Video
Lesson
According to the research, our minds wander about 50% of the time. That means that throughout half of our day, throughout half of our LIFE, we are not present! (And, researchers find, when our minds wander, we are less happy than when we’re actually paying attention to what we are doing).
Think about that! What are you missing out on?
Well, Jon Kabat-Zinn would say you are missing out on your own life!
At a conference led by Kabat-Zinn in Minneapolis a few months ago, he told attendees that, no matter how much longer we will live, there are an INFINITE number of moments between this breath and our final breath. How many of them will we be present for? If we want to extend our life, we must expand our presence.
So where are you?
If you are at your computer, ARE you at your computer? Or are you on the beach in Mexico…. or in tomorrow morning’s meeting… or at last week’s argument with your daughter?
If you’re playing with your children, are you playing with your children?
In the few months since I heard Kabat-Zinn speak, this simple question — AM I HERE? — has been a game-changer for me.
It calls me to the present. It calls me to my LIFE.
Your Mindful Move
Just for today, practice asking yourself this question. Am I here? Am I REALLY here?
Perhaps you might want to set an alarm on your phone — maybe have it alert you a few times during the day as a prompt to check in with your internal GPS.
Know Your Location!
