Mindfulness

Lent often calls us to reflection, temperance, and putting our lives and goals into perspective. As we are in a season of reflection, I thought that mindfulness would be the perfect virtue to exercise this week.

In my economics course, I learned about opportunity cost. In short, opportunity cost is the next best option that you give up when you make a decision. For example, when you’re at a store, and you find a gorgeous pair of shorts for $20, you compare the value of those shorts to anything else you could buy for $20. If the shorts are the best use of the $20, you buy them; if not, you should probably put them back on the stack. I use this term often in my posts because it helps to put our actions into perspective, especially in terms of our future goals.

For me, my education has become the biggest gift I will give to those I will serve with my future vocation—my ultimate goal. I worked tirelessly in middle school to earn the grades to get into my high school and worked even harder in high school to secure a high GPA for college. Now I am working fervently for my future law school application, which will continue the cycle in preparation for my vocation after I earn my law degree. So far, I have dedicated fourteen years of my life to my academics, which will prepare me to serve on a broader scale through my vocation, and I could not be prouder. I could not imagine being in a situation that could threaten my future success and my opportunity to lead a strong career of service backed by my future law degree. What kind of opportunity would have the value to make my future of success seem like a small opportunity cost? Certainly not an orgasm.

The average female orgasm lasts 18 seconds; however, those 18 seconds could lead a monumentally painful question. Which do I value more: the future I have been working towards my entire life or the life of my child? I could tell you that I have chosen to wait to have sex because I don’t want an STD or because I’m saving my body for my future husband, but the reason I have turned down offers for sex is that I know I am not willing to sacrifice all of the beauty of my future vocation or the life of one of my children. Even with a condom, every sexually active couple risks the 2% chance of that condom failing and potentially asking whether they would prefer to keep their steady path towards success and maintain a lifestyle without a child, kill their child through an abortion, or endure pregnancy and give the child up for adoption. I won’t sugar coat it.

Yes, this path means that I lose the opportunity for sex for right now. But that really doesn’t concern me too much because the value of my future and the role my career will play in serving others trumps the value of 18 seconds of bodily pleasure any day.

I can’t tell you what to do with your body—that’s your territory and your decision. But I will at least offer you a second way of looking at sex. You definitely don’t have to take the virtue of mindfulness this way through the week; just know that there’s someone out there that supports you if you decide to hold off on sex until you feel secure about your chance of becoming pregnant. I completely understand the pressure to lose your virginity at a socially acceptable age, and I know how it feels to be dumped because you won’t have sex. But I also know how amazing it will feel when I am saving the world with my amazing vocation and giving my future kids the best example I can offer as a mom who is passionate about her career and ready for her family.

Other ways to practice mindfulness:

-Be conscious of the amount of water you use today. Thank God for the water you have. 

-Be mindful of the next person who will use your space--the countertop, the sidewalk, the restroom. Leave it better than you found it for them. 

-Reflect upon the stations of the cross and keep in mind the love that Jesus has for you today.

-Be mindful of the sins you commit and the sins committed against you. Yikes, rough right? Ask for forgiveness and work to forgive. 

-Be mindful of your parents' efforts. They put so much into who you are today. 

I hope you have a great week of mindfulness! Happy Lent. 

Prayers up and anchors down

-Katie :)

PS- Looking for the sources for my stats? Here you go!

Length of a female orgasm:

http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/sexual_health/sexuality/female_orgasm.php

Effectiveness of condoms:

http://sexetc.org/info-center/post/do-condoms-work-whats-the-best-brand-and-which-type-of-condom-is-most-effective/