Now nothing’s impossible, I’ve found for when my chin is on the ground,

                                                    I pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.

                                                    Don’t lose your confidence if you slip, be grateful for a pleasant trip,

                                                   So take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start over again.

                                                                                       Pick Yourself Up ~ Song (1936) by Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields

What is possible in a moment?  I have pondered that thought quite often over the course of the past few weeks.

To put things in perspective, there I was watching the launch of our blog/website, Wonder and Possibility, during the latter part of June and I was feeling, well, WOW!  The results of our intentions, hard work and creativity were OUT THERE in cyberspace. YES!

Then a few days later, I literally found myself with my chin on the ground on the hardwood floor in my house.  OUCH and then some!  Despite my best efforts to brush it off, a hospital visit ensued with paperwork, x-rays and appropriate packaging of my right arm/elbow.  I really tried to convince the ER doctor the fall was the result of entanglement while rescuing a giraffe who had escaped from the zoo (he didn’t buy it). Humor is a way for me to cope with challenges that arise. Being told by the orthopedic doctor (yes, another medical visit –  he didn’t believe the giraffe story either…however, I had a couple of neighborhood kids convinced for a few minutes) that for the type of elbow fracture I sustained, no cast or splint would be required.  Actually, restricting my arm would be discouraged so flexibility would not be diminished over the long term. That was a different twist for me. There is a passive element to wearing a cast, it doesn’t require conscious awareness about what is happening inside the injured area, as I had encountered before.

I had to face the fact my focus and attention were elsewhere when I was rushing around and fell. Now, I was experiencing the consequences. I thought OKAY… I wonder why this happened and what is the message here? The immediate internal answer was Duh, SLOW DOWN which I have subsequently heeded. On a deeper level, I knew there was more for me to understand.

The fall was due to my lack of attention.  I found myself wondering about and observing, where do I place my attention?  The actual process of healing without a cast prompted attention to some painful movements in certain moments, that was for sure. But what about other moments during the course of a day, where was my attention? What was the effect of my attention on my being in time and space at that moment?  That wondering evolved as I considered the gift of attention in my life experiences.

I realized when I placed my attention on my grandkids playing in lake, the movement of the leaves as the wind rushed in or on breathing while I just sat, it was a gift for me to enjoy.  There was a mindful awareness I was tapping into, and it infused my body with a sense of peace, calmness and (dare I say) joy for those moments.

I reflected when all is said and done, our attention is one of the most valuable things we can give ourselves and others.  How often during the course of a given day, do people, places or things vie for our attention? Corporations and media will pay dearly to get our attention.  Spouses, partners, kids and pets clamor for it. Jobs and careers demand it.

Where do I choose to give my attention? Am I aware or mindful about where that attention is?  

And is it possible to change my course in a positive manner when I am mindful about my attention for even for a moment?  As indicated through my experiences of late, I would say yes! I gained confidence as I would choose to shift my attention.   Rather than focus on things that I couldn’t do with my arm and feeling frustrated, I chose to attend to the possibility of being more ambidextrous by using my less dominant arm thus creating potential for expanded flexibility. While this concept about attention is not really new or earth shaking, in the realm of human insights, there was a personal “dusting off” (cue song) quality about it for me as a reminder there is choice regarding the placement of attention.

So, exploring more about the nature of my attention, I am inviting myself to embrace a couple of ideas that recently presented themselves to me.

Mindful Moment ~ Literally take a minute to “take a deep breath, pick myself up” to consciously recognize where my attention has been and what course it could take now for a couple of moments.  Is this where I want my attention to be? How does it make me feel? Is there somewhere else I can place my attention that could be more pleasing or helpful to me in this moment? What are the possibilities?

Dawn of Possibilities ~ When I wake up in the morning, take three minutes before picking myself up out of bed.

• First Minute: take deep breaths, be present, focus on my body lying down
• Second Minute:  be open (still breathing) to the possibilities of the day and setting the intention that I will be mindful about where my attention is
• Third Minute:  be grateful (still breathing) for a pleasant trip to start all over again

Let the mindful dance begin. Do I have any partners?

Barb

P.S. If you would like to tap into some additional inspiration swing over to our resources page.