We all know that January can be… uninspiring to say the least. Cold weather, gloomy days, and lack of sunshine can affect even the most upbeat and energetic of us. Add in the dark cloud of a pandemic and lockdown, and some days can be hard. Just plain hard. And you know what? That’s okay. Whether today you feel okay or not, you will be okay.
One tool I encourage people to use is Mindfulness. Taking some quiet moments to yourself to be fully present and soak in the beautiful moments in life will help fill your heart in abundance. If you haven’t practiced Mindfulness before, simply put, it is being present in the moment… being aware of and appreciating the moment you are in. So often, we are encouraged to be multi-taskers and to keep a million balls in the air. Mindfulness asks you to put them down, take a moment for yourself, be present in that moment and appreciate it.
Be Present.
So, how do you feel present and successful in your life at the same time? Well, aside from setting boundaries, removing the distractions and working with an empowered schedule (all of which is what I often work with my clients to explore & create), the best way to feel like you’re getting more from life is to be mindful of it; essentially to be present in your everyday actions. It seems so simple, and it is… but being mindful is SO simple that it’s easy to forget to practice it.
I thought that I’d offer some examples of simple actions that you can take every day that will allow you to be more mindfully present, connected and fulfilled with your life experience. Daily Mindfulness Actions:
Read slowly.
Listen to a person without thinking of how to respond.
Laugh at yourself.
Feel the sunshine on your face.
Comment positively on people’s social posts… which means you have to read and contemplate the post itself.
Do one thing at a time… I like to set a timer for each task I take on. I follow the 60/10 rule — 60 minutes of work followed by a 10 minute break.
Be polite and conscientious to people you meet.
When cooking a meal, be present while stirring the pot (or whatever it is)… be nowhere else but there.
Watch the trees blow in the wind.
Take 10 deep breaths.
Go outside and touch a tree or hold a leaf and examine the details.
Eat slowly, savouring every bite.
Watch the clouds in the sky.
Let go of things.
Sit with someone and not initiate conversation… maybe even hold their hand.
Colour or draw a picture.
Play Lego (or anything else) with a child.
Surrender to not judging a feeling, a situation, or a person. Just be with it.
Be committed and an “all in” kind of person.
Meditate.
Listen to music, not for any other reason but to just listen.
Water plants.
Feel the wind on your face.
Stand barefoot outside (obviously weather dependent!).
For the next week, choose one to three of the above examples and implement them into your every day life. Please note that this will not always be easy, but it will be a beautiful gift you give yourself and your family and friends… because when you feel filled up you are then able to be fully present for them.
So, in order to wrap this up, because you know I’ll just keep going on and on about this… for the next month, make the commitment to be more mindful each day. Take the time to stop and smell the roses, not just because we’re told to and it seems like a nice idea, but because we KNOW that it will actually make a difference in our lives. It will bring forth the magic that we’re searching for. Take the time to acknowledge how gorgeous the roses are, what it took for them to grow on the bush and then how, once they have bloomed, they can then share their nectar, sweet scents, and beauty to the world around. But just like the rose, in order to offer your gifts to the world, first you must be mindful in your own world in order to sprout, grow and then bloom.
Stay tuned for more Heart Inspired ideas and feel free to contact me to see how my heart can infuse yours with abundance.
