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!