Finding My Zen
How is your day going? If it’s anything like mine, it’s 24/7/365. And my crazy schedule would try to get 25 hours out of a 24 hour day.
I once wrote a thesis on the effect of stress on the body and I am telling you it isn’t pretty. Stress busters were common in the olden days. There were so many natural things that we did that took us to a place of joy; leisurely dinners with family, extended holidays, gathering with friends just because, reading a great book and pondering the meaning of life. We even had time for daydreaming. Now all those happy times it seems have to be scheduled as our lives spin out of control.
In this chaotic world most of us are lucky if we don’t fall into bed comotosed before midnight. I am done with that. Since the beginning of this year I have been making a conscious effort to pause. To be in the moment and to be good to myself. I have seen too many of my contemporaries drop like flies last year and being in your fifties is not old! I also recently had a friend who was ill…the family didn’t show up for three weeks because their schedule was over the top. How busy can we be?
Recently there has been a slew of books published touting something called mindfulness. It is a concept as old as time. Mindfulness didn’t begin with Eckhart Tolle, it was adopted from Zen Buddhism, yet, it was Tolle who re-popularized the idea and brought the conversation to the mainstream through his books The Power of Now and The New Earth. A little thanks to the Big O!
What exactly is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the conscious act of being completely in touch with and aware of the present moment, as well as taking a non-evaluative and non-judgmental approach to our inner experience. Purposeful pauses, as Janice Marturano in her book Finding the Space to Lead calls it…is about giving yourself permission to stop…be in the moment and get clear about next steps. So instead of reacting to life get proactive with life. Mindfulness practices include meditation which has been proven to be absolutely good for the mind, body and spirit.
So I am going to suggest that if you want to learn more about this concept, check out Dan Harris’s book 10% Happier, or check out his book signing on April 16th in NYC. If you are in a leadership role check out Janice Marturano’s Finding the Space to Lead. Find out how Success can be enhanced by reading Success Through Stillness by Russell Simmons and of course reread the Power of Now.
Now is truly all we have because tomorrow is not promised and the past has already retreated. Don’t put off that vacation any longer, call a friend and have dinner just because you value them, show up for the people in your life. Mindfulness can help. Happiness can only happen when you and you alone are in charge of your life, your time and your joy. Mindfulness means NOW…it simply means that you can train your subconscious mind to give you the best life possible, because Mindfulness knows best.
Image by: The Father of Mindfulness — Thich Nhat Hanh
