Finding Our Best Selves: Mindfulness

Have you ever stopped, taking only a minute, to fully quiet your mind from the chaos around you and just be? Sounds simple enough. But in fact, it proves to be a challenge for even the most committed people. But mindfulness is important for peace and good health. In a world full of computers and tablet, and smart phones, and TVs, with digital this and high-speed that, it's even more important now than ever before that we find ways to unplug and simply just be. We spend very little time in the present. Dr. Donna Rockwell describes our lack of presence by "bemoaning the past or catastrophizing the future." The present is the only real moment we have. But to truly live in it, we must reflect upon ourselves. We have to pay attention to the moment we are in with intention and focus, letting go of resentment from the past, judgment of our present, and anxiety of the future.

"Mindfulness helps improve our concentration and reduce ruminative thinking that contributes to the high levels of stress that is so prevalent in our society."

Psychology Today  

So how do we step out of the chaos and messiness that is life, every day, in search of our inner-self? Even if it is for only a minute? Building self-awareness is key to mindfulness. And we do this by digging deeper into who we are. When we look at life, we see things not as they are, but rather as we are. But when we can understand ourselves, we can begin to expand our thinking and ultimately our horizons, letting us move past our present and into a better, healthier version of ourselves. 

Here are a few questions that we can ask ourselves, one for each day of the week, to help us dig deeper into our inner-self. I challenge you to take a minute each day for a week, asking one of these questions and exploring the truth that lives in our hearts and souls, to reveal who we truly are so that we can live our strongest selves.

1. How do I respond to situations that I have no control over?
2. How do I deal with negativity in my environment? 
3. How do I respond when I make a mistake or fail at something?
4. How do I spend my free time?
5. How do I recharge, rejuvenate, and replenish my energy?
6. How fulfilling is my everyday life?
7. How much do I follow through on what I preach and talk about?

Mindfulness is an incredible tool to help us understand, tolerate, and deal with our emotions in healthy ways. "It helps us to alter our habitual responses by taking pause and choosing how we act," Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. Allow yourself permission to slow down and be present. Cultivating mindfulness in our lives can be the greatest gift we can give to ourselves, freeing us to be our best selves.