes down to it.