The more you practice mindfulness, not just by sitting with your eyes closed for ten minutes each day doing breathing exercises, but throughout your day while doing chores, engaging in activities, eating, walking, talking, and working, the more you begin to understand what is truly important. And what’s important is not more things, more vacations, more of whatever it is you think you need.
You actually need a lot less. Less is more. Because all these things are distractions. And you don’t need these distractions when you’re fully present.
When you’re fully present, you also stop drinking caffeine, and alcohol becomes completely worthless and you realize it is a poison of the mind. I always thought that anyway, but the more I practice mindfulness, the more I know this truth.
You also look at your food differently. You look for food that sustains you and makes the engine of your body work stronger. Most of the food we consume is incredibly harmful. The body wants simple, high-nutrient foods, and it wants to physically move. It hates sitting. Since I have to sit for my job, I have to exercise to balance it. I wish I could walk as long as I sit, which isn’t practical, but I walk and work-out every single day.
Mindfulness teaches you what’s important in your personal life. To cherish everyday with your loved ones. That life is temporary and most of the things we worry about are not important.
You realize the truth: you are not just a wave in the ocean; you are the wave and the depth of the ocean. Everything is connected.
I sit here in downtown San Francisco where I currently live and challenge myself to feel the deep connection I felt when I lived in the redwood forest 30 minutes from downtown San Francisco. I lived in the redwood forest for 17 years and moved to downtown San Francisco in 2024. What I’ve learned is that connection does not come from a place, it comes from within you!
As you practice everyday mindfulness, you realize how much you crave. When we are mindless, we crave for more to fill the endless void created by mindlessness. We believe that we are never enough, nothing is enough.
Below are some of the ways we crave for more.
The Ways We Crave “More”
Digital Consumption: The “infinite scroll” and the compulsion to keep refreshing feeds. It also includes the fear of missing out on notifications and the way we hoard digital clutter.
The “Optimized” Life: The feeling that you need more apps, more tracking devices, more “hacks” or more experiences to be productive, healthy, or rested, rather than simply living. It involves viewing experiences, hobbies and vacations as a checklist to be completed rather than moments to be enjoyed.
Physical Environment: The belief that a slightly better piece of gear, a newer phone, or a more stylish piece of furniture or vehicle will finally provide the satisfaction we’re looking for. It also includes the tendency to choose larger homes or storage units just to house the things we no longer use.
Lifestyle and Ambition: The feeling that a job title, salary, or level of recognition is never quite enough; the “next” promotion will be the one that provides peace. It is relying on the “more” of social metrics, likes, comments, or views to validate your own worth.
The Myth of “Future Satisfaction”: The “If-Then” trap: thinking, “If I have this much money, then I can relax,” or “If I get this accomplished, then I can be happy.” “If my relationship improves, then I will be happy.” It is a moving goalpost that never stays still.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the choice is ours. We can continue to crave “more,” hoping that the next purchase, the next achievement, the next vacation, the next distraction, will finally make us whole or happy. Or, we can choose to stop. We can choose to be here in the wildness of our lives realizing that we already have everything we need. **If you would like to learn how to practice everyday mindfulness, please read “The Miracle of Mindfulness ” by Thich Nhat Hanh.
About the Author
Dr. Christine E. Dickson is a writer, thought leader, and practitioner of everyday mindfulness. Through her writing and daily practice, she challenges readers to look past the endless modern craving for “more,” and to quiet the noise. To reach out to Dr. Dickson or make an appointment, please visit her contact page.
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