Archive for May, 2006

31
May

Mindfulness

Good Morning,

On many occasion I am often asked what is the big deal about all this
“mindfulness”? Most people feel they are very awake and very aware of
their lives. Though this may be true for them, the majority of us
mistake our ever roaming mind and it’s thoughts for “awareness”. Of
greater consequences is thinking that these thoughts are us and our
lives when really they are no more than electrical impulses generated
by our brain. Care to put this to the test?

What did you think about on your ride in to work today? What did you
think about during breakfast? Can’t remember it all? For many of us
our days are simply filled with the mind jumping from one thought to
the next. . . what am i going to do at work today, what is for
lunch?, I can’t wait till after work, etc. These are thoughts and
they consume our time to the point that we are not living our lives
but “planning” our lives and there is a great difference. Think about
how much of your life is spent thinking and NOT living. . . what did
you miss on your ride to work today? what do you miss when you are
busy letting your mind jump around during dinner or when with friends?

Thinking is not living and this brings me to a simple but powerful
thought for the day:

You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

Mindfulness allows us to regain control of an untrained mind, to
focus our energies on being present in the moment and living our
lives to their fullest and that is a noble goal when it is so much
easier to keep our heads in the sand (or buried in thoughts).

Have a great day and try not to think your way through it, but
instead live each moment fully aware and in the present, you might be
surprised at the real life that awaits you!

Peace and Love, Jim

30
May

Play

Good Morning,

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! With all the cookouts, family
gatherings and social activities to kick off the summer it is no
wonder people relish the time off. As we grow and get busy in our
lives we often forget about the value of play and how we should try
to achieve some form of it into our everyday lives. Sure we can work
harder and plan more, but often in the end we still have no time to
enjoy the rewards of such efforts. This brings me to our thought for
today:

The real joy of life is in its play. Play is anything we do for the
joy and love of doing it, apart from any profit or compulsion. The
secret of play is not in doing what one likes to do, but in liking
what one has to do, this is the real joy of living.

Have a wonderful day and remember the secret of happiness is curiosity!

Peace and Love, Jim