You must have had manic days where you have no time to drink water or take a deep breadth, when you have a million things to do and yet get pulled in different directions. Some of the moments on these days can be those of elation, anger, sadness, exasperation, exuberance and sheer exhaustion.
Life throws many a challenge and it is entirely up to each of us on the choices we make. In today’s rat race, we forget many times that success linked to external factors creates a vacuum and our soul is restless.
With all the pressures we face in our day-to-day lives, we find it difficult to find the right equilibrium between our short-term financial goals and long-term calling. Many of us become human doers rather than a human being.
Many of you have heard of mindfulness and probably practice it. What is mindfulness? Is there some magic formula? Does one have to attain the state of nirvana? Is it about sitting in meditation on a daily basis?
Key to mindfulness is be aware and conscious of what you are doing and give your fullest to that moment in heart and soul. If you can stay grounded and authentic, face new challenges daringly and with humility and be at peace with the present, that is mindfulness.
10 Keys To Mindfulness
- Is it just about sitting in a corner and meditating I think not. It is anything you choose to do with clarity and a deeper understanding. It is about being present in whatever you are doing and being aware of your presence and ways every action of yours would impact others.
- Being conscious of your values no matter what you do, you lead with your values and from your inner self.
- Are you giving the attention of your time ? Give your full focus in whatever you are doing be it working out, having a dialogue with somebody, or listening to someone. Staying focused without allowing your thoughts to wander.
- What is my inner talk ? to journal and reflect on one’s day while walking or hiking or even whilst just being, enables clarity.
- Am I whole-hearted about in every thing I do? being involved in mind, body and soul in whatever we are engaged in at that moment in time? The ability to give our whole and undivided attention to those that I care about.
- Can I go on a journey inside ? Ability to be silent and quiet in the frenetic lives that most of us lead. To be comfortable with the silence within you where there is serenity and nothing awkward or nothing to fight or argue about. A place where your mind is at rest and you are comfortable with the silence and the solitude and one that gives you clarity and peace.
- Am I Being in the now to me this does not mean forgetting the past. I look at it as using experiences in the past and leveraging on the strength that it has given me to deal with the now. We are what we are today as a result of our life experiences and we should take a leaf of every experience that has made us who we are today and leverage of it to deal with what life has to offer us.
- Am I planting a seed for my future every moment is a choice and each of these choices paves the next moment and several such moments in our journey of life.
- Am I human ? In that I am grateful for what I have, gratuitous to others, realistically optimistic, not do unto others what I would not to self
- Am I courageous and willing to try? Belief in self and not have the inner critique and fears pull me down.
Various studies and research have shown that mindfulness meditation significantly improves the effects on brain and immune function. It has positive effects on physical health, emotional control, sleep control, coping styles, anxiety and concentration.
Research and studies have also shown that we’re often happiest when we’re lost in “The Moment”. The more we allow our mind to wander and control us the more lost we are and chances of being less happy.
There is always peace and serenity within us and it is only a matter of finding it in our solace.
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