Despite my past training and various careers, I don't listen to a lot of music, but I do listen to a lot of podcasts. Recently, I was listening to one of my favorites ("Happier with Gretchen Rubin") and heard a quote that perfectly encapsulated the idea of mindfulness:
"The ability to see what kind of urge or impulse is arising in your consciousness right now without taking the bait and acting on it."*
In other words, be aware of what you're feeling, acknowledge what you're feeling, and pause before reacting. I strive for mindfulness in all areas of my life, but when I chose the name "mindful" closet, I wanted to express that this awareness can be applied to our wardrobes. Most closet issues come from obtaining items when in a state of mindlessness, not mindfulness. If we can shop mindfully, we work towards only buying things we really need or serve a purpose. It's always a work in progress, and none of us will ever get there entirely, but the point is to try our best.
Here are a few of the resources I return to again and again to help me on this path:
My very first interaction with meditation or mindfulness came while I was in grad school and having a tough time. I found Eknath Easwaren's Conquest of Mind and was blown away by the idea that you could choose NOT to think negative thoughts.
Since then, my favorite writer on mindfulness has become Eckhart Tolle. Both The Power of Now and A New Earth are amazing, mind-altering works. Jon Kabat-Zinn is another influential author. I particularly love Wherever You Go, There You Are. Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting is on my to-read list.
When I was pregnant, my husband and I read Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne and it became our bible. This book covers why it's healthier to have less stuff, do fewer scheduled activities, eat less sugar, and take in less information, so it's helpful even if you're not a parent.
I mentioned above that I'm currently obsessed with Gretchen Rubin's podcast and I've previously posted about her book The Happiness Project. I have her new book, Better Than Before on request from the library (you know you can check out e-books for free from the library, right? If you don't have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app and read on your phone.)
Another really amazing podcast is Jess Lively's "The Lively Show". I've followed Jess' blog since she was a jewelry designer and even hired her as a business coach when first launching mindful closet. She helped me see that although I've been on a quest to find my "perfect" job for a long time, what I really want is a low-stress, healthy lifestyle. Doing work that makes that lifestyle possible (personal styling is perfect!) is actually the goal, not a perfect career. Jess' mission is to help people live "with intention" and all of her guests are fascinating business owners, creatives, or writers. "The Lively Show" is entertaining and extremely useful at the same time.
Do you have any resources I should know about?
Let me know if you check any of these out and how you like them!
*P.S. The quote was said by Dan Harris in this episode of "Happier".