My “Kill Me Now” mason jar is empty. In fact, I pulled off the yellow sticky that said, “Kill Me Now. $1,” washed it out and put it away. It’s now a cup.
My jar was just for me as I sat in my office, at my computer ranting under my breath at emails I didn’t want to deal with. But it wasn’t helping. It actually reinforced my negativity and frustration. I made the jar in hope that having it in front me of would make me mindful of not saying, ”Kill me now”, ad nauseam. In fact, it had the opposite effect. It reminded me of the phrase and let me get away with it for a buck. “Kill me now.” Cha-ching. I learned about myself from the “Kill Me Now” jar. I realized that I responded to the physical presence of the jar in a habitual way that I wouldn’t have if the jar weren’t there to remind me of the phrase then forgive me for using it. If you believe, as I do, that mindfulness is a way to pay attention to your thoughts, feelings and actions, without judgment of the past or anxiousness for the future, then the power to change a bad habit or overcome a negative behavior, lives inside us. Mindfulness can be found in a slow, steady breath when you are feeling stressed. It’s in the ability to sense all that’s around you and be consciously aware. And, it’s about recognizing that negative thoughts and feelings that appear – like when I was reading emails – aren’t defining and need to be let go. Now when I read my emails, I am going to eat a brownie that I can buy from the money I put in the jar and savor this moment of realization. Stay mindful. Be kindful.
