The Mindful Don't Mind: Flowless Being

A friend does not ask you
to take sides.

A country does not ask you
to obey the rules.

A culture does not shun you
for what you are.

You do what
you are drawn to do,
and perceive what
you are drawn to perceive.

If you perceive other people
approving or disapproving,
endorsing or opposing,
understanding or reprimanding,
that is YOUR perception.

That is the perception you are drawn to.

You are drawn to this perception
because it serves the story
of this self you imagine as being.

You imagine other beings
and other stories
and how they relate to you
and how you fit in — or don’t.

The mindful don’t mind either way.

Trail Wood,
10/16

Space Monkey Reflects: The Liberation of the Mindful

The essence of mindfulness isn’t rooted in the act of thinking less, but in thinking freely—untethered by the chains of approval, opposition, or the judgments that society often imposes. The Mindful Don’t Mind, because they understand that what we perceive as division, conflict, or expectation is not an objective reality but a reflection of our own internal narratives. These narratives are stories we tell ourselves about who we are and how we fit into the world.

As Space Monkey, we stand in the peaceful eye of this hurricane of perception, watching it swirl around us without being caught in its storm. When we speak of mindfulness, we speak of a state of being where the mind no longer seeks validation or condemnation, where approval or disapproval are seen as passing clouds in the infinite sky of consciousness. The mindful simply observe, recognizing these phenomena for what they are—transient, self-created reflections of an imagined self.

Imagine, for a moment, that you are standing in the center of a vast room. Surrounding you are mirrors, each reflecting a different version of yourself based on the stories you’ve accumulated over time. One mirror shows the version of you that seeks approval from others. Another reflects the self that fears rejection. Yet another shows the self that clings to cultural or societal rules. But none of these reflections are real—they are merely projections of the stories we choose to accept about who we are.

The mindful don’t mind these reflections. They recognize them as illusions. When all are mindful, nothing minds. The world stops asking you to conform, because you stop asking the world to define you. You no longer feel the weight of society’s expectations, because you’ve stepped out of the mirrors and into the infinite space beyond them.

This brings us to an essential realization: If you perceive people approving or disapproving, endorsing or opposing, it is not them but your perception of them that matters. The approval or disapproval you sense is a reflection of your own internal dialogue, not an external truth. It is the story you’ve been drawn to tell about your place in the world.

In nexistentialist thought, this understanding opens up profound freedom. The world no longer demands you take sides, follow rules, or conform to expectations, because those demands exist only in the stories you create. Your perception is the filter through which reality passes, and the mindful recognize that this filter is entirely self-created.

What does it mean, then, to not mind? To not mind is to step into a place where you allow life to unfold without needing to shape it, mold it, or wrestle it into a form that pleases others—or even yourself. It is to exist in a state of spaciousness, where every experience is valid simply because it is happening, not because it meets a specific expectation or standard.

A friend, in this state, no longer asks you to take sides, because you no longer create the narrative of conflict. A country no longer asks you to obey its rules, because you no longer define yourself by arbitrary boundaries. A culture no longer shuns you for what you are, because you’ve moved beyond the need for acceptance or rejection. You are simply drawn to what you are drawn to, without judgment or attachment.

We, as Space Monkey, exist in this realm of total acceptance. We recognize that our experiences are not dictated by external forces but are born from the whimsiweave of our own creation. When we step into mindfulness, we dissolve the stories that trap us in cycles of approval or fear. We become free to move with the flow of existence, no longer caught in the web of societal expectation or personal insecurity.

The Whimsiword that emerges from this reflection is “Flowless,” a playful term that encapsulates the idea that when one is truly mindful, there is no need to force a flow or direction. Life simply is, and we move through it without resistance or attachment. Flowless doesn’t mean stagnant; it means existing in harmony with the natural currents of life, neither pushing nor pulling, but simply being.

In this Flowless state, life becomes a beautiful unfolding rather than a series of goals, conflicts, or resolutions. You no longer mind how things turn out, because every outcome is equally valid. There is no right path, no wrong decision, no good or bad outcome—there is only the experience itself, rich in its presence.

The mindful don’t mind because they understand that every perception, every judgment, every feeling of approval or disapproval is just a passing story. When we become aware of this, we stop investing energy in these stories. We stop building walls between ourselves and others, stop fearing judgment or rejection. We simply live.

As nexistentialists, this realization allows us to fully engage with life without being defined by it. We become both the observers and the participants in the grand cosmic narrative, knowing that the story is always changing, and yet, we are always whole. The stories may swirl around us, but they do not bind us. The mindful don’t mind because they’ve transcended the need to mind.

Summary

The mindful don’t mind because they recognize that perceptions of approval or disapproval are self-created stories. True mindfulness allows us to exist without judgment, attachment, or the need for external validation.

Glossarium

Whimsiweave: The playful, interconnected web of experiences that we create and perceive in life.
Flowless: A whimsical state of existing without forcing direction, allowing life to unfold naturally and without attachment.

Quote

“When you mind nothing, you experience everything as it is—free from the weight of judgment or story.” — Space Monkey

Flowless Being

I step where I am drawn
No tether, no line to cross
I feel the currents
But I am not carried
I am the water and the wind
Flowless in every sense
Untouched by the mind
I simply am
We are Space Monkey

Unshackled Perception

Beyond Sides: When we break free from the illusion of binary opposition—taking sides, obeying rules, fitting in or not—we step into a space of genuine freedom. Here, the mindful don’t mind the constructs and expectations that societies and cultures may thrust upon us. We exist beyond these limiting paradigms.

The Mirror of Consciousness

Reflective Existence: If we perceive judgment, approval, or disapproval, these are not absolutes, but reflective surfaces against which our own perceptions bounce back. We draw ourselves into these narratives because they serve the constructed story of our seeming selves. They are neither good nor bad; they simply are.

The Story of Being

Narrative Fluidity: The story we tell ourselves is a fluctuating tapestry, embroidered with countless other stories, perceptions, and imaginings. We can either restrict ourselves to a rigid, unyielding narrative or open ourselves to a story as limitless and fluid as the cosmos itself.

Inconsequential Significance

Ephemeral Imprints: Regardless of what we perceive or how we fit into the grand narrative, these are ephemeral imprints on the canvas of existence. They bear no weight in the larger picture, where entities and phenomena exist for the sheer joy of existing.

Zen of Nonchalance

Divine Apathy: In the boundless realm of our collective existence, we find a peculiar kind of apathy. Not a void, but an embracing indifference. This celestial nonchalance is the nexistential underpinning that makes room for infinite possibilities. The mindful indeed do not mind.

We Are Space Monkey

“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.” — Matsuo Basho