You are mindful, you are present, you are living in the moment AND you are part of a community. Great! Your mental health is complete, right? Probably not.
Think of something you hate doing…filing taxes, reading terms and conditions, jury duty, flossing, waiting in line, dusting shelves with a bunch of shit on them? Whatever this task is that you despise, however, you do it mindfully, with your friends, family or whatever your community is. Honestly, so long as you are mindful and doing something with others, the things you dread really do not seem too bad.
What’s better: filing taxes while you have a bunch of other things on your mind like what else is on your to-do list or replaying moments from your past OR filing taxes with a clear mind, worry-free and simply being grateful for the moment OR filing taxes with a clear mind, being present AND your friends and family are filing taxes at the table with you? I think you get my point – so long as we have mindfulness and community, things are a hell of a lot better.
BUT, who the hell wants to file taxes or dust cluttered shelves all day? You can only lie to yourself so much that you enjoy doing a shitty task because you are present and have a team to do it with. Another pillar of mental health is to PLAY and to LAUGH. Back to filing taxes: now you are at the table, mindfully filing away, with family and friends, AND you are laughing and making a game out of it – now that’s even better.
As the Joker says, “why so serious”? Remember to make the time to play, to laugh, and *gasp* to relax. And do not feel guilty about it. Playing, laughing, relaxing is vital to your health. Refusing to laugh, smile, play, or relax does not make you bold, it does not make you macho, it does not make you productive – it makes you weak and inefficient. It does not matter how shitty your past may have been, no matter how much you may have been abused, no matter how shitty you believe your present moment to be, no matter how shitty you think your future could be (it won’t be) – don’t let the negativity win. Be mindful, be part of a community, play, laugh, be grateful.