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Baby Steps to Change

I am continually amazed at how simple practices can make a difference to our state of mind.  The only problem seems to be our willingness to sit down for a few minutes and practice.

It seems that even when we want to change our attitudes and outlook on life, we still resist the techniques that will help us. I have a client like this and I often wonder what he does not do what he pays me to teach him. It is our nature to like what is familiar to us- there is safety, consistency and comfort even if it is something that is hinders our ability to enjoy life and move forward.

When we are stuck, we need to become honest with ourselves.  Even though we know that life is not how we like it, do we really want to commit to doing what is necessary to change?  If the answer is no, then take the pressure off of yourself and when and if you are ready, then you will begin.  

If you have even the slightest willingness the most effective way to set yourself up for success it to keep it simple.  Years ago I watched a comedy called “What About Bob?” It was about a person who was trying to improve his life, but fear kept getting in his way. The theme of the movie was to take baby steps.  For some reason, that stuck with me as a necessary ingredient for new behavior.

What do you think stops us from doing what we need to improve?  Let me know in the comments below.

Posted in: A Calm Perspective

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Meditation: An Attitude Adjustment

The purpose of meditation is to relax the body and quiet the mind. Think of your mind as a jar full of liquid.  If you keep pouring more in it will overflow, making a big mess. 

First we need to clear our thoughts so we have an empty vessel to reset our attitudes and outlooks.

Meditation is simple, but not easy.  Simple, because all you do is concentrate on a single point to focus.  Not easy, because the minute you try to quiet your mind, you see just how crazy it is!

Every morning, try this for a few minutes:

  1. Get in a comfortable position- it can be a chair, the floor, or the bed (dangerous as you will probably meditate yourself to sleep!)
  2. Focus on your breathing, without changing it in any way- simply notice you are breathing
  3. Find the most noticeable part of your breathing cycle: For example-The expanding and relaxing of your belly, the breath moving in and out through your nose, or your full breathing cycle.
  4. Keep focused on that area.
  5. If your mind gets busy, gently and kindly guide it back to focusing on your breath.
  6. Practice this daily and work your way up to 5 minutes. 
  7. Keep practicing, even if you do not think it is helping.  I promise, it will!

Let me know how this worked for you.  If you did not even try to do it, what do you think is stopping you?

Posted in: Technique of the Week

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