Tag: Best Self

How to Live Fully in the Present

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

One of the best personal development skills you can practice is to live fully present.

How many times have you listened to someone speak to you, be it your boss or spouse or child, and you don’t really hear what they’re saying because your mind is somewhere else? A precious moment has been lost.

How about those moments that something wonderful is happening to you, but your mind is wandering around the “what if’s” of fear? Again, you’ve lost a precious moment of your life.

The answer? Learn to live fully present. Here are five tips to do just that.

Five Tips on How to Live Fully Present

  1. Breathe. When we stop to notice our breathing, we slow down our physical bodies, which in turn slows down our mind. Part of living in the present is not rushing by life’s sacred and sweet moments. Teaching ourselves to stop and breathe will help us slow down enough to take in what your child might be saying to you. It might give you the chance to notice that cloud that looks like a hippo in the middle of the sky. Breathing helps you fully live.
  2. Turn Off Your Electronics. In our world of mobile devices, we have created 45 degrees of separation as we look down at our phones instead of up into someone else’s eyes. The world of social media and online communication can be a positive and wonderful aspect of daily life, but it can also rob us of moments. When you are having coffee with someone, turn your phone off. When you are aware of a wonderful moment, don’t see it through your phone’s camera lens; see it through your own eyes.
  3. Center Before a Meeting/Conversation. When you are about to enter a meeting, especially during a busy day, it is important to take a moment and “center” yourself. Stop and breathe and think through your intentions. How do you want to present yourself? What is your intention in talking to this person or having this meeting? It is amazing how much more you can be present in a meeting just by taking a few minutes prior to the meeting to get centered.
  1. Stop the Time Traveling. When you find your thoughts travelling back to the past, stop yourself and think about your circumstance that moment. When you sit and find your thoughts dreaming about the future, stop yourself. In doing this you will be practicing how to focus on today and right now.
  1. Practice Mindfulness. We have all been on the road driving somewhere and suddenly we find ourselves at our destination, not realizing how we got there. That can become a common occurrence if we don’t practice mindfulness. Be aware as you do everyday tasks like brushing your teeth or climbing the stairs. Be mindful of every step you take. Practice mindfulness in the little tasks, and you will be more mindful when it matters.

What other tips do you have to live fully present?

Sources:

https://paidtoexist.com/how-to-live-fully-in-the-present/

http://executivecoachingconcepts.com/being-fully-present/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2013/09/19/the-multitaskers-guide-to-being-more-present/2/#2715e4857a0b2bbaf7b1394a

 

 

 

6 Small Changes to Becoming Your Best Self

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Need a change? Lacking inspiration? Not living to your full potential?  Drastic changes may not be necessary for this to happen. Being a more awesome version of yourself is entirely within reach.  Simply make these few, small changes and watch your perspective change, your personal contentment increase, and your self-satisfaction grow.

inspiration

  1. Start each day with gratitude.

It is easy to wake up and start the day’s rush and worry from the second we roll out of bed.  Too often we begin our days brushing our teeth to the noise of discouraging morning newscasts, and showering as we mentally list the conflicts, meetings, or “same-ole, same-ole’” we are about to face.  We begin focusing on what is wrong, rather than what is really, really good.  This is the first change we need to make. Before even allowing negativity to enter your mind, begin each morning by filling your head with one new thing that you are thankful for.  Write it down and reflect on it throughout the day.  Considering one new blessing each day causes a shift in mood and attitude, as well as a happier and better you.

  1. Accomplish something small.

No matter how small, choose to accomplish something each day.  Be it making your bed, taking a jog, or adding vegetables to a meal, set a small goal that will fuel your sense of making a change for the better.  Once you begin to develop this new habit, it will become a part of your lifestyle and encourage more small accomplishments. Putting this into practice makes you begin to radiate accomplishment because conquering even the smallest of tasks reminds you that you have more control over your life than you tend to give yourself credit.

  1. Let it go.

Everyone, at some point, has that nagging conflict, that relationship mishap, or that irritating client that eats up their thoughts and energy.  Ironically, however, the person who is the cause of the frustrating thoughts (the frustrater) doesn’t spend a fraction of time giving energy to that which consumes the frustrated.  If you have conflict that is consuming you, LET IT GO!  Don’t waste your energy on what can’t be fixed, nor on what won’t make you a better you.  Flush it out of your system and put that energy into being a more awesome version of yourself.

let it go balloon release

     4. Talk … and listen.  

Go out of your way to make more positive human interaction happen.  Stop and talk to people – ask the Starbucks barista or the bank teller about her life.  Make lunch conversation with the co-worker you haven’t reached out to.  Take a few minutes out of each day to make meaningful conversation and remind people in the universe that they matter.  And listen to them! You will be surprised at how good it feels to make others smile when someone takes time to care for them.  You’ll also find that you learn a lot by listening.  Even more, your burdens will lighten as you begin to by habitually consider others… and you might even make a connection that will change your life because of it.

  1. Take responsibility.

If you are unhappy with something in your life, refuse to play the blame-game.  Look at what you can do in your power to change what you can.  Each day, take a few minutes to consider what you don’t like, what you’ve messed up, what is mediocre, as well as what you’ve done really, really well – and own it.  People will trust you more, and you will empower yourself when you recognize what you have done to put yourself where are.  You’ll also, again, realize that you are much more in control of your life than you have given yourself credit, and you’ll uncover motivation to become a more powerful version of yourself.

  1. Try something new.

Nothing will inspire more change and betterment than when you actually take a step outside of your normal.  Make a list of both small and huge aspirations that you might want to try.  It could be eating at a new restaurant, it could be taking a French class, it could be mentoring a kid, or it could be signing up for a triathlon.  You might find yourself in uncomfortable or awkward situations at times, or you might even find that you have discovered a new thrill.  Nonetheless, by challenging yourself, you will experience personal growth, and you will discover more personal strengths than you imagined you had.

Life is too short to be less than awesome.  You have the power to be the best you there is, and the road to your best can start with small changes today.  What small changes will you make?  How can we help?  Contact us today and let’s make this next year your best ever.