By Gregory Copploe

Have you ever strolled through Costco only to find a cart smash up against your heels and inflict a severe amount of pain as you struggle to hold back your scream? Perhaps you have been walking through the park where another walker going the opposite direction just smashes into you. Why is it that some people are constantly aware of others and their environment, while some lose sight of the fact that there are other people besides themselves on Planet Earth?

For me, it is about mindfulness, plain and simple. In most scenarios I am sharing my environment with other human beings, and in some cases other animals, plant life, and even bodies of water. I am aware that others are around me, and I am looking around to ensure I am sharing the space evenly and thoughtfully.

Mindfulness is a way of life, exercising the brain to think differently to provide support and joy for yourself and others. It is a heightened awareness of everything around you, so that you can be used as a vessel of light for your highest good. Being present and showing up to be used in service is a key ingredient of mindfulness.

I remember being in Costco one day and this older gentleman was checking out. He had a naval cap on, and a naval shirt, so I assumed he was ex-military. He was probably in his eighties and was checking out when the cashier said his food stamps were declined. A few in line stared and gawked at the man while others weren’t aware that anything had transpired. The cashier tried the transaction again, and again said his food stamps were declined. I didn’t need to see any more. I dashed over and inserted my visa and ran back in line to secure my space in self-checkout. The cashier told the man his groceries had been paid and he looked dazed and confused. He didn’t see me at all. Some people came up to me and patted me on the back and wanted to shake my hand. I stopped and stared at all of them. I said this, “this isn’t an award showcase in which you come up and hug me. This is a message to all of you. If you see your fellow man in need, help him. Next time let it be you. Next time be mindful and awake enough to see the opportunity and take it. The window is a small one, be swift.”

So if this is mindfulness, then what is the other behavior? Is it simply a lack of education? Is it selfish behavior that manifests and perpetuates with ego? What makes some people mindful and others oblivious to the fact that they are here on Earth to assist and to love.

I think for most people, they haven’t sat down to think about what they are doing here, At least it feels that way. Many collect their toys along the way, and become attached to these things as if they truly believe they will inevitably take them to some other dimension when they crossover. Perhaps it is ego that ignites this selfish nature that the world revolves around only one person instead of a shared collective.

I get exhausted being bumped into, or having drivers do the unimaginable simply because they think they can regardless of how it impacts me or others around them. There is a ripple effect that we create each and every time we react and take action. This ripple effect can create positive change, or it can negate and tear down others. It can be a force for good, or a continued barrage of destruction. It is our choice how we use this force, this ripple, and we decide if it will be used for good or for other purposes.

Whenever we decide to let go of a ripple, a purposeful action, there is always a price to pay within the balance of all things. If the ripple or action is meant to lift up someone, then the price may be rewarded in some other area of your life as a returned ripple. Balance is circular. What you give out does indeed circle back.

I love the victim that complains about their world, their life, but takes no responsibility in regards to their actions and how they intentionally created it. Isn’t it time we all wake up and realize that we share the world with others and that means something? Isn’t it time that we try and make it as pleasant as possible for ourselves and others?

My biggest wish is that we all wake up from the deep sleep to realize that we are all connected, and no one escapes the karma of our actions. You either create joy, or you create hardship and pain. There is no ambiguity and no gray area in between. You are either awake and aware of how you can be used for service, or you are asleep and enraptured by the collection of your own selfish world.

As Maya Angelou said: “When you know better, do better”. I look forward to that day when we know more about our place in life, and care more about our fellow man so that we too “can do better”

Want to know more about mindfulness. Join Bruce Langford’s Mindfulness Mode Podcast and learn more about what it means to be mindful.

If you like this post, please check out Gregory Copploe’s book “I Am Pink” available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.