Un-Mindfulness

Car keys in hand Some people have asked me, why should one train mindfulness? What does it give? What is it needed for? I have collected several examples of how a lack of mindfulness manifests itself. These are from my own life, from stories told by others, some real, and some slightly embellished. But only slightly :)

Calling someone, and while waiting for them to pick up, forgetting what you wanted to say.
Asking a colleague who is going to the next room — bring me that — well, that… I need… well, what’s it called… well, that thing… (and forgetting what it actually was).
Walking into a room, opening a closet, and not remembering what you actually came for.
Going to the car, repeatedly checking all your pockets at the car looking for keys, not finding them, going back inside, and discovering that the keys had been in your hand the entire time.
Wandering through store aisles, sales, buying lots of everything, but not the thing you actually went to the store for.
During lovemaking, calling your wife by your lover’s name. Or vice versa.
Especially for parents with multiple children — when calling out names, going through all names in sequence, accidentally throwing in the dog’s name as well.
Asking your conversation partner the same question multiple times, because you didn’t notice the answer.
Reading a book and suddenly realizing that for the last page and a half you haven’t noticed what was written.
Living and chatting with the TV on, which nobody is watching.
While eating, not noticing how the food tastes. Including not noticing that the food is tasteless or spoiled. Stopping eating only when the food runs out, not when the feeling of fullness sets in.
Leaving the iron on, the kettle on, the water tap running.
Turning up the radio to hear the weather forecast, and a second later already forgetting how cold it will be tomorrow.

And finally, a few more general ones:

Not knowing what you want.
Living on autopilot, not noticing what is happening around you, nor what is happening within yourself.
Struggling to live in the present, waiting for it to finally pass so that a bright future can begin.

If you have experienced these or similar things, it is most likely worth thinking about training mindfulness.