It’s very easy to get caught up in our day-to-day life and become blasé about our surroundings. After coming back from an extended period of time in Australia over the Christmas holidays, I had to stop and learn to appreciate living in Hong Kong again. (If you read my last article you will understand that I was struggling a bit with that!!).
I decided to have a day where I was Mindful of all the little things that I really loved about my life, and all the quirky things that I had come to take for granted. One day, when I am not living in Hong Kong anymore, these are the things that I want to remember.
Our alarm goes off at 6.30am every day. Instead of groaning and pulling the covers up over my head as usual, I roll over and snuggle up to my husband. His body warmth envelops me and still half asleep he wraps his arms around me and holds me safe and secure. I realize how lucky I am to have this patient, kind, and caring person to wake up next to each morning. It’s a great way to start my day.
At 7.30am I head out the door to take my Boot camp class. Part of my morning routine is to greet the lovely people who make up the community in our apartment block. William, one of the drivers, calls good morning and we have a brief discussion about the weather before he heads off on his first errand of the day. His greeting is always warm and encompassing and we have gotten to know a little about each other’s lives and families over the 5 years I have been here. His English is quite good, but I’m sure there is still a bit lost in translation. The little cleaning lady waves enthusiastically when she sees me. You would think we were long lost friends greeting each other at the airport after years apart. I wave back and we proceed with our morning ritual. I say, “Good morning how are you?” and she replies, “Good thank you and you? Once I have replied we have exactly the same discussion in Cantonese (which is the extent of my Cantonese). We both then laugh, giggle and give each other the thumbs up sign. She speaks no English except for the above phrase, and I speak no Cantonese. Yet we have formed a bond that brings a smile to my face every time I see her. When I come back from a run, covered in sweat and dragging my feet, she runs up to me and shouts “good, good”, giving me the thumbs up sign. As I head down the driveway my favorite security guard Mr Cheung gives me a big grin and wave and shouts “good morning Missy”. I leave my apartment block every day with a huge smile on my face because of the interaction with these people. They fill me with warmth and make me feel part of a special little community. I know if I needed help, any one of them would come to my rescue. We may have trouble communicating what the problem is, but I think in the end we would work it out.
My Boot camp class is always wonderful and our workout area is a park on the waterfront at Cyberport. While the girls exercise I take in the panorama of Lamma Island of to the left and Lantua Island to the right. Huge black Kites (birds) circle overhead and sluggish container ships move slowly down the shipping lane as they head off to exotic parts of the world. Today the sky is blue and the air is clear (unusual for Hong Kong). It’s a beautiful place to be working from.
My next stop is a run on the trails. This is what makes Hong Kong fabulous. Miles and miles of dirt trails weaving their way across the Island. From some points on the trail you can see the city far below, but in other parts you seem far removed from any part of civilization. With a little imagination you could be anywhere in the world.
My phone alerts me that a message has just come through. Technology drives me crazy most of the time, but when it comes to keeping in touch with family and friends back home it is invaluable. A simple message from one of my daughters saying good Morning makes my day. I don’t think people back home realize how important that communication is when you live far away. I cherish each and every little message that comes through.
When I stop and focus on the good parts of my day, I realise just how lucky I am. It’s the little things that are important to me. It’s my wonderful husband who constantly shows his love and support, it’s the smiles and waves I get greeted with every morning, it’s the beautiful surroundings I live in and contact with family and friends.
When I contemplate my morning routine, I feel happy. By consciously being aware of situations that make us feel good and the emotions they evoke, we give ourselves a powerful tool to use to help us lift our mood. When you are having a tough day, take a moment to stop and think of a time/place when you felt really good. Remember all the feelings that came along with that situation. Hopefully it will make you smile, or at least lighten your mood a little
I challenge you to a day of being Mindful, see if you can work out what it is that makes your life special and makes you happy. Hold onto those feelings, you never know when you may need them.