Article Details

Mindful or mindless

What you will get: A comparison of leading a mindful or a mindless life

 

“Do you choose to me mindful or mindless?

 

So where do you find real life quality?

 

Is it in worrying about the past?
I doubt it!

 

Is it to be found in concerning yourself with things you haven’t done yet?
Certainly not!

 

How about wishing you were doing something else?
Nope!

 

You see…

 

True life quality comes from the moment you are in, right now.

 

It may be the sweet smell of a scented candle.

 

The joy you get when noticing the beautiful colour and textures of a red rose.

 

Maybe the intense, strong flavour you experience when sipping your favourite coffee.

 

But here’s the problem.

 

Many people go through life not noticing these special moments, because they choose to focus on the past or the future.

 

I call this mindless living.

 

Here’s some typical traits of mindless living:

 

Be perfect
Always do better
Always work harder
Just deal with things and ignore them
Don’t show emotion
Get a quick fix to problems
Faster, faster, faster
More, more, more

 

Now, as Dr Jonty Heaversedge writes about in his great book, the Mindful Manifesto, there is an alternative to this.

 

It’s called mindful living.

 

And what’s typical of mindful living?

 

Self compassion
Learning “to be” and not just “to do”
Becoming a curious, friendly observer of yourself and others
Connecting with your senses in the moment
Spending more time in the “now” – noticing those precious moments that life gives you every day
More quality of experience, less quantity
Slower, slower, slower
Less, less, less

 

So as you go through your day today, ask yourself what you can be more mindful of?

 

Is it the pure joy you experience when listening to your favourite song on the radio?

 

Is it the amazing taste of the food your partner lovingly cooked for you?

 

Is it noticing the glint in your daughter’s eye as she is delighted to see you arrive home from work?

 

You see…

 

Every day is full of these special moments…if only you allow yourself to notice them

 

Are you ready for a more mindful life?

 

Your success partner

 

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Steve Neale
“Europe’s Leading Expert on Personal and Professional Growth”

 

Psychologist, Executive Coach, EI Practitioner, Award Winning Trainer, International Author, Psychodynamic Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Instructor, International Speaker, Creator of the LPS, Creator of the Accredited Masters in High Performance Leadership

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