Mindful Monday: Everyday Encounters..

For this Mindful Monday, I wanted to share three stories of mine with you which happened in the last month. I don't know, but I think everyone of us was at least once in the same situation No.1 as me:

1. I always take the train to Uni and that morning it was packed, but I was lucky to get a seat, other people were standing next to me. There was this woman sitting oppsite to me and she was coughing really really hard. I had some Hustenbonbons (engl. cough sweets? please correct me if I'm wrong :)) with me and wanted to give her one. I did not and I really don't know why, there were all these people looking at me and I was kind of afraid or restrained. The whole train ride, I thought about giving her the Hustenbonbons, but then again: hmm, what if she says no thanks? You know this situation? So stupid! And that night I started regretting it. Reflecting this situation with a dear friend made me realize that often, something is holding me back to do things, to act. It's not about a 'big helping others', but more of a friendly kindness in everyday situations..

I still have to think about this, but it made one thing clear: I need to be more open, doesn't matter if I'm in the US or in my small hometown or in Berlin. I shouldn't think too much and just do it! No thinking, more smiling and doing!!! And if I try to smile more often, people will smile back, someone has to start right? :)

2. A week after the first occurrence, I've joined a dear friend to visit her mother and aunt at the cementery. Next to the grave of her aunts, there were two brushy and moss-covered graves. I asked my friend: Hey do you know who is actually lying here? Why are these so neglected? The answer to this was: Well, imagine the relatives don't live here and don't come to visit and care about the graves anymore..

This time, I did not think too much and told to my friend: I think these need a lot of love now. I bended down on my knees and gave each grave a kiss and guys, you might not get this, but I felt somekind of warmth inside me and I felt really good about doing this although.. yes, people were watching again.

3. This actually happened last friday. I was on the train to Uni again. This time, a teacher was sitting opposite to me, how do I know that he's a teacher? Well, he talked to one of his students and I was too curious. He was eating his apple and I saw that he was smiling or curiously looking at what I ate: Raw Fennel :) When his student left, I started a conversation with him and I need to say, it was such a good one :) I love getting insights into different life perspectives and life forms, and he told me that he changed his career path when he was around 40 and is now happier. Before, he worked in a bank, now he's a teacher and loves his job :) It was remarkable to me that he had the guts and the endurance to quit his good-paid job, to quit his family plannings and go back to school to study education. At the end of the conversation he said: I love Kant and this quote is actually from him Run into Peace. It applies to everything what is important. Find peace in all your actions. Never go slow, don't overthink actions, don't nurture doubts. Just do it with your full motivation and with the childish naivity you have inside. 

Be it small actions of kindness in our everyday or with big decisions in life, 

don't think about them, don't go too slow, listen more to your intuition, 

just do it and have the guts to change roads.

Happy new day :)

Puerto Rico 2012