... is an ancient Buddhist practice that has profound ... for today. It is relevant because ... is a practice of being ... awake, ... the fullness of the present
Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist practice that has profound
relevance for today. It is relevant because mindfulness is a
practice of being consciously awake, experiencing the fullness
of the present moment, and living in harmony with yourself and
the world. The practice of mindfulness allows you to cultivate
an appreciation for experiencing your life as you are living it.
One of its effects is an increased ability to see the
extraordinary in the mundane. Mindfulness has to do with being
in touch and seeing what is so.
Practicing mindfulness is simple but not easy. Mindfulness is
paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present
moment, and nonjudgmentally. It requires a mental discipline to
wake up in each moment, and to keep waking up for each oncoming
moment. This kind of extraordinary quality of attention
requires effort. It requires such effort because you are almost
programmed to forget, or you succumb to unawareness, or wish to
become deliberately unaware. The use of medicants of all kinds
is prevalent in our culture ranging from drugs, over busi-ness,
TV watching, and other activities that tend to narrow our
attention.
The power of mindfulness is in its practice and everyday
applications. Applying mindfulness as a strategy can have
significant positive outcomes on the job. How many times have
you wasted time because you forgot to take something with you?
How many times did you respond just a bit inappropriately
because you weren't fully listening? Did you actually
experience your lunch? How many times did that tiny forgotten
detail cause more effort than necessary?
Mindfulness is empowering because it cultivates greater
awareness, clarity, and acceptance of the present moment
reality. Mindfulness as a work or life strategy:
> Saves time
> Increases memory retention
> Preserves integrity
> Improves performance
> Improves perception.
Who wouldn't like that? Successful people are highly skilled in
using their focused attention on their activity, even if they
spend little time on that activity. They can efficiently
absorb, process, and discern and at very high rate when focusing
their deep and mindful attention.
I challenge you to be fully awake, aware, focused in the
present, and see the extraordinary in the mundane for the next
two hours. Be ever vigilant that you are paying attention.
There are many resources on mindfulness at your local or virtual
bookseller. Here are two that I can recommend:
1. Wherever You Go, There You Are : Mindfulness Meditation in
Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
2. The Miracle of Mindfulness : A Manual on Meditation -- by
Thich Nhat Hanh, Mobi Ho (Translator)
Having a personal support team is a great way to keep you on track. You can also use a coach to help you reach your goals on personal growth and your desire to handcraft a life of choice.
