A Mindful Moment in the Creative Commons

            A friend recently asked me if I had been to the new Creative Commons at TCU. I had not, so I decided I would check it out. If you haven’t been, it is a section near the Music and FAB buildings with trees, plants, and sitting areas. With a stressful day ahead, I decided to engage in a mindful moment. I set a timer on my phone, put on my sunglasses, closed my eyes, and sat in complete silence. All I could hear was the occasional group of students walk by and the chirping of crickets.

        For the first few minutes, I felt embarrassed. I felt like people were watching me, wondering what I was doing sitting by myself without a book or phone in hand. I was not having the peaceful mindful moment I envisioned. I soon realized, though, that people were probably not watching me. Even if they were, they probably noticed me for half a second and continued on with their day. Reflecting, I cannot help but wonder why it is considered odd to simply sit without being productive, even if that “productive” means scrolling through Instagram posts. When I finally felt at peace, it was one of the greatest moments. My mind would occasionally wander, but I refocused to the sound of birds chirping as they flew by.

Once the timer went off, I wanted to continue my blissful afternoon and found myself walking around looking at the plants. A couple of plants particularly caught my eye: Mexican bush sage plants and fountain grass. I also admired the trees, of which there were many. All these beautiful plants had been there for me to admire, yet I had never stopped to notice. 

            The peace I felt while engaging in my mindful moment reminded me of William Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” He discusses the “bliss of solitude” he felt as he watched the daffodils dance in the breeze. As a total extrovert, solitude is something I have learned to appreciate. Sitting in silence was something that does not come natural, but my mindful moment brought me so much joy throughout the rest of day. I challenge you to set a timer and sit in silence, focusing on nothing but the nature around you. I promise you won’t regret it!

 

Until my next adventure,

 

Sav