See the picture above? I took that last year of my frozen creek as it melted. Aren’t the layers and shimmering water beautiful? And the gentle round drops of water waiting to drop off the underside of the ice, echoing the shape of the stones underneath the water . . . with the bite of the cold air it was so gorgeous.
I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! Mine was busy and full of family, but it held just enough of a rest that I got in touch with myself and realized I need some pretty serious refocusing.
Basically I don’t feel like myself if I don’t have a strategy and bigger picture to work toward. I’ve achieved some big goals recently and since have been a little . . . all over the place. To help me sort this out I’m reading some fabulous books. Here are a few tasty snippets:
“A compelling personal vision creates passion. Think about something that you are passionate about, and you will always find a clear vision behind it. If you find you’re lacking passion in either your business or in a relationship, it’s not a crisis of passion; it’s a crisis of vision.”
– Moran and Lennington, The 12 Week Year
“Vision provides you with that line of sight, that emotional link, to help you overcome the challenges and execute. When the task seems too difficult or unpleasant, you can reconnect with your personal objectives and vision. It is this emotional connection that will provide you with the inner strength to forge ahead in spite of any difficulties, thus enabling you to achieve your dreams and desires.”
– Moran and Lennington, The 12 Week Year
This is really what it’s about, isn’t it? Finding power for STAMINA.
But of course the essential partner to stamina is REST. Resting in the right way, at the right times. To me this is at the heart of mindfulness.
HOW TO RESET YOURSELF IN FIVE MINUTES
Just today I found a new way to reset myself whenever I feel overwhelmed and stressed. As soon as I get a chance, I lay down somewhere private, put my phone on mute and set a timer. Then, I try my best not to think about anything for five whole minutes. This may seem simple, but I tell you, when you’ve been completely switched on, knocking out task after task, five minutes of switching off completely is an ocean of time. Your mind returns to your body and viola – you feel like yourself again. Oh, the relief!
Correspondingly, here is a jewel of a quote in The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh:
“But active, concerned people don’t have time to spend leisurely, walking along paths of green grass and sitting beneath trees. One must prepare projects, consult with neighbors, try to resolve a million difficulties; there is hard work to do. One must deal with every type of hardship, every moment keeping one’s attention focused on the work, alert, ready to handle the situation ably and intelligently.
You might well ask: Then how are we to practice mindfulness?
My answer is: keep your attention focused on the work, be alert and ready to handle ably and intelligently any situation which may arise – this is mindfulness. There is no reason why mindfulness should be different from focusing all one’s attention on one’s work, to be alert and to be using one’s best judgement. During the moment one is consulting, resolving, and dealing with whatever arises, a calm heart and self control are necessary if one is to obtain good results. Anyone can see that. If we are not in control of ourselves but instead let our impatience or anger interfere, then our work is no longer of any value.
Mindfulness is the miracle by which we master and restore ourselves. Consider, for example: a magician who cuts his body into many parts and places each part in a different region – hands in the south, arms in the east, legs in the north, and then by some miraculous power lets forth a cry which reassembles whole every part of his body. Mindfulness is like that – it is the miracle which can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness
Isn’t it incredible that mindfulness can be the path to working well AND the path to recovery from work?
Here’s to being still and not thinking about anything! It is the space in which the ice in your heart and body starts to melt and the truest parts of your life blossom. I hope you can find that relief today.
Take Care,
Jenny
PS. If you are interested in more inspirational books, I’ll be creating a reading list shortly. In the meantime, here are links to the books above:
The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington.
This book is all about setting 12 week goals, NOT annual goals. Each 12 weeks acts as a complete entity, so you have a completely fresh start every three months. I love using this structure because it allows such freedom for change. If after three months the process is taking you in a different direction than you expected, the structure already supports that level of reevaluation and redirection. Perfect for creative thinking! Also, there is a strong focus on efficiency and executing tasks. Exactly what I need!
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
This is a classic for anyone interested in mindfulness. The book is relatively short but is an excellent introduction to the practice of meditation and mindful thinking. It was originally written as a long letter from Thich Nhat Hanh to some comrades of his in need of support, so it succinctly gives a guide to mindfulness that can be used to preserve oneself through stressful and difficult times.
