The moment we try to be still, we discover just how restless our mind can be. The harder we force it to be calm, the worse it gets. With practice we can come into a space of observance or mindfulness and over time we can calm the mind.
Mindfulness is the awareness that arises by paying attention on purpose, in the present moment without judgement. By training our mind to be in the present moment we increase our capacity to see, feel, hear and reflect on what is in front of us and what is inside of us.
When we strengthen our capacity to pay attention and learn more about what it means to be in the present moment, the personal and business benefits are many. When we are more fully present in our life we have greater well-being and health, greater resiliency to face challenges and we can better regulate our stress response.
When we are more fully present at work we can lead more effectively, make better decisions, work better with other people, see with more clarity and think more creatively.
When we are mindful, we drop in, notice and observe our breath, our thoughts and the sensations in our body without evaluation. This can be especially powerful in our communication if we can pause and check in, be open to what is actually there (rather than what we imagined or hoped would be there), listen deeply and speak the truth with the intention to not do harm.
A great starting point is take what is called a purposeful pause which is a moment in the day when you notice the swirl of your mind and chose to intentionally pay attention.
Mindfulness can help individuals live healthier, more productive, peaceful lives, and make them less stressed workers and better leaders.
Mindfulness helps us wake up to our life rather than operating on auto-pilot.
If you have a friend of a colleague who needs this message, please share with them.
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