Living in the moment and Mindful actions
Something that's taken me a long time to grasp, is being consciously present in the moment. I've always found it easy and appealing to retreat into the worlds created by my mind; I like to imagine and contemplate a great many ideas. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, so long as I still take the time to enjoy what I have around me. After realizing that there are superb benefits to being conscious of even the smallest things – especially the small things, actually – I've made an effort every day just to awaken my senses, and take in my environment.
Being mindful is about inciting our senses and using them to focus on the moment. How often do we get lost in multitasking, the stress of work, or even TV? Taking just a moment to reflect on how often many of us really use all of our senses at any given moment, I believe you'll be surprised. We move through life at a quick pace, not noticing what's happening around us, not noticing the textures on our fingertips or the various colorful details in our surroundings.
We've become desensitized to life.
There's not much more to say about being mindful, there's no instruction manual to write, and anyone can and should try it. It's really quite simple:
For any given task, focus on that alone and take in every detail through all of your natural senses. In a moment shared with someone you care about, be present and enjoy that time. When you are alone and have a few minutes free, look around you and take in the details of your surroundings; find something that's breath taking in the most simple way.