Are You A Mindreader?

I just finished my 5 day, 5 minute meditation challenge on Instagram. It was such a great week! I had so many people reaching out to me to let me know they were going to commit to doing it; including an old college roommate! It was really exciting to hear people's experience with it and how each day got easier.

Meditation often seems daunting to people. Often, that is because they think they need to devote long amounts of time or they feel like they need to be able to clear their minds. Neither of these is true. You can meditate for only 5 minutes a day and still reap the benefits of meditation. We are not trying to clear our minds; we just want to notice what's happening up there.

I love introducing people to meditation. Teaching people the foundational aspects of meditation refreshes them for me as well. It always brings a moment of clarity into my life.

This week I was reminded to ask for what I need.

I have had to work hard over the years to not over-schedule myself. I used to book up all my hours from the moment I woke up, to the moment I went to sleep. Not only was I overcommitted, but if one thing went wrong in my day, the rest of the daily schedule was either destroyed or I was rushing to get it all in. It left me exhausted, stressed out, and often sick.

For some reason, this week, my old habits crept in and I found myself over-scheduled. I said yes to things even when I knew my schedule had to be just right to fit it all in; and not just one day, but the whole week. While I was helping other people slow down, and be present, I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get to all of my appointments and commitments. Ironic, huh?!?

By the time the evening rolled around, I was exhausted. When I am exhausted I am not always rational. I found myself getting irritated at Dave for not helping me. Why couldn't he just fold the laundry he brought up from downstairs? Why couldn't he make dinner (he actually did)? Why couldn't he help with Parker's homework? The list went on and on.

Instead of just asking him for help, I started to get irritated at him. Why didn't he know what I needed?

Right as those words ran through my brain, I realized that he can only know what I need or want if I tell him. In that moment, my resentment melted. I also realized all the things he was doing that I wasn't paying attention to.

We often assume the people closest to us should know what we need. But no one can know what we need in that moment unless we tell them. Dave is always willing to do whatever he can to make my life easier, I just have to let him know what it is.

This is your reminder to ask people for what you need. As much as we would like people to know our needs, communicating them makes everyone's life easier! :

Now tell me, are you good at communicating what you need?