I know we just wrote about mindfulness, and perhaps we should be mindful about how much we’re sharing about mindfulness…but in our defense:
- It really can make a difference (see this article).
- It really can be quite simple and also quite difficult to practice, all at the same time. And perhaps we didn’t offer enough suggestions last week on how (or why) to practice it.
- I stumbled upon a great post about Jack Canfield, and mindfulness and how to practice it, by Rick Martinez, the CEO and founder of Project Bink, and had to share it here.
Martinez writes that mindfulness creates unity and camaraderie, chills you and your team (and organization or family) out, and changes your perspective – by helping you view life through a macro lens. These alone are reasons to practice it.
But mindfulness can also better your health and increase your energy and well-being. It can heighten your engagement with and appreciation of life and others – because you’re in the moment and noticing (and hopefully enjoying) the moment. It can actually help your time management because you’ll more often be in a calmer, more productive state, and you’ll be paying attention to what’s happening so you shouldn’t miss as much and shouldn’t need as many things repeated.
Have we convinced you yet?
So how does one become more mindful?
Martinez shares four strategies to incorporate mindfulness into one’s leadership strategy, such as practicing it daily and spreading it to others. He also shares how he begins each day by reading something inspirational and writing a gratitude list. Both of these actions can shift your perspective and have a positive effect on you and the people you’re in contact with, and they’re great to incorporate into your daily life.
But mindfulness is a personal thing.
I was delivering a keynote earlier this week on The Power of Thoughtful Leadership. Someone in the audience asked me for pointers on the right way to relax. I answered that there is no right way. It’s personal.
And the right way to relax is like the right way to be mindful. Again, THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY! Each of us must find what works for us to calm us down, keep us present, and ease our minds and souls.
It might be deep breathing. It might be meditation. It might be a walking meditation or a hard run. It might be feeling your feet on the ground or your butt in your seat. It might be taking in the beauty of nature or the people you work and live with. It might be paying attention to the sounds around you or the smells around you or the people around you. It might be asking yourself every now and then, “Where am I right now?” It might be choosing to bring a smile to your face or paying attention to the emotions and sensations passing through (or stuck within) your body.
There’s no right way to be mindful. And it’s very easy and extremely difficult all at the same time. But In Our Humble Opinion, it’s important…because it yields great results. It’s important enough to write about two weeks in a row.
How do you practice mindfulness? Click here to comment.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
For support in being more mindful – and present, intentional, and authentic – contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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