Showing posts with label mindful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mindful. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Yes, it's 2008 already. Another year has flown by! What are my wishes for 2008? Well, my wishes, desires and goals on a daily, weekly, monthly basis are very consistent; good health, peace, balance, happiness and to live mindfully and with passion. What do you want? Sure, we all have goals and people still make resolutions every year at this time, but forget about what you "should do"...... what do you want to do? We spend much time and negative energy and worry on composing lists of what we think we should do or what others expect of us or trying to keep up with the status quo. How about spending time focusing on and pursuing what we want to do, what nurtures us, what truly brings us joy? When you pursue something with passion, you usually succeed. When you pursue something you don't truly want, typically it's a half-hearted, passionless effort, which results in, (surprise!) failure. Once again, remember what Paulo Coehlo says in "The Alchemist",

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it."

Try not to think of resolutions, but rather, goals. Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly goals. Set measurable, specific goals for yourself and check in on your progress. When you say "I resolve to eat better", how do you measure whether you're achieving that? You can't. How about saying instead "My goal is to eat 5 servings of vegetables per day" or "My goal is to have only one cup of coffee per day". You can measure your progress and your results, which in turn, will keep you on the road toward success.

As I stated earlier, my consistent wish, desire, goal is to have good health, peace, passion, balance, mindfulness and happiness. These are actually generalizations. To reach these goals, I need to break them down in to more specific measurable goals. When goal setting, you must also consider the obstacles you will encounter and how you will overcome them. Think strategy! Another must for success is support. How will you find support in helping you achieve these things? What kind of support works for you? An online support group? A likeminded friend or family member to check in with? A book or weekly podcast? Your church? A local community group that meets every Wednesday evening? A professional coach? Find the support you need to help you realize your dreams.

And remember, BELIEF is crucial. You must believe you can have what you want!

Create goals for all the various areas of your life:

  • Finance
  • Career
  • Relationships
  • Health & Fitness
  • Fun & Recreation
  • Personal Growth
  • Contribution / Legacy

And finally, some quotes to help you maintain your motivation;

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline."

"Many fine things can be done in a day, if you don't always make that day tomorrow."

"If you want to have what you have not, you must do what you do not."

And from Stephen Covey:

"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

Many blessings and best wishes for a peaceful and passionate 2008! Do something that brings you joy every day. Create your future and love it!

With love,

Kathleen

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Mindfulness Retreat: Part III

During our retreat, we were up by 5:30 AM each day and began with a walking meditation. Walking meditation is walking together, very slowly, very thoughtfully, in silence. Focusing on your breath with each deliberate step. Again, this puts you in the present moment; the "here and now". So often we really don't appreciate the present. Our minds are caught up with experiences of the past or worries about the future. It is rare for us to relish the here and now and be truly present and aware of now. When you get up in the morning, you most likely quickly begin your routine on auto-pilot. Right? Next time you awake, try emptying your mind and say:

Waking up this morning, I smile
24 brand new hours are before me
I vow to live fully in each moment
And to look at beings with eyes of compassion

Another practice we experienced during the retreat (which is a wonderful practice to start at home) is the "mindfulness bell". When the bell is rung or when we "invite the bell", we stop what we are doing, take a few mindful breaths and put ourselves into the focus of the current moment. After about 45 seconds, we can resume our activities and thoughts.

About a year and a half ago, I purchases the CDs "Meditation in a New York Minute" and I highly recommend it. One of the suggestions given is to change your cell phone greeting (that is, the message that appears when you turn your phone on). This is a feature that most cell phones have. The greeting should be "BREATHE". Now, whenever I turn my cell phone on, I see the word BREATHE across the screen, before it disappears to make way for the wallpaper. It is a great reminder. I see it, stop my hurry and worry, breathe and focus on the present moment. How can you incorporate a mindfulness bell into your life? Well, whatever works for you, really. Every time you hear the alarm of a fire truck or ambulance, you can use that as a signal to stop and breathe and to bring your mind into the present moment (and be thankful, truly grateful, that it is not you who needs the emergency services of the fire department or EMTs). Or everytime you hear the honk of a car horn, or everytime you hear a baby cry. Anything, really. Use a sound to trigger your mindfulness. It's a very wonderful practice.

During the last day of the retreat, we had a Q & A session with Thich Nhat Hanh. Children were able to pose questions before the adults had their turn and the first question a child asked was "Why is the bell so important?". Without missing a beat and being very serious, this is how Thich Nhat Hanh answered: "Why not?" .... pause ..... "Sometimes you have to answer a question with a question. It's a Zen thing."

Enough said!

Friday, August 17, 2007

MINDFULNESS, FEARLESSNESS, TOGETHERNESS

This afternoon I just returned home from a retreat led by Thich Nhat Hanh, which took place over the last 5 days on the campus of Stonehill College, just about 25 miles south of Boston. It was a beautiful experience and I wish to share it with all of you over the course of several postings over the next few days.

For those of you who may not be familiar, Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk who is a leader, teacher, scholar, poet and peace activist who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. back in the 1960s. He has written over 75 books (many of them best sellers) and teaches and practices mindfulness and urges us to live in the present moment, "the here and now". His wisdom and words inspire millions. I was so touched by his Dharma talks during my retreat this week. He will be 82 years old this fall and has lived an amazing life that truly inspires and amazes me. For more information regarding his life and his work, visit http://www.plumvillage.org/ or look him up on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Nhat_Hanh

I will leave you with a gatha I learned this week. Meanwhile, check back to my blog over the next week for more details about my experience with the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh during my retreat "Mindfulness, Fearlessness, Togetherness".

ALSO: He is appearing at the Boston Opera House in a rare public speaking engagement in the US. Tickets are still available for $38 for the one-time speech, which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, August 18th. You may go to the Boston Opera House box office or secure tickets online via Ticketmaster.

in, out

deep, slow

calm, ease

smile, release

present moment

wonderful moment