I am thoughtful

         Being an introvert, I spend a lot of time in my head, but does that alone make me thoughtful?  What is it to be thoughtful?  Is it thinking about others and their needs?  Is it thinking about our actions and how they impact the world around us?  Is it spent thinking about current events around the world?  Can one be thoughtful and mindful?  There is a lot to think about when addressing these questions.

        For me, being thoughtful is about being mindful.  To be mindful I must first give it thought.  I am mindful about others and their emotional needs, so doing acts of kindness can be very impactful.  I am aware that a single act of kindness can make a world of difference to a person.  I am mindful about my actions and how they impact others and my surroundings.  Now this isn't always done within the moment, as much as I try, especially if I'm frustrated, I will miss this opportunity.  However, I do give it thought, which eventually leads me to learn a valuable lesson for next time.  I am mindful about the events happening in the world and the current political climate, and how this is not only impacting me, but those around me.  I used to not care about what was going on in the rest of the world, because I was young and very naive and thought "What has that got to do with me?  I'm all the way over here."  World events have a huge impact on me, once I started to understand the why.

        So am I thoughtful?  Well, yes and no.  Like being mindful, there are times where I am not in the moment, likewise there are times where I haven't given thought to what I'm saying and doing.  I am trying to be more thoughtful.