This month's blog is brought to you by: Wellness Coach - Katie Wright

Mindful Living. What the Heck is That?                                     Katie Wright. September 27, 2017

We hear it a lot. Be mindful. Honour yourself mindfully. What does mindful mean? How do I add that to my to-do list when I’ve already got a bunch of sh*t to do!
 
Well for starters, mindful living is not an actionable item – you can’t cross it off a to-do list. Instead, it’s a way of going about your action items. Here’s how I see it ...
Being mindful is about 1) stopping your actions to check-in with your WHOLE self (that means your body, mind, and spirit), 2) aligning with your heart (what your heart wants), and 3) using your check-in and alignment as an arrow to point you forward.
 
That was a lot of words. Let me share an example.
How do you stay mindful in the hustle of your job? Feelings of overwhelm and anxiety can creep in – there’s so much to do! Mindful living is stopping the bustle and checking-in with your whole self. Acknowledge that your mind is distraught, your body is tight, your spirit is edgy. Then, and here’s the rich stuff, you anchor to your beloved heart and consciously (aka mindfully) choose what’s important to you. Connect with what your heart and soul crave, and determine what you will do next.
  
Let’s further explore ...
How do we stay “present” when we have to-do lists, demands, actions to move our life forward, mouths to feed, children to pay attention to, partners to tune into, meals to plan, etc. etc.
 Well ....
 Pause.
 Pause some more.
 Breathe.
 Inhale.
 Exhale. 
Breathe some more.
How am I feeling right now?
Anchor to your heart, and ask yourself this very important question:
What is important? What is important for me, the whole me: my body, mind & spirit?
 
Try this:
Pause and breathe. What is important to you? Check-in with yourself.
Once your pause is over, and you are ready to return from reflection, answer this: what did you discover?

1. Do you want to move again, and tackle what you were doing? Will it be with a fresh perspective?

OR

1. Did it become clear you aren’t supposed to be moving right now? Maybe you’re supposed to tune into something you love – your partner, your kids, your own self-care practice.

 
Either option is a fine one because you’ve taken a moment to acknowledge your now, and are consciously moving forward with intentional purpose that came from your heart.
 
If you choose the latter (#2), then bask in this area of love. Breathe it all in. This is a beautiful opportunity to connect to something you love. This allows you to sink into some resonance that your heart is craving. Honouring what is important to you. This place breeds satisfaction, fulfillment, joy ... all those good things. It also breeds the law of attraction. Your thoughts become your experiences. What you put out into the world comes right back at you. You put out love; you get love back. Boomerang. Ex. if you choose to tune love to your partner, your partner is likely to show love right back to you. Maybe this comes in the form of an acknowledgement or affection. Try it on.. play with it. Nothing to lose.  
So, what about staying mindful when you’re a small business owner and the demands of everyday life exist? Well, it’s about connecting to your heart. What do you want? What is important? Define a plan on how you can accomplish both work and personal. Set goals, set boundaries. Personally, I choose to focus really hard on work for a period of time, and then outside of that time I give myself permission to focus on what I love, whether that be my family, exercise, or making time for myself.
It’s about living with mindful, intentional purpose. Anchoring to your heart. Checking out to check-in. Executing on what’s important.

Try this on, and enjoy with deep gratification.  
Live rich.

With love,
Katie
 
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