Why Mindfulness is the most important thing there is
We pay so much attention to doing – doing more, doing better, doing more efficiently and filling every space with more doing. But we pay so little attention to the most critical thing there is – our state of being.
Your state of mind when you do the doing is critically important isn’t it?
Your state of mind, and in this I include your emotional state, affects everything – It affects the quality of every decision you make, the quality of every action you take and the quality of every interaction you have with the world and with other people, It determines our very perception of reality and ultimately the world that we project into being
With mindfulness, we become aware of our inner workings we learn to observe our thoughts and emotions and with that self-awareness, we can take steps to protect ourselves and others when our state of being is potentially problematic. We develop the ability to manage ourselves from within and process painful emotions in the body, without reacting, making poor choices or acting unwisely and projecting more pain into the world.
How would it be if you made it your habit to “check in with yourself” regularly during the day, particularly before you do anything important?
Before you make that phone call – check into your body, are you carrying stress, maybe a trace of irritation, relentlessness, or agitation? Do you want to carry that into the phone call? If it’s really strong in you, you might want to take yourself for a walk or sit and meditate for a bit and make your call when you are in a better place, but usually, three mindful breaths will be enough. How would it be if you checked into yourself before pressing send on that email? Three mindful breaths and you might find yourself rephrasing it or even pressing delete.
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”
― Being Peace
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That great master Thich Nhat Hanh used to put his hands together and bow gently whenever he greeted someone, it was his way of checking in – Energetically saying “I’m here and now with you and I greet you in presence”
Now you’ll look a bit odd if you did that in most settings, but how would it be if whenever you greeted someone you took three mindful breaths, checked into yourself, noted the irritation you are carrying from earlier in the day or the rushing you still carry from your journey to work? You could then acknowledge your own state of being and with that awareness choose to project something else into your interaction, maybe an energy of calm, peace love or compassion.
Watch people change in front of your eyes when you greet them mindfully, they feel the quality of your attention, they know they are being listened that you are really there with them, and people become calmer, and less reactive themselves. Difficult people become more helpful, people like you, are open to you, doors open and new possibilities arise – not because of what you are doing but how you are when you do the doing.
How would it be if you could consciously project an energy of positivity in everything you do? You might do things from a place of fun, enjoyment, excitement or enthusiasm with an energy of adventure or passion for the heart. Can you see how that affects the outcome – the quality of everything you do is transformed through your mindfulness, and the world you project into being is determined by your quality of mindfulness.
Mindfulness really is the most important thing there is
Plug back into mindfulness and send your friend and relatives along – New Neal’s Yard mindfulness course starts soon
Join me on the enlightening journey to completing mindfulness
