I was thinking about travel and how when we go to another country, where we don’t speak the language, we can get “Lost in Translation”. There was a movie a few years ago, starring Bill Murray. While I liked the film, I googled the term and found this definition. “Of a word or words, having lost or lacking the full subtlety of meaning or significance when translated from the original language to another, especially when done literally. (Usually formulated as “be/get lost in translation.”)
For Mindfulness, I am using the term to describe our mindlessness, and our ability, for listening to the chatter in our heads and lose the real meaning of life at the moment. It is this lack of awareness, which has us suffering the consequences that result when we are Lost in Translation.
- Our mood colors our objective experience, and we personalize everything that we see. “We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.”
- Our desires and aversions influence how we respond. Or as an Indian proverb goes: “When a thief sees a saint, all he sees is his pockets.” – we can get lost in a sea of desire and push away from things that might otherwise instruct us
- Our tension and stress build up in the body without us realizing it. Tension and stress can be debilitating and create dis-ease
- Our vision is diverted, so we may miss the smile from a stranger, the laughter of our kids or spouse, a light wind on our skin, landscape, someone’s hurt, joy, or pain
- Our gut feelings and crucial information needed to make good decisions, about a potential business deals or partners.
- Our experiences are colored by rumination of past hurts, regrets, and long after they are over, and we miss the present
By directing our attention to the moment by moment, purposefully, we get found in every given moment. We get to understand better what we value, a cherished memory, a different cultural background, intention, and our emotional states