Mindfulness Practice

By paying attention to what’s going on around us, instead of operating on auto-pilot, we can reduce stress, unlock creativity, boost performance, and lead a more happy peaceful life. Mindfulness is the process of purposely and actively noticing new things. “Noticing” makes you more sensitive to the context and perspective of things. You put your ATTENTION on how well you are paying attention!  Your mind is in the same place as your body. When you are “ALL-IN”, you are in the present moment with avid focus,  and  intention, fully engaged in what you are doing. It is joy-full and rewarding to be in this state. Thus, mindfulness is energy and life enhancing.

On the other hand….Mindlessness is energy- and life draining. Ever misplaced your keys, and for the life of you,  you don’t know where you put them and now you  are frustrated trying to find them? Were you rushing around doing a million things?  What was going on in your head when you laid them down? Was it the grocery list, the laundry,  the kids, your report that was due by the end of the day? All of the above?

All the mindless chatter and the run-away freight train thoughts in our head, make us scattered and crazy. Follow that with the negative assumptions we make, and worries abound!  We are out of control! This is so physically, emotionally, and spiritually stressful! How many of us live our lives this way?

Whoa Nellie!!! Let’s Re-think this! It’s really ironic that we all seek stability and balance by thinking we must control everything. But that view is unrealistic and even more stress inducing because everything in life is always changing,  moving , and growing.  When accept the nature of this, we see that stress is not a function of events; it’s a function of the view we take of events. We can only control OURSELVES; and that is only by being mindful of our thoughts about what we are doing and what is happening around us.  When we are mindful of THAT, we control our internal chaos and the stresses of life are more easily tolerated and abated. It is mindlessness that makes you lose control, it is mindfulness that returns it to you.

Mindfulness and Focus

No matter what you’re doing—eating a salad, working on a project, writing an essay, driving a car, speaking with people, you’re either doing it mindfully or mindlessly. The  greater the consciousness (of your thoughts and actions), the more positive the result. You find it’s easier to pay attention. You remember more of what you’ve done. You’re more creative. You’re able to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. You avert problems.

Mindfulness helps you to appreciate why people behave the way they do. You are better able to see from their prospective with respect. You like people better, and people like you better because you’re less judgmental, more patient and caring. You  appreciate  the opportunity  to enjoy a relationship with them, share experiences, or benefit from their talents. Life experiences can be monumental or mournful. You consciously or unconsciously choose.  I tell you this, mindfully choose.  Because what you want is a soft openness—to be attentive to the things you’re doing but not single-minded, because then you’re missing other opportunities. Life consists only of moments, nothing more than that. So if you make the moment matter, it all matters. You can be mindful, you can be mindless. You can win, you can lose. The worst case is to be mindless and lose. You miss so much of the joy and peace and happiness in life- in YOUR life.  So when you’re doing anything, be mindful, notice new things, make it meaningful to you, and you’ll flourish!

Live Happy & Healthy!

XOXO Andrea