Do you ever feel like you’ve heard a word so many times and repeated it yourself, but sometimes (even if it’s a concept you understand) the meaning gets lost? Maybe you just forget along the way what it means to you, or even worse, you associate it with a certain group of people or way of thinking so you write it off.
I have felt that way sometimes with words in my faith, or buzzwords that everyone gets onto. Sometimes they are simple words, but if I think about it, I don’t always know what they mean to me and in my life.
That’s why I feel like it’s important to remind myself what words mean to me along the way. Don’t you agree?
There’s one word in particular that I want to talk about because it’s a word I will use a lot to describe my blog and a word that I feel is used often but not necessarily defined. You probably guessed it already from my title, but that word is mindfulness.
I think we all have a general idea of what it means to be mindful (present, aware of the reality of the situation, who we are, what we are doing, what we love etc.)
But what does it mean for me to pursue my style with mindfulness and intentionality?
To understand that for myself I have been taking some time to reflect on what mindfulness means to me and ran across a couple of definitions that helped me put it all together.
Merriam-Webster’s definition says that mindfulness is:
“The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.”
And Mindful’s definition says that mindfulness is (I lol’d at “mindful’s definition of mindfulness”):
“The basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”
From these definitions I pulled out key words that stood out to me like “awareness,” “present,” and “practice,” and then thought about the mindset with which I would approach those things, and those words were also in the definitions – “nonjudgment,” “not overly reactive,” or “overwhelmed.”
And here is what I came to as my own definition… Mindfulness is:
“practicing awareness of what is happening and how we are doing in everyday life without placing judgment on self or overreacting to what we feel might be out of balance.”
Now I’ve gotta say, I am still very much learning mindfulness just like the rest of everyone!
In the past, I tended towards placing judgment on myself and overreacting when I saw something out of balance in my life, butttttt… that’s exactly why it’s so important to me to be practicing it now!
So how does this translate into how I pursue my personal style and building a wardrobe?
To me, it means that I am practicing awareness of what is going on in my wardrobe, and how my actions are positively or negatively affecting myself or others around me.
This usually means observing likes and dislikes, purchase and saving habits, where I am at with my style and where I’d like to be going, or researching the industry and taking steps to be conscious of where I am purchasing from when I can.
It’s the mindfulness towards what is going on in my closet that affects my behavior, and then the behavior that can make a positive impact in my own life and hopefully many others.
I see mindfulness as this beautiful rippling effect, and just as important to have with your wardrobe as other areas of life.
It is not an idea that is exclusive to people who have capsule wardrobes or only purchase from slow fashion brands, it’s something we can all do, which is so cool to me!
We can all make a difference in our own personal peace just by practicing awareness and it’s a sweet thing that often makes a difference in more than just our immediate circle.
So… is the current state of my wardrobe exactly where I want it to be because I am mindful with it? Of course not, but I can be content and at peace because I know where my heart is, and where my intentions are at!
There is no perfect wardrobe, no closet that is 100% ethical/sustainable that has perfectly arrived at just the right pieces or just the right style, and this is something that has given me so much peace accepting! But there are those closets that have been built with mindfulness, love, and intention, that continue to improve and evolve as we do, and there is something that is so special about that!
You with me?
Stay tuned for 8 ways I practice mindfulness in my wardrobe, and style tips on this outfit! But in the meantime, what does mindfulness mean to you? And do you practice it in your wardrobe or other areas of life?
So much love,
Mary Beth
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You too cool. 🎉🙌🏼🖤
Thanks so much friend!!