Mindfulness is the energy of awareness.  It is being conscious of the existing moment. Of living life deeply throughout each day, of being fully alive, right here in this now.   It is being at one with what we are doing and also with what and who is around us.

Being mindful is to be in touch with the experience of what we are feeling within the present moment.  To be aware of it without judging or contemplating it.  To not try to figure out what is happening or why we are feeling what we are feeling but simply to observe the moment that we find ourselves in and be with it.

It is a way of living that can be incorporated into our lives at a pace that suits us.  We don’t have to go the whole hog straight away for it is an understanding, not a thing.  It is a connection that we make with our own life.  A way of living which we invite in which fully enriches our life and enables us to live it as best we can.

Mindfulness can be incorporated into our daily life easily.  It can be fitted in to the busiest of lives as easily as it can be into a life that is slower paced.  It is as simple as taking a few breaths upon rising.  It is reading this post and just reading it………and then when you have finished reading it, move onto something else.  It is about doing what we are doing when we are doing it and not thinking about the next thing we have to do instead.

This week try to incorporate some mindfulness into your life

Enjoy

Other posts you might like:

• Being productive and mindful: 20 one minute to dos
• Work is life and life is work: it’s all balance
• Look for the oneness in others today
• The external journey is so passe

Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote

for the kind of world you want

During last week I posted the above Anna Lappe quote on twitter.

It got me thinking about the power that each and every one of us wields when we choose what to spend our money on.  For myself, and I am sure for countless others, not many days go by when money isn’t handed over for something – a bill, a coffee, petrol, groceries &c.  Over the course of a year or lifetime, it all adds up to an awful lot of pats on the back to other people and companies.  It adds up to a massive ‘vote for the kind of world we want’.

Often we may feel that we – the individual – cannot make a big difference; that our singular voice will not be heard amid big business and big money.  Yet, all companies need turnover and each of us that make the choice to give custom to a particular business is a part of their turnover – less support from us =  less business.  So how we choose to spend each and every penny or cent of our money is a way of us having a say in how we would like the world to be.

So next time you hand over cash or click on the ‘buy now’ button for something which is, say 10 euro/dollars/pounds, think more along the lines of you giving 10 votes instead.  10 big pats on the back to that company or person to continue doing what they are doing.  10 big thank yous to say we like and approve of how you produce your product.  It is our money and therefore our choice.

Money talks…..make sure yours says what you want it to say

Enjoy

Photo by Richard Heaven via Flickr

Money is energy.  We give energy [work] and get energy in return [money] then we go and trade that energy for another form of energy [food, clothing etc] which in turn was created by others giving their energy [work].  The question then becomes – When we give over our money energy what sort of product energy are we getting in return?

.Some other postings you might like to read:

Life is in the doing not the having

Delight in all the turns of your life

A great life is only a choice away

.

.

Expectations are slippery characters.  In themselves they are fine but it is how we attach ourselves to them; or them to us, which imbues them with a power which can be hazardous.   In one way they can be good in another not so good.  The good way with expectations is not to hold on to them too tightly, not to incorporate them too deeply into the part of us which resides in the physical world.  Savour an expectation, feel it arise  within and visualise its outcome, let the  mind know this is how we would like things to be.  Expect good things of our self – to be and do all that we believe is possible [and then some]……. then set the expectation free.

What we expect is usually what we get, though sometimes not in the form we expected.  If we do not get what we expect then we must not be disappointed or downhearted.  Expectations send out a message to the universe that this is what we want or think we deserve; yet if we do not let go of them, they cannot go forth to do their work.  They will not come back to us for they never left to be fulfilled.  However, by fearing our expectations will not be fulfilled we doom them to failure by not  letting go of them.

Expectations must be taken on board then released, that is their way, the way.  Expectations are powerful and can have a positive effect on our life, yet if we do not set that power free it turns inward.  It builds in us and consumes us as the weight of increasing unfulfilled expectations are pilled higher and higher upon ourselves, by ourselves and our inability to release them.   They are made to move, to be free and to wander – their energy doing its work in freedom.  They do not operate when caged; they are inhabitants of the open.  They only like to rest upon our thoughts momentarily before taking flight again to spread their goodness.

~~ So by all means enjoy your expectations and have high ones but remember you do not own them, they will do you the most good by letting them go.  They are like a summer breeze, touching you for a moment so you can shape how they flow but always and ever they are free flowing.

Enjoy

Photo by: lucyfrench123

You might like reading another post I wrote on expectations

Great Expectations?

Some other postings:

Happiness, fulfilment – what’s stopping you?

Life is in the doing not the having

Micro productivity, for me, is not only about utilising all those unoccupied moments it is about recognising them.  Being mindful enough about the happenings during the day that I notice when I’m not living the moment.  It’s about living in the now.

So here are 20 to start you off and hopefully give you a few ideas:

At home

1. Throw out any old newspapers etc hanging around

2. Put away that coat or jumper that has been dumped on a chair

3. Fold a few pieces of washed clothing and put them away

4. Empty the bin

5. Wipe your kitchen sink or bench

6. Load the washing machine

At your desk/computer

7. Delete something unwanted from your desktop

8. Put away the file that has been in your tray for awhile

9. Put new paper in the printer

10. Decide what the next step is of something you really don’t want to do is

11. Take the first small step of the thing you really don’t want to do

12. Sit up straight as you type or browse

Anywhere, anytime

13. Drink a glass of water

14. Sit and breathe deeply for a minute

15. List all you are grateful for in your life – in your head, on paper or computer

16. Text someone just to say hi, thinking of you or to say thanks

17. Jog on the spot for a minute for a burst of cardio

18. Delete a few messages on your phone

19. Relax and let who you truly are come through

20. Visualise achieving a goal/goals

If you have any other suggestions on how to fill the odd spare moment then please leave a comment

Enjoy

Other postings you might like reading:

Are you are participant in your life or a bystander?

Are you living your true self 24 hours a day?

Honouring your core values

Simplify your wardrobe

In us all there is a great power – a power no one else has.  Whether we feel confident, shy, ambitious, unmotivated etc it resides within.  It is the power of choice.  To focus and choose what we want to do next, what to put our concentration on.  Only we have the power to choose what to put our focus on.  We can choose to focus on what we like about our life or what we don’t.  Whatever choice is made will be expanded on.  What we focus on expands, it’s a universal law, the way the world works.  We aren’t far along the path yet to know why but it does, but it does – this I fully believe.  No matter what is going on in life we can always choose to focus on the positive aspects of the situation.  This we have complete control over, this no one can take from us.  Yes, it can be hard to make these choices especially in the midst of turmoil or feeling cruddy but they are there for us to make. When we concentrate on the good aspects of a situation we say to the universe ‘this is my world’ and the universe will increase it; likewise if we focus on the not so good parts.  So if we focus more on the good in our lives then our concentration will be there and we will start seeing that aspect of our lives increase.

Change your thoughts and you change your world ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Enjoy

image credit: Editor B

Other posts in the logos coaching blog:

10 free ways to enhance your life

Our choices make our life

Take at least a small step each day

All the knowledge we will ever need to answer questions about who we are, what we should do and be is within us.  My last post 10 free ways to enhance your life noted that often what we seek is right under our noses although we continue to look for it elsewhere.  Essentially it is even closer, it is right inside us.  Where ever we go at whatever age we carry within us the knowledge to be all we can be and to do anything we wish to.  For those seeking a deeper meaning of life, that too is all within.

In life noise is everywhere, both externally and internally.  If we do not make time in our day to be quiet we might never notice the most important ‘sound’ of all; that of our own true self.

This sound comes to us all through the day and night through things like hunches or feelings and such.  Sometimes we can transfer that into words and other times we cannot.  We only know that something is off or right but cannot verbalise why.  If we cannot transfer it to words (verbally or mentally) we think that it isn’t the way to go.  We feel this need because that is the means of communication we have learnt.  Yet, because we have learnt to communicate information etc via this medium it is easy for us to over look that which comes to us in a different mode.

This is the importance of spending a portion of the day being still, being quiet with our selves.  We don’t need to put aside an hour, though if you can that is great.  Taking just a few moments to be with our own true self many times during the day allows us to reconnect with who we really are and to tap into the part of us which is so much greater than what we externally present to the world.

Whilst in traffic, waiting in the queue at the bank, the two minutes when heating something in the microwave or even waiting for a page to load on our computer – there are many times during the day when there is a moment to ask our self a question and another few moments to listen for an answer.  Sometimes we may think we hear nothing back but it may be that our external self doesn’t want to hear the answer that is given.  With practice we can learn to overcome the resistance we have to hearing our true sound – the sound that connects us to all others through all time.

The answers are all there, we just have to be still enough within ourselves to hear them.

Enjoy

image credit aussiegall

Other postings you might like reading:

Are you are participant in your life or a bystander?
Are you living your true self 24 hours a day?
Honouring your core values

The ‘wellness industry’ (fitness, retreats, health drinks, alternate therapies etc) is booming.  Billions is spent each year all over the world with people looking for ways to improve their current lifestyle and feel more energetic.  As with many things in life, often the search is carried too far afield.  We look for another to help us when the means to accomplish what we seek is right under our noses.  This being the case I decided to post a list  (by no means complete) of ten life enhancing ways that cost absolutely nothing.  They require little or no planning and are easy to incorporate into daily life.

So here is a list of just 10 free and easy ways to enhance your life:

1. When you dream, dream big.

Donald Trump said “If you’re going to be thinking, you may as well think big.”  What goes on in your own head costs nothing so you may as well go for it!

2. Take a few deep breaths during the day

Often we are so busy rushing and trying to get stuff done that most of our life is lived unconsciously.  During the course of a day it is easy to take a few seconds to re-centre yourself, to re-align with your inner guide so that what you are doing and the choices you are making are the ones you really wish to make and not choices that come about as your Ego reacts to a situation or habit.

3. Sit up straight

If you have ever watched a young child sit you will have noticed that they naturally sit with a straight back.  Sitting up straight not only has a beneficial effect on your posture but also puts less strain on your back, joints and muscles.

4. Walk with your head held high

‘chest out shoulders back’ – good posture makes you look and feel more confident and makes your clothing hang better.

5. Be pleasant and respectful to other human beings

What you sow you reap.

6. Be thankful for what you have

When you appreciate what you already have you set forth energies to let the universe know that you are abundant.  Like attracts like so feeling abundant attracts more abundance.

7. Be happy for others

Praise that which you want.  As with #6, being happy when others have or do something you would like sends forth energies to the universe to tell it that you are happy with what you have but are available to receive more.  By delighting in others good fortune you participate in it in a positive way, you invite it into yours and it becomes part of your life – again, like attracts like.

8. Have a bedtime routine

Getting into a routine is also a good way for your body to realise that it is time to sleep.  You can make your routine personal to what works for you.  Start maybe 30-60 minutes prior to the time you would like to fall asleep.  A few things your routine could include are: a shower followed by pjs, a 5 minute tidy of the main rooms, planning for tomorrow, making lunches, meditation or laying out of clothing for the next day and a spot of reading in bed for 20 minutes to finish off the day.  Do what ever suits you, makes you feel relaxed and fits in with your lifestyle and commitments.

9. Wake up 10 minutes earlier.

You will be amazed at how much extra you will get done, even if it is spending time having a more leisurely breakfast.

10. Be still with yourself.

Give yourself time to just be; to be with your own energy, not the thoughts and ideas of who you have learnt to be.  Being still allows your higher self (who you truly are) to come to the fore to guide you.

Enjoy

.

Other postings you may enjoy reading:

Honouring your core values

Are you a participant or a bystander in your life?

Look for the oneness in others today

Simplicity can be simple

Dream Big~it’s free

~ ~ My contribution is on page 12

Enjoy

[issuu layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml showflipbtn=true documentid=100305093905-d29f2409c08a42e3be819a6521dbe9fe docname=de-stress-spring2010 username=stress-solutions4life loadinginfotext=De-Stress%20Spring%202010 width=420 height=272 unit=px]

Other postings you may like to read:

Simplify your wardrobe

Do you have a theme for 2010?

.

All the moments of our day are there to be lived.  By being mindful of the small as well as the big periods of time in the day our awareness increases and we become more conscious of what we are doing and how we are living.  Often it is in the little bits of ‘spare’ time we have where we can be productive – micro productivity.  Those moments which easily pass by and are not thought of can add up to a large part of the day.  In any twelve hour period, say 8am and 8pm, if we spend 5 minutes each hour not being mindful of what we are doing this adds up to an hour a day!

5 things to do whilst you boil the kettle (or waiting for the toast to pop etc, etc) :

1. Go through the utensil drawer and get rid of anything that you never use

Pick just one thing and throw it out, if you aren’t using it then no one else will probably either.  Throw out anything that you can’t remember what you bought it for – the butter curler, avocado de pipper, citrus zester or at least the pair of tongs which works the least.

2. Wipe the bit in the fridge where the milk sits

It usually needs it

3. Take one thing that doesn’t belong in the kitchen and put it away

4. Find a home in a cupboard for something that usually sits on the counter

Having clutter free benches in the kitchen makes life easier.  It gives more room when preparing food and makes for easier and quicker cleaning

5. Just be

Spend those few moments being still, letting all that has happened during the day or will happen wash over you.  Realign yourself.  Often this can be the most productive way to spend a few minutes.

.

image by Wendy Piersall

Enjoy

.

Other posts you might like reading:

Life is in the doing not the having

Why living the life of your dreams is not being selfish

Our choices make our life

.

As so many of us use computers for work and play these days it is a side of life which sometimes becomes neglected in our simplifying efforts.  Usually because all our computer files and online life is stored in a neat little laptop or a rather spiffy looking white Mac; a calm exterior which often belies the jumble of old and irrelevant files, draft typings, a bookmark column that stretches on forever and a desktop resembling a holding pattern in the skies around Heathrow Airport.

Sound familiar?

As it is very easy to go off on tangents when being online or working on the computer many things get stored without giving too much thought to whether it will be actually used.  With it being so easy to duplicate files it’s possible to end up with many drafts of different projects.

Organising computer files, especially if they have gotten a bit confusing, can take a while and whilst it is possible to do it all in one go it can be tiring and is easy to get distracted.  It’s best to do it in increments of 10-15 minutes a day starting just before you start your computer time.

Here are three suggestions to help you on your way:

Clear your desktop ~ Spending time looking for a file because you ‘know it’s on the desktop’ is not the most efficient use of your time and seeing a vast array of icons doesn’t make for a calm or organised computer experience when you first turn on your computer.

~ Have a ‘to delete’ file on your desktop.  As you download things to print off or temporary things that you do not need to keep, you can place them in this folder and empty it every month or so.

~ Remove everything from your desktop that doesn’t absolutely need to be there.  The desktop is a gateway not a repository.

Get rid of unwanted or non useful files ~ although computer space is not usually a problem now, it still makes for an easier life if there is not a bunch of things on your computer that are no longer relevant.

1. start a ‘to read’ folder.  Anything you come across you saved in order to read but never got around to it save into this, if you think you will definitely read it otherwise delete immediately.  When next downloading something you think you would like to read – this is the place to store it
2. start a ‘to delete’ folder.  It’s easier to just drag unwanted files into it rather than deleting one by one.  Also if you are feeling a pull at deleting things it can give you a grace period before actually deleting
   what to get rid of -
3. Delete any old drafts you created that you have finished versions of
4. Delete all those folders you opened but never put anything in
5. Anything that is no longer useful should be deleted
6. Sort out any duplicate files and delete as necessary
7. If you have files or folders which you feel you must keep for personal, tax or legal reasons then make a special folder for them and either store it on the computer or put in on a memory stick

Organise your computer files like you organise your paper files ~ that way your thought processes are similar and it will be easier to find what you are looking for.

Enjoy

image credit Katie@!

.

Other posts you might like:

Work is life and life is work: it’s all balance

Look for the oneness in others today

The external journey is so passe

.