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Rest Your Mind... Some Personal Motivation
It's the Summer...A Great Time to Practice
I received some feedback not that long ago that went like this, "Hey KathyG, you are hard-charging." And, of course, like any feedback I get, I always ponder it, try and find the meaning in it and perhaps change it, if I want to. But this feedback was different, I didn't have to do any of those things, I own it and I like it! But it still felt different, so I did some soul-searching and what came up for me is that, I know life is not a sprint, so why am I sprinting?
Everyone knows I come from the "concrete-jungle," yes, I know what you guys say about New Yorkers, and it's not all true! But what is true is the "hard-charging" aspect of the life there. Guess you can take the girl out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the girl! So from the time I was a young professional, I'd wake up every day and hit the floor thinking of all the things I had to do, all the things I hadn't done, all the things I should have done...you know the drill! So fast forward 25+ years later - I'm still waking up that way! Seriously? I've now concluded, it's a startling way to start your day for sure! So how can I stop sprinting?
Over the past few weeks I've been practicing two new ways to rest my mind before I hit the floor and start my day. Don't worry, I'm not getting all "Zen" on you. These strategies don't take a lot of time to do - but you really have to practice - and what better time than to practice in the summer!
Two quick strategies to rest your mind:
1. Clear your head, before you get out of bed! Don't think about anything! Most of our minds jump around from one topic to the next, especially in the mornings! So what does this feel like? Think about nothing for 60 seconds, sounds easy? It's not! If you are saying "Whew, 60 seconds, that's quick...try it - it feels like an hour, especially if you are hard-charging like I am - but it works and you'll feel refreshed!
2. Be present! Have you driven to work and asked yourself, "How did I get here?" Scary thought - but many of us roll that way! It's because we're not present. So when you are in meetings, stick to the topic, don't be thinking about your next meeting. And, if you are having lunch with someone, don't be thinking of the 10 things you could be doing instead of having lunch! Try this: if you find yourself "not present" catch yourself, clear your mind (see how these two interact?), and continue with the topic at hand!
Many of us sprint, but how long can we sustain a sprint and at what cost? Took me a while, but I figured it out...not long! These simple strategies worked for me! They really made a huge difference in my life - hope they work for you!
Commit to practicing these strategies and I promise they will make an impact on your life too!
Enjoy & Happy Summer!
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