The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is nothing we can do to change until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds. R.D. Laing

Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life. Marcus Aurelius

Addicted to our smart phones, tablets and notebooks, we’re living in an age of faster, cheaper, better. Burdened with information overload, our to-do lists never seem to get done. Multi tasking is the norm. We’re ‘on’ 24/7. Caught up in a continual state of busyiness there never seems to be enough time.

Few of us live in the present. With an eye always on the past, remembering what has gone, we are forever anticipating the future, never living in the present – and never relaxing in the immediate state of what is happening here and now.

So, how you may ask, can we change all of this and live a little more sanely?

Well, for starters, you can start by practicing mindfulness.

Mindfulness, or mindful living, is a focused awareness of the present moment, a state in which you are fully aware of the people and events going on around you and of the impact of your actions.

When you are being mindful you are:

1. Fully present – when in a conversation with a someone, you are truly present, right there. In a ‘bubble’ as it were. Your phone is off or on mute; you are not glancing at your computer, looking for the next email. You are actually listening, participating in the conversation. Two people, but one-on-one.
2. Considerate and intentional with your life decisions – Rather than always in an reactive mode, you are proactive, fully engaged in what you are doing and whom you are being.
3. Balancing your personal and work life – as best as you can recognizing that ‘balance’ is something is something you actively have to work at to achieve. The closer you are to your life’s work, the more the ‘balance.’
4. Always asking why – i.e. why am I doing this? Why am I producing it this way? Why am I doing business in a particular location? Asking ‘why’ encourages you to go deeper, to truly think about your direction and to consider what’s really important.
5. Aware of your consuming habits – the media you watch, the food you eat, the products you purchase. Before buying, consider the impact.

Attaining a state of mindfulness doesn’t come overnight, though. Beginning in the remote corners of your consciousness, over time, ever so slowly, with work and patience, from the smallest of seeds it blossoms into a new way of thinking and seeing the world that helps you to be more attentive, more loving – and more intentional when you are choosing the priorities and actions that best fit your life mission.