Do you ever get stressed about not being in the moment enough? Me too.

Mindfulness. She's a tricky lady. Ignore her and you'll be missing out on some truly peaceful moments. Focus too hard on her and you'll find yourself more upset/anxious than before you tried.

I learned a lesson about meditation many years ago and have to remind myself of this lesson often while trying to practice mindfulness. It's okay when other thoughts enter your mind. It's okay if you're in the middle of breathing in the air and focusing on the sounds of the waves and suddenly you're thinking of what you should make for dinner.

This is okay mainly because the alternative to accepting these thoughts doesn't really work. The more you fight these random thoughts, the more you get stuck on them. I like to use the example of a purple elephant. If someone says don't think of a purple elephant, what's the first thing you think of? Fighting thoughts gives them power. Instead, simply accept them and let them go.

So as I sit by the beach with random thoughts popping in my brain, I will choose to accept them and let them go. And I'll continue to try and not get mad at myself for not being in the moment enough.