In a troubled world that criticizes more than it appreciates, the only morality is mindfulness. It’s a state of active, intentional attention to the present. We skim through tons of moments when our brain becomes either a time machine or a utopic world. A classic example: during busy times when our work sinks its ugly fangs on our throats, we fantasize about a vacation that will dispel all our worries from office. But when we go on that vacation and the phone buzzes with a nasty email from our boss or a client, our brains are teleported right back to the office. Then there is our past – those pesky memories of the mistakes we’ve made at previous times that come to haunt our conscience.
Living in the past or the future steals your time in the present. Which is why we must practice the subtle art of mindfulness – the state of being conscious of life as it unfolds with an open mind. Research has revealed that mindfulness has a goodie bag of effects like lower anxiety and stress levels, boosted focus and memory functions and an improved immune system. These are some pointers that could push you to gain mindfulness
Basking in Today’s Moments:
Ever heard of this proverb? Only if everyone realizes how true it is! Time only moves in one direction – forward. So, is there any point in looking back, sulking and building bitterness towards something or someone? If you were successfully launching a new business franchise, do you celebrate or think about those struggling moments? Letting go of the bygones and living in the present moment is the best justice you can do to those past moments.
Future Dreams, Today’s Hard Work:
Building skyscraper-sized dreams is good. In fact, it inundates us with a lot of vigor and zeal. But working towards those dreams is more important. You must never let dreaming break your flow of hard work. A good tip is to use the adrenaline from dreaming to accomplish a hard task you set for yourself today
Overcome Addictions:
Whether it’s smoking, drinking, eating sugar, indulging in social media or the mobile phone – they’re all addictions that will discombobulate your mental state. On top of this, they shift your focus from living in the moment. Put a detox process in place that will help you slowly wean off addictions and let positive vibes come gushing back into your body
Getting Ahead:
With every step you take on that treadmill, you’re heading towards a fat-burn goal that you’ve set for yourself. With every crunch that you do, you’re squeezing your abdominal muscles into abs that you’ve always wanted. Just like this, entrepreneurs are striving every day to solve customer’s problems that others can only begin to imagine. When you marry the two together – fitness and entrepreneurship, you have the perfect recipe for brewing success. When you hit the gym constantly, you’ll get you into a groove that will help organize your business calendar too. When you watch your diet like a military leader, you will start paying attention to the pain areas of your startup’s performance. When you motivate your best friend to sweat it out along with you, you can lead your teams better.
Acceptance of Problems:
Our natural response to any kind of pain, problems or trouble is to avoid it. We get unpleasant feelings, sensations and thoughts, which makes us run away from the source of the trouble. The only solution is acceptance. When we let some negative emotions linger, than push them away, we can overcome it problem quicker. Remember during these times – the present moment is inevitable. If we try to run away or change the situation, only frustration, exhaustion and exasperation will ensue.
Possessions, Relationships:
These two are very important to live in the present moment. In fact, our world revolves around our possessions and relationships. But it’s the unwanted stuff that we own and the negative people that we deal with in our lives that we need to cull. Remove them before it becomes a herculean task to focus on the present.
Curve up Your Mouth:
Curve up Your Mouth: Do the ultimate exercise that lets you live in the ‘now’: smile. Studies have shown that people’s moods are suddenly uplifted when they see someone smile at them. When you practice smiling every day, at some stage you do it without even realizing it.
Make mindfulness a habit; you can adopt it by just paying attention to the people around you, what’s going on and living in the present moment. After all, if you don’t live ‘now’, can you ever get it back?