Ways to Live in Moment: Lessons Learned 2011!- Entry Number 2…

Continuing with the lessons learned during 2011, here is the Entry Number 2…
Lessons 2: Personal Growth

As I continue to reflect on what I have learned this year 2011, I will focus now in my personal growth lessons. I will say that personal growth has been a big part of who I am as a person and professional. But what is personal growth?  There are many definitions, and doing some web searches, here is the one that I like the most: “Personal Growth - is the pursuit of developing, honing and mastering the skills that help us become the best that we can, with all that we have. It is the reaching for, and realizing of, our full potential as human beings”. - Essential Life Skills.net

Here are the top 5 things I captured over the year to increase personal growth and development:

1.       Potential: Reflected on my potential as an individual and professional. Once in a while I reflected about my potential, my talents and the gaps I’m facing to fulfill that potential. Tips that I have used:

·         know and understand myself better

·         live life more consciously and deliberately

·         attain personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

2.       Change: I kept working in making a commitment to change. In fact to make something out of ourselves, we need to be willing to change, for without change, there can be no growth. If we truly want to grow, then commit ourselves to not only accepting change, but seeking it.  Best tips that worked for me to accept change and move on: 

·         Maintaining balance and flexibility in your life

·          Taking care of your physical and mental health; nurturing yourself

·          Learning to deal with problems and stressful situations

·          Maintaining good relationships with loved ones for support and encouragement

3.       Journey: I have learned to enjoy the journey.  Basically if we are going to spend time learning something, then we better learn to like it. Let’s put it this way… If the destination appeals to us, but we cannot enjoy the journey it takes to be there, we would be wise to reexamine our priorities to make sure we have them right.

4.       Perspective: I have increased my awareness of having perspective. Let’s define it first; It is how we perceive things in the context of the whole and how we judge importance of one thing in relation to others. I think that everything that happens in our lives is driven with how we perceive things too. Of course there have been parts of my personal journey that I really do not like at all, however the perspective I have placed into them, make a big difference to me. Even though we cannot help but react emotionally to some difficult situations, if we cannot control or change them, we can decide how we allow them affect us. Going back to my first lesson, here is an additional reflection – “Attitude, which is an aspect of perspective, is a way of thinking or looking at things. We have the ability to choose how we think or our attitudes”. Ultimately life is a subjective experience and it is up to each of us to decide how we choose to view and experience it.

5.       Resilience: if someone asked me to define myself, I will clearly articulate that I have tried to be a resilient individual.  By definition resilience is our ability to regain original form and to thrive and fulfill potential in spite of adversity or difficult circumstances.  Here is a great explanation of how to understand what resilience is, and how to make it a strong quality to grow and develop.

By Essential Life Skills.net:  “When life situations get out of kilter, it is the one quality and skill we need most to get us through the difficult times. To be resilient means we are able to remain stable and function in the face of disruption and chaos. It means we can continue with everyday tasks, remain balanced, and bounce back quickly from hard times. Resilience can be described as an emotional muscle which we all possess to some degree. With determination and practice we can develop and strengthen it even further. Being aware of why we need it and how important it is can encourage us to work on increasing it”.

 Taking action for our new year 2012: The miracle questions…

Where do we stand when it comes to our personal growth for every day? Let’s reflect:

1.       Have I already made the decision to seek and experience improvement daily?

2.       Based on your decision, what is the one action you are going to practice every day in order to be successful?

Adpated from Make Today Count – John C. Maxwell. & By Essential Life Skills.net

Enjoy!

Ways to Live in Moment: Lessons Learned 2011!

 

We are close to the final days of this 2011, and many of us are preparing for our holiday celebrations, family time, Christmas time and New Year resolutions. With that in mind, I would like to share with all of you a final blog entry for 2011.  Here we go…
This year has been a learning journey in many ways, therefore this entry is a reflection of the top 3 lessons learned that helped me navigate the journey adjusting my sails when facing winds of change and ambiguity.  Let me share it with you… in three entries.
===============================================================
Entry Number 1

Lesson 1: Attitude - I made every effort to keep a positive attitude and use it to influence others…
Reflection: The way we receive and accept everything that comes from the environment, our surroundings and specially the people we have around us; depends on the attitude we place into things, situations and moments. Many people in this world mistakenly believe that their attitude is set, and it cannot change. Our attitude is a choice! If our desire is to make every day a positive one and a place for learning something new and different… then we have a great attitude! However it could be difficult to implement that thought if we are trapped into negative contemplations. Although it is hard to implement, start setting internal desires to monitor that bad attitude and push ourselves to change it.

Here is how I have been doing it:

1.       Reminded myself: “The things I know I can control are what I feel, what I see, and what I think! That pushed me to have a positive attitude, and to help others see it too.

2.       Recognized that my attitude needs daily adjustments – like any other disciple our attitude will not take care of itself. That’s why it needs to be attended to daily. The stronger our natural inclination to be pessimistic or critical, the more attention our attitude will need.

3.       Incorporated an attitude check, and watched for red flags signaling that my attitude might be in trouble.

4.       Looked for something positive in every situation, and said something positive in very conversation.

Taking action for our new year 2012: The miracle questions…

Where do we stand when it comes to our attitude for every day? Let’s reflect:

1.       What are you going to do to choose and display the right attitude daily?

2.       Based on the decision you made concerning attitude, what is the one discipline you must practice today and every day in order to be successful?

Enjoy!

Adpated from Make Today Count – John C. Maxwell.

Ways to Live in Moment: Attitude

"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect It's successful outcome." -William James

Recently I received a great email from work that talks about “Attitude”. This message provided a great reflection and suggestion for me; and I will say that it can help adjust and receive things in a more positive way.  Therefor, I would like to share this message with all of you.

Here We Go…

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our Attitudes.”              ~Pastor Charles Swindoll

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things."

 To Practice This Thought:

Explore different perspectives – the city is more beautiful when seen from above and so is the country. Exploring different perspectives does not always change things, but it always changes us. We begin to feel, think and see with different eyes, and with this spirit we become stronger and more positive.   

Enjoy!

Ways to Live in Moment: Mindful Days

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” ~ Dalai Lama

Fall is here and with this new season change is coming to help us celebrate new things in our live. Let’s be more mindful to enjoy every challenge and opportunity while embracing this new season!

In this entry I would like to share with you some great tips to become mindful and open every day.  

1.       One Change: Routine can bring comforting stability and structure to your day, yet it’s new experiences that make us feel we’re truly alive. Make a promise to yourselves to vary one small part of our routine each day: walk a difference route to work… Feel the invigorating power of change.

2.       Reasoning: “The less routing, the more life.” – Amos Bronson Alcott

3.       Breezy Start: Begin each day in the expectation that some time, before day’s end, you’ll receive some good news.

4.       Lucky You: Think of chores you face in the day ahead as a privilege, not a burden. Resolve to enjoy the satisfaction of doing them to best of your ability. Take pleasure in your skills.

5.       Sante! We tend to really appreciate normal health only when we’re sick. Resolve, next time you wake up, to notice and celebrate the inestimable value of your health, and the benefits it will bring to the day ahead.

6.       Reassess: Take a moment of quiet each morning to check that the plan you made the day before still make sense in the clear morning light. Adjust them as necessary. Embrace fluidity.

7.       Early Riser: At least once a month, watch the sunrise, a refreshing experience for mind and spirit.

8.       Work ahead: “Awake, my soul, and with the sun Thy daily stage of duty run “Thomas Ken

9.       Special Theme: Set and intention for your day, such as “Today I will be a good listener” or “Today I will not get distracted.” Repeat your intention to yourself whenever you tire or lack motivation. Alternatively, set a theme for the day: for example, you might decide you’re going to dedicate a day to adventure, or fluidity, friendship, or inner wealth.

10.   Be yourself!

 Adpated from 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment – by Barbara Anna Kipfer

Action Item:
From these recommendations, what’s your goal for this Fall Season…

Enjoy!

 

Ways to Live in the Moment: Managing Our Emotions

 Fall is coming soon, and as this new season approaches I would like to use this blog entry to share best practices for managing our emotions. Why because as Fall comes and as we enter into a new cycle of our lives, self-regulating our emotions may help us balance who we are and how we react to what comes in every new cycle in life. Also, this is a topic I always wanted to address because of my own experience and my journey growing and developing as an individual.

What do you think about this statement: “Emotions are felt by everyone – love, hate, fear, joy, and so on. However, while these emotions are an inextricable part of our lives, we need control them in order to ensure that we respond to a situation right way. This is especially important when it comes to negative emotions”.

Why Are Emotions Necessary?
Emotions are a necessary part of life, as they are needed in order to be able to live life fully. But what are emotions? They are the language of everyone’s mental state of being, and are tied to a person’s social and physical sensory feelings. Emotions are the feelings that are used to react to fear, joy, love, sadness, hate, disgust, and pleasure. However, emotions need to be managed in order to ensure that they are appropriate in any given situation to prevent consequences or negative behaviors. If an emotion is strong enough to take over our brain, it can cover logical reasoning and cause a loss of inner peace.

Let’s explore important tips to help us become savvy when managing our own emotions. Some of these tips are adapted from the book 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment – by Barbara Anna Kipfer and other personal experiences.

1.       Becoming Strong Individuals - Managing our emotions means that we will become happier, more confident in ourselves, and more able to deal with the challenges in life. The first way to manage our emotions is by managing our thoughts. Negative thoughts affect our energy, and we will feel less likely to take action. Pessimists are generally insecure, depressed people that do not know how to manage their emotions, especially in times of stress. Positive thinkers focus on the good side of things in order to deal with situations in a rational manner without letting emotions cloud their judgment.  Look for Positive Psychology.

2.       Emotional Dressage - Think that we are a charioteer, and our emotions as horses under control. They are powerful and can become headstrong, but if train them properly we’ll usually submit to our will. However, if we let them have their way, we’re unlikely to steer a straight course.

3.       Feeling and Emotion – These two terms are confused, but there are distinctions. An emotion is an inner surge when mind is swamped by chemicals: anger, fear, lust, envy, joy, and pride are all emotions. Feelings, on the other hand, affect our behavior less dramatically. Emotions can distort our reasoning, whereas feelings tend to give a tinges to our reasoning. Start using these terms with care: a thoughtful vocabulary can be helpful tool in the quest of self-knowledge.

4.    Replay - When we describe a past emotional event to someone, does the emotion come flooding back? If so, you need to work on your detachment. When recounting what happened, concentrate on the words we’re using, not the experience itself. Remember that your purpose is simply to convey accurate information, and being overcome by the emotion could undermine your success as a narrator. Stay Calm: It’s Over!

5.       Emotion’s Management – Our emotions such as anger needs to be controlled. Anger, improperly controlled, and causes people to say or do hurtful or harsh things that cannot be undone later on. Let’s try to hold back our emotions (anger) by learning self-control – visualize the possible consequences of our anger. Usually this is enough to allow us to sit back for a while. A balanced life that includes a good diet, and regular exercise can manage help us manage our emotions, as both of these have been proven to have good effects on the way that people feel.

6.       Peace - “The greatest of victories is the victory over oneself.” Indian Proverb.

7.       Making it Concrete - Start to believe that we can control our emotions. Also pay attention to our emotions – this will allow us to focus on what is happening at the moment and help us to respond appropriately. Never ignore our emotions or suppress them in the hope that they will simply disappear. Try and determine the source of our feelings. Is it caused by something that is happening now or as the result of a prior experience? Talk about our feelings but do so in a non-confrontational manner. This could be as simple as using “I” instead of “you.  Wherever possible, focus on the positives.

Finally, let’s keep it simple: To manage our emotions and self-regulate ourselves: Get enough rest , talk to someone your trust , learn to solve problems , listen to your self-talk , get all the facts before you act , take a mini mind vacation, help somebody else , seek help, be yourself, ask for what you want, and compromise .

What are you doing next?
Emotions to me are a complex thing, like a Pandora Box that can surprise us even when we are not paying attention. However trying to control our negative feelings and bringing more self-awareness can help us gain power and be fully capable to navigate difficult and complex situations. Remember that what we can control in any given situations is: WHAT WE THINK, WHAT WE FEEL AND WHAT WE SAY!

1.       Take action and start building more awareness of how you perceive things and how you react.

2.       Try at least one of the tips provided.

3.       What would you recommend as part of your own experience?

Best!

Ways to Live in Moment: Opportunity and Destiny

When written in Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two characters - one represents danger and the other represents opportunity. ~John F. Kennedy, address, 12 April 1959

This past week I had the opportunity to attend a Leadership Summit here at Miami. In this forum I was able to network and learn current and new best practices for helping individuals achieve their maximum potential when embarking in any leadership role. And when I say leadership role, this is applicable to any of the things we do, in our family, community, work, friends, etc. Leadership is not limited to our work practices, it is more than that. It is the power of empowering others such as friends, family, peers, coworkers, and even estrange people, to act and do something in a positive way that will make an impact… a difference.  That is my personal definition of leadership in general.
Anyway…During that summit I got inspired by other leaders and gurus in the field to write today’s blog entry.  In fact, one of the speakers Dr. Leonard A. Schlesinger, talked about “Action Trumps Everything: Creating what you want in an uncertain world” and in combination with his message and book’s ideas; this blog entry talks about Opportunity and Destiny when we are motivated to act, take action, and size-up our moments to continue learning and growing.

So let’s talk first about...Why to act and take action?

Taken from Action Trumps Everything: Creating What You Want in an Uncertain World, by Charles F. Keifer and Leonard A. Schlesinger.

1. If we act, we will find out what works…
2. And what doesn’t.
3. If we never act, we will never know if we are right or wrong.
4. If we act, we will find out if we like it…
5. Or we don’t.
6. Acting leads to market reaction, which could take us in another direction.
7. As we act, we can find people to along with us.
8. As we act, we can find ways to do things faster, cheaper, better.
9. If we act, we won’t spend the rest of our life going “I wonder what would have happened if…”
10. If all we do is think, we are less interesting as a person.
11. If all we do is think about stuff, we gain tons of theoretical knowledge, but non from the real world.
12. … All we do is think.
13. Action always leads to evidence.
14. If we act, we know what is real.
15. Talking to people is action... at zero cost.
16. It seems the cost of doing more thought, before you pull the trigger, is zero.

Now What?

With this in mind, let’s explore ideas and recommendations to size-up opportunities and take control of our destiny:

1. Act Now… “I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on men unless they act.”

2. Wheel of Fortune… Risks are part of life, and we’re at the mercy of one every time we start a new job or a new relationship, go on a journey or even on vacation. Don’t be so risk-averse that you end up impoverishing your experiences, restricting yourself to comfortable mediocrity. Asses the risks as they take shape in your mind, then decide which ones to accept.  – Disappointments are preferable to regrets.

3. Embracing emptiness… When we contemplate the future, its lack of known features is often the thing that makes us apprehensive. Never think of the future as a desert: it’s a garden in bloom that you haven’t seen yet.

4. Setting Sail…“we do not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time”

5. The Incredible Journey… We can’t ask to be reborn as someone different, so we must all act within the parameters of our personality and life-situations to some extent. Even so, there are countless opportunities to make choices and modify our fata in creative ways – even to change the way we think. Visualize yourself as a creative artist, working with the raw materials of a life.

6. Shared your Pathways… Our destiny is the path we pursue with passion. For some it may be a special excellence, achievable only by nurturing a skill. Others may choose a more universal experience, such a homemaking. Avoid the common pitfall of believing that unusual ambitions are worth more than those we share. To devote one’s life to living well is the worthiest of endeavors.

7. As On Door Closes… Don’t waste times dwelling on what might have happened if you’re taken a different path through life. You’ll never know. You do, one the other hand, have the chance to find out what will happen today if you keep moving forward, choosing each new directions with care and positive attitude.

8. Fishing… “Change is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.

9. Perfect Partners… “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”

10. Action Time… Be honest with yourself on the subject of when you’ve talked enough about your ideas and dreams, and when it’s time to put your planning into action.

Adpated from 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment – by Barbara Anna Kipfer

Action Item: From these recommendations, What’s your Key Insight…



Miracle Questions:

• What can we do NOW to empower ourselves more when opportunities knock our door?
• What can we do differently to be more driven and proactive?


Enjoy!

Ways to Live in the Moment: Life Choices and Decisions

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn. ~David Russell

As we travel around our summer plans, I would like to reconnect with all of you and share more ideas to continue living in the moment. This entry is about Life Choices and Decision Making.

Have you ever thought that everything we do in our daily habits may include making a decision or taking a choice? A simple decision like: Wondering what to wear for work, arranging our meetings for the week, putting together our grocery shopping list, taking time to meet our friends, driving our kids to their play group, planning the next vacation or festivity, etc… Those are decision that may look very simple, but they could bring complexity into our daily routines.

I read once, “Life is the sum of all our choices”, and in fact, decision making are choices.  For many choices and decisions, are fraught and anxious processes. Let me tell you why?

Between the decision and its execution is a slot in time through which voices of anxiety and regret often make themselves heard. Instead, let action flow naturally from your resolve, without a break. Or if you cannot take action right away on what you have chosen, use your trust in yourself. 

Here are SIX great tips to help our energy flow around the decisions we need to make:

1. Trust your Armory… Never let the future disturb us. This is complex to achieve and put into practice. However, let’s keep in mind that we will meet our future, if we have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm us against the present.

2. Heart of Heart… When it feels like our logical mind is driving us around in circles and has become an obstacle to effective decision making, let’s block out its chatter and noise for a while, tune into our heart. Listen carefully to it. We will instinctively know when its harmonies strike a balance with the underlying melody of our mind. Only then should we take action. In other words, let’s trust our gut feelings, and listen more to our internal voice.

3. Discovery… “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” 

4. Knotty… Too much analysis can lead to actions that are out of proportion. Always consider the simplest solution first – avoid cutting a knot that could be untied.

5. Life Change… Major changes in life – such as moving country to town, downsizing or early retirement – can be difficult or impossible to reverse. As I faced it in the last months, personally I can tell that it can be difficult or impossible to reverse. So it’s important that we make our decisions in the basis of sufficient evidence. Don’t use someone else who is very different for us as our exploratory pioneer – what suits someone else may not be right for us.

6. Front Seat… Faced with a tough choice, many of us may look for some one that can lead by example and take charge and lift the responsibility from our shoulders. Recognize that if we wait for someone else to make decisions for us, we’ll waste time (and probably dislike the results anyway). Let’s take charge – and be accountable.

Let’s Share…What’s your Story?

• What have you done differently when making any decisions?

Miracle Questions:

• What can we do NOW to empower ourselves more when making our own decisions?
• What behaviors are we seeking to shape to be more effective in our journey?

Enjoy!

Ways to Live in Moment: The Value of Now

For anyone looking for ways to slow done and be more fulfilled…

Entering into the middle of summer, I have decided to start the upcoming blog entries with a new title: “Ways to Live in the Moment.” Here is why? The other day I was on a boat ride at the Florida Keys with some of my coworkers. While enjoying the ride with the ocean view, and great scenery of the water, the wind, and the different water vegetation… I was in silent observing and embracing the moment in the boat. I truly decided to just observed and enjoy that moment, breathing and listening to what was happening just in there. It was very inspirational to me because it gave me the opportunity to think about only enjoying the now of that moment.

Thus, for our blog entries sharing ways to live in the moment is another way to create a dialog between all of us. Why… because the intent is to share best practices to grow, develop and inspire others with a better outcome in life.

Here we go… with our new topic – The Value of Now!

Explore these tips to help us value the “NOW”

1. Life Saving – If we take care of the moment, the years will take care of themselves.

2. Knuckling Down – Spend few minutes doing this simple exercise in mindfulness – that is, full attention to experience. While seated, empty your mind and hold your hands palms down as if you about to do some typing. Now look closely at your knuckles. Get to know them so well that you’d recognize them, from the patterns they make, in a close up photograph. Pick, say, three main ID features. You might ask, what’s the point all this? Well, you’ve been concentrating on a specific task using your powers of observation. During this time you’ve not been thinking about anything else, you’ve not been worrying about either past or future. You’ve learned something, however small about yourself. And you’ve gained a little practice in living in the moment.

3. Don’t Look Back – this is a true proverb, “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.”

4. Listening Well – Much of the time our minds tend to drift freely from thought to thought, which can compromise our enjoyment of passive pursuits, especially those involving listening or being a spectator. As a corrective exercise, tune into a radio station that’s playing songs. Take a couple of songs at random and concentrate on the words, assuming that they are in English and clearly discernible. Think of the singer’s situation. Enact in your mind the story implied. As with the knuckle inspection above, this is a simple exercise in focus, and a good antidote to mind anxieties.

5. Three Questions – Answer the following questions to see how close you come to the ideal of complete alertness. Here we go:

a. Do you always remember people’s names after you’ve been introduced to them?
b. Can you summarize the pot of the movie you most recently saw?
c. On a mental map of your local store, can you locate the products you buy most often?

If the answer is no to any of these questions, you may be lacking of attention to details, so work on the exercise and insights in this blog entry and bring yourself closer to the moment.

6. Observe Tine Details – Get close, then really close, to everyday object, or something in nature you see every day but take for granted. Use a magnifying glass! You’ll find beauty where you least expected.

7. Turning Point – “There is only one moment in time when it is essential to awaken. That moment is now”

8. Always Asking – “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questions.” – Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

9. Cultivate Simplicity – Living with respect for nature is the best way to practice this: observe weather pattern and seasonal change, and value the wisdom of trees, the strength of the wind, the majesty of mountains, and the serenity of flowing water.

10. Keep Learning – Every moment in life bring us an opportunity to learn something, to discover another way to do things and to increase our experiences. We are who we are because those moments that has shaped our perspective. Therefore let’s keep seeking for grow and development.

Adapted from 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment – By Barbara Ann Kipfer

High Value Questions:

• What are the top 3 things you would like to explore from this list that can help you focus on the NOW?

• After selecting your top 3 things, what behaviors are you seeking to shape so that you can be present every moment you encounter?

Enjoy!

Application Story 23: Be Fully Present…

With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have you ever heard this expression: “Life is so short”?
We always think of those words when having to worry about something that is going bad, or when we are trying to do something that we are very afraid of when taking that risk… I have heard and said this say many times… But do we really mean it? Life is so short that we forget to be present and enjoy the moment.

Let me challenge you more…

How often are we driving while talking on a cell phone, or thinking about work problems, or the errands we have to do? How often do we eat without thinking about the food we’re eating? How often do we drift off while doing other things, thinking about something we messed up on, or worrying about something that’s coming up? Our lives are full of worries, rush and pressure. However it is also a place for learning, growing and becoming better every day.

But…Every moment counts and we really are who we are because in every moment and interaction we have we learn something, practice something or reinforce things we did before. Well If we could only give one word of advice to someone trying to find peace in an overwhelming and stressful and chaotic world, it would may be this: simplify. But if we could give two more words of advice, they’d be: be present.
What do you think?

Honestly I can’t claim to be perfect at being present. I can’t claim that I do it all the time. But I can say this: I’ve been practicing being present for a while now, and I’ve gotten better at it. I’ve learned a lot about being present, and I’d like to share that with others. So lets explore some practical tips I learned before:

Focus On Now - There are three things we can think about:

1. The past. Reliving things we messed up about. Being embarrassed about something we did. Wishing we could have something back that is gone. Living in memories of good times past. Being angry about things done to us. You get the idea.
2. The future. Worrying about things we need to do later. Worrying about what might happen, or a big event coming up. Being anxious that things might go wrong, or that we might mess up. Hoping for something wonderful. Dreaming of great things to come.
3. The present. What is happening right now, at this moment? What we are doing now.

For the Present…

1. Pay Attention – When you have idle time at a stop light or in a line at the grocery, for example, pay attention. Instead of letting your mind run ahead of you thinking about the route to your destination and possible traffic delays, or the list of errands that have to be completed after the grocery run, take a moment to pay attention. Turn off the radio in the car, roll down the windows and witness the traffic going in the cross direction, the jogger getting his morning run, the trees dancing in the wind, listen to the birds chirp, and the rustling of leaves. You only have to do it for a few moments, but it’s a good start.

2. Observe – Next time you’re in a meeting, observe what is going on. It’s a bit more than paying attention in duration. Paying attention is on a trigger basis. Observation is like watching a movie on a screen. Watch the players in action. Watch the body language. Listen for intonations. Do not speak. This can be a very powerful tool as you sit and take in everything that is playing out. You have nothing at stake in the grand scheme of things, but watch as you are able to respond perfectly when questioned. You will be surprised.

3. Breathe – When you’re ready to go beyond moments and minutes, try paying attention to your breath before you drift off to sleep. Before you drift off to sleep, spend 15 minutes paying attention to the rise and fall of your belly. If you feel yourself drifting off to sleep, or notice that your mind has wondered, gently bring it back to your belly. You could even put a book on it and watch it rise and fall.

4. Meditate – You can now begin to establish a sitting practice. It is the practice of sitting still for about 30 minutes in silence. Let your thoughts go. When you realize that your mind is chasing your thoughts, bring it back to your breath. Just be still. Nothing to do or think about. Nothing to ponder, just be.

5. Put up reminders –   A reminder on our fridge or computer desktop or on our wall is a good thing. Or use a reminder service to send our daily email. Whatever it takes to keep us focus on practicing being present.

6. Practice, Practice – There’s no single method that will get you better at being present. I don’t have the magical formula, except one word that I often tell people at work when they’re learning anything or striving to be better at anything: practice.

Once we become aware, we are then able to influence the world around us in seemingly effortless ways.

Here is the action Item: One Month Challenge

1. Let’s focus on it for one month.  Make focusing on being present a habit. If you make it your only focus, I guarantee you’ll get better at it, and more importantly, you’ll get into the habit of remembering to focus, of remembering to practice, of being more aware.
2. Do a one-month challenge. It’s the best method for forming new habits, and it works for being present.
3. Share in this blog any of your outcomes while practicing being present.

“I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.” - Albert Einstein

Enjoy!

Application Story 22: The Power of Gratitude

I'ts almost summer!!!

Let's get started in this new season with a great topic... The Power of Gratitud
If I could ask you what would you look for to become happier, healthier, more optimistic and productive? Perhaps it will be very difficult for you to find an answer to this loaded question…

You may have to think for a while to find a strong answer. But let me tell you if we search in our inner self a little more, we may find a very good starting point to help us to become happier, healthier, and optimistic… Well what we need is “GRATITUD”, as simple as that.

In this application story I would like to share with you some ideas to help us find "GRATITUD" as a powerful tool to boost our happiness, health, and optimism.

Why Gratitude?
I read once that science tells us that an "attitude of gratitude" is a good health choice. Being more grateful more often makes us happier and more optimistic. But gratitude also adds to the bottom line - in very real ways. And the best news about gratitude is that it requires little time and no money.

What do we think about this statement?

Let’s explore these five reasons why gratitude improves our productivity and results:

1. Gratitude attracts what we want. The universal law of attraction says that we will attract into our life the things we think about and focus on. Since this is true, wouldn't we want more of what we are thankful for?
Tip: Remember that when we are consciously aware of our blessings, and are grateful for them, we are focusing more clearly on what we do want in our lives - and are attracting more of those things into our lives.

2. Gratitude improves relationships. We learn the importance of saying "thank you" as little children. We are taught that habit because it is "good manners." This childhood lesson is extremely powerful. Think about those people that we know who are most appreciative of ours - and let us know it. How do we feel about them? Does their appreciation positively impact our relationship with them? Of course it does!
Tip: Be grateful for people, their contributions, their talents and their actions - and make sure we let them know how we feel.

3. Gratitude reduces negativity. It is hard to be negative about our situation when we are thinking about things for which we are grateful.
Tip: One of the fastest ways to improve our mood or outlook is to count our blessings.

4. Gratitude improves problem solving skills. Too often we look at problem solving with a very jaded view. "Something is wrong. We have barriers in our way. Then, we have to put in effort to fix it." Conversely, when we think about what we are grateful for we open our minds up to new possibilities and connections. We also enter a problem solving situation with a perspective of improvement and opportunity rather than challenge or issue.

5. Gratitude helps us learn. This is my favorite! Every dark cloud has a silver lining. Behind every problem lies an opportunity. Being grateful for our situation - even if we don't like everything about it - allows us to be thankful for the opportunity to learn something new.

That's Fine, But How?
At this point we may be thinking, OK, this sounds great, but how can I really be more grateful, more often?

Action Item:

1. Make a list of five things you are grateful for right now. These can be big things (like your family) or little things (like the fact that someone held the door open for you this morning). This can be a mental list or written down.

2. Reflect on your list and allow yourself to feel good about these things.

3. If there is a person you can thank or show your appreciation to, do that now too (a quick call or email is a good start!).

You can do this exercise anytime, and you don't have to stop at five things. In fact, it is a great idea to keep a running list in your Journal, planner or notebook - this way you can return to your list anytime you wish, reinforcing your gratitude.

Keep In Mind:

Gratitude is an attitude. Gratitude is a choice. And gratitude is a habit. When we consciously practice being grateful for the people, situations and resources around us we begin to attract better relationships and results. The habit will be strengthened as you make the choice each day.

Enjoy!