Just Be

Our minds are full, busy all the time thinking, thinking, thinking!  We are all thinking, doing, eating, shopping, rushing around like chickens with our heads cut off.
Have you ever wondered where that phrase - "Chickens with their heads cut off" - comes from??  When the chicken’s head is cut off by a butcher, the body is still going.  This dis-connection means the body is on Auto Pilot.

Similarly, when we are is in this “busy busy mind frame”,  there is dis-connection of our mind and body.  We are not present to function at our best for our business, family or clients.  Just as we exercise the body to make it strong, we must also exercise the mind to “calm it down”. 

These exercises for the mind need to become a habitual practice but they take a few weeks in order to see results. Sometimes, we’re too busy thinking we don’t have time when actually, in fact, this practice of mindfulness helps make time.   Slowing down the mind takes time. It’s kind of like going on a diet or fasting for the body. If you don’t already take time for yourself, you know that dis-connection I’m talking about.  If you do take time, good job!

Mindfulness means, “Paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, without judgment”. (Jon Kabbat-Zinn).  I invite you to reflect on today and consider how many emails were not necessarily worth reading. how many conversations you didn’t really need to have, how many things you did that could have waited or didn’t need to be done at all.  Taking a small break, sitting back, going for a walk, getting out in nature are ways to regain focus and become more mindful in the moment.  I have found through experience that this practice of stopping is a necessity.
Many of us are on auto pilot without even knowing it.  I invite you to join me for Lakeside Mindfulness on October 9th.  Slowing down is what I teach by showing you tools to incorporate into your daily life so it doesn’t seem like it’s taking extra time.  This is a practice which my clients now usually understand and appreciate as there is lots of research on how Mindfulness can help with depression, anxiety, lower blood pressure and even chronic illness.

Being more present in our daily lives, with family and business can make a huge difference in our attitudes and our entire outlook on life. By practicing mindful sitting, walking, eating or even communicating, you are gifting yourself the beauty of life. There’s no reason we should not all enjoy life to the fullest. 

Take the day off from work, get a babysitter, Just Do It !   Being a previous employee of Nike, looking at that mantra for years inspired me to get things done but now, I’ve learned to take a day for myself to change that mantra to,  “JUST BE”.

By cultivating awareness you might find you can get more things done in less time with less mind energy.