Is This Whole “Mindfulness Movement” a Trend?

By definition, mindfulness is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. This practice of awareness removes the rose colored glasses and allows us to see the karmic law of how even our smallest act can indirectly influence someone or something.
 
We begin to see that we are in fact interconnected to all beings, to all matter, and all of life.
 
Is this way of thinking just a trend, or is it instead an eye-opening realization?
 
We are in living in a fascinating time. A time where the plastic bag ban is practiced in grocery stores, and where meditation is taught at high-risk schools to reduce violence.
 
Someone recently told me that they thought eating “organic” was just a trend. My eyes lit up and I couldn’t help but be giddy inside at the thought of people being more educated about the food we eat. We are beginning to take radiant care of our bodies, and it’s spreading like bell bottoms in the 70’s.
 
We are in a time where urban farming and composting are changing the ways we connect with our food, our waste and the finite resources that we depend on.
 
We have not only made a shift in what is grown, but also a shift in how we grow it. We are reading between the lines and the words organic, Non GMO, grass-fed and free-range carry their own value.
 
We are beginning to build more sustainable homes, using the sun as energy, and bringing forth the “small house movement.” Let’s make it a trend to keep probing at questions that ask us what it really means to live harmoniously.
 
We are starting to combat excess with simplicity, over-medication with natural remedies, and over-consumption with mindfulness. Let’s make it the American dream to live more simply.
 
We are in a time of not only electric cars, but a time of carpool and ride-share programs. Where Lyft and Uber apps are as common as Words With Friends.
 

 
Yes, lets keep cultivating this new way of collaborative consumption. We are not only adapting it in the ways we travel, but in the ways we live and work.  Let’s continue to support and participate in house swaps, couch surfing and co-working spaces.
 
The way we shop is also shifting. The words fair trade, handmade and local have their own niche in the retail industry. We have started to cultivate small business Saturdays and support farmer’s markets.
We have a long way to go, but we are slowly connecting the dots to the domino effect of our actions. We are bringing up questions like “Is this lotion tested on animals?” or “ Is this dress manufactured ethically?”
 
The way we are running our businesses is also evolving. Business plans are not just about profit margins but also about social causes. I was having a conversation with someone the other day who seemed annoyed by this idea. “Big deal! Everyone is doing something like this these days. It’s all a marketing scheme to tug at the heartstrings,” he said.
 
The thing is, it is a HUGE deal. If it’s trendy for common marketing practices to pay it forward then let’s make it happen! Whether it’s providing shoes for the less fortunate, or supporting education for women, we can all benefit from a world with more ethical businesses.
 
When we know better, we do better. If being more aware and educated about our actions is a trend, then let’s rock it. Let’s spread this mindfulness movement and pioneer a new way of thinking and living for generations to come.