We are constantly having thousands of thoughts per minute. The trend is nonstop thinking. We got used to having an inner chat. Our mind never stops. At every moment we are having thoughts which are linked to the past and to the future.
These frequent and uninterrupted thoughts we have about the past involve everything we have gone through, everything that has made us feel bad, everything that we are not able to accept, to forget or to forgive. And these thoughts bring concern, they bring states of depression.
If we are not connected to the past, we project ourselves into the future, thinking about what we are going to do in the next moment and mentally building the dialogue that we are going to have later that day. We are mentally planning ourselves for the next few minutes, days, weeks and months. And that brings us anxiety, it brings us states of stress.
Depression is too much of the past. Anxiety is too much of the future.
And it is precisely because we have these thoughts about the past and the future that we forget about the Magic of Mindfulness.
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Mindfulness – Concentrate and focus
And if the restless noise of our mind was not enough, to make it worse there is still the external noise. Television, people shouting at each other, bars and restaurants with loud music, announcers with microphones in their hands turning our ears into a potty… the examples are numerous.
These auditory stimuli that surround us round the clock and which most of us do not even consciously perceive, guide us miserably throughout life.
These external sounds added to our unbalanced thoughts about the past and the future make us live in the automatic, unaware of our attitudes in the present.
But what is the problem? The overwhelming majority of us really believe that there is nothing wrong with that, the mind was made to think, wasn’t it?
And distraction is something natural, isn’t it?
Yes, distraction is something which belongs to our primitive brain, our limbic system.
Our primitive ancestors needed a brain mindful of the risk of predator attack, so they did not focus on anything for more than a few seconds.
It turns out that we evolved, everything changed, we no longer run the risk of imminent attack by any predator.
And how do we escape from this mental hell, then?
Attention is the answer. Full attention. Mindfulness. Be mindful. Be in the present. Live the moment. These all bring power, bring possibilities, bring life, bring happiness.
Mindfulness – How to live a moment
It sounds too simple, doesn’t it?
But it is not!
To maintain a little focus we need a lot of mental energy, since distraction is natural and focus requires loads of energy.
The Magic of Mindfulness becomes difficult to practice because people are not willing to spend energy in concentrating. People today can not focus on anything because it demands mental effort. People do not want to waste energy thinking.
Getting distracted is easier. And being absent minded is great, that’s why Netflix, radio stations, movies, social networks, drugs, drinks and cigarettes exist. All these tools exist so that people do not pay attention to their choices, their attitudes, their lives.
Tabloid TV shows are there to prove it, because they provoke our fear all the time, make our limbic system take over and people love it.
Would people be able to abandon their thousands of destructive automatic thoughts? Would people be able to abandon television programs, neurotic radio stations, addictions, whatsapp, and social networks?
If we want to have a more attentive, present, conscious and unprejudiced humanity, besides being empathic and resilient, yes, people should abandon these harmful stimuli and tools.
When we are in the present, when we tune into the Magic of Mindfulness we can enjoy a very positive attitude change. We are present for ourselves and for those around us. We can listen to people and speak our minds, we can control our attitudes and change the course of our lives.
Mindfulness – Be present
Being present, far from the past and the future allows us to enjoy real well-being, making rational choices and be attuned to our purpose in life. The materialization of our projects can only happen here and now.
As long as our projects are in the past or in the future they can not come true and will never go beyond dreams and desires. Now is the right time to give form and body to them.
To simply live in the Magic of Mindfulness, feel this moment. You can start by breathing, taking a deep breath, feeling the air that enters your lungs. Feel the air that surrounds your body. You’re alive, feel the life inside yourself.
Notice things happening around you, feel the smells, listen to the sounds, observe what you see, feel the temperature and the texture of the things you touch. See who is by your side, pay attention to people, allow yourself to feel and live in the moment.
If you are eating, feel the taste, enjoy the food that is being transformed inside your body. If you are driving, pay attention to what happens in and out of your car, enjoy the landscape. If you are bathing, feel the scent of the soap, enjoy the moment of pleasure that a bath provides. And so on.
Calm your mind by focusing on what you are doing. Transform your life by acting here and now, after all it is all we have.
Feel yourself, forgive yourself, love yourself and go chasing what is really important to your life.
The Magic of Mindfulness – Pinterest
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The Magic of Life
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