Who is in Charge You or Your Mind?

The hummingbird is sacred to native peoples throughout the Americas and they celebrate it as  a symbol of embodying tireless joy and the ability to drink deep of the sweet nectar of life.  What a wonderful description of living a mindful life.

Mindfulness is the cultivation of focused awareness on the present moment.  It is a tireless sense of joy of life and all it has to offer.  When you are mindful you let go of the past, you aren’t worrying about the future you are consciously in control of your mind and focused on the present.  It is the present of the NOW! 

JWT Worldwide, one of the world’s largest marketing communications brands, named mindful living as one of the top 10 trends that will shape the world in 2014 and beyond. Google offers its employees a program called Search Inside Yourself – developed by Chade-Menge Tan.  The program has been shown to build compassion which is beneficial to individuals, their communities and the corporate bottom line.  I only wish Tan was more aware of Perceptual Control Theory  it would strengthen his program.  

The first step to change any habit is awareness.  All day your mind is chattering away.  I think of this as the committee in your head.  You probably take this inner voice seriously, believe it, agree with it, and don’t question it.  This voice isn’t always friendly, it can often be unkind, belittling, fearful, self-doubting, judgmental, complaining, confused and generally unhelpful.  You can take back control of your thoughts. The functional mind doesn’t speak to you but is a tool you use when engaged in tasks that requires you to think.  For the next day or so, use some external signal (when you hear the refrigerator kick on, or the air conditioner start or some other random sound) when you hear the sound jot down the thought you are having.  Then quickly get back to what you were doing.  After two or three days do a bit of analysis-

• What area of your life was the thought about? Family, work, hobbies, etc.
• Are there any trends?
•  Was the thought about the – past, present, future?
• Was it a + or a ∆ thought? Plus thoughts are one’s that serve you and delta thoughts are one’s you may want to change.

The point here is to become more aware of your thinking. When  you find you let it wander and where do you let it go? Are you willing to commit to changing your ability to focus on the present? Do you want to become more mindful?  

Here are six ways to begin.  Pick one, start small and build your endurance.

1. For one minute each hour stop everything you’re doing and focus only on your breath.
2. Mindful eating:  Once a day take time to really notice the color, texture, taste of what you are eating if you can’t do it for a whole meal try it with something that appeals to your sense like an orange, a fresh baked cookie…  
3. Mindful listening: Practice truly listening to a loved one for 10-15 minutes each day.  Listen without judging or thinking ahead about your own dialogue in the conversation.
4. Tune in: Take time to be aware of your surroundings. After a few deep breaths- listen to the sounds in the room, feel your body, see the space you are in, notice the temperature and smells.
5. Zone in: Notice where you tend to zone out and then practice bringing more awareness to that activity.  Maybe you zone out when you are driving, making your bed, emailing, texting, doing dishes, brushing your teeth. Pick one and try zoning in.  For example, count every tooth as you brush.  Be aware of the taste, smell and texture of your toothpaste. How does it feel as you brush your teeth, your gums your tongue?
6. Walking/Movement: When you are walking focus on how your weight shifts. Notice the sensation on the bottom of your feet.  Pay attention to each step rather than where you are heading.

These are starting points, baby step in the path to living mindfully.  Watch for my next blog about more in-depth paths to mindfulness. In the mean time, remember what John Kabat-Zin says, “Awareness gives you your life back.  You can then decide what to do with it.” 

Additional resources mentioned on the radio show:

http://www.hayhouse.com/the-13th-step