Have you ever talked to someone and noticed that there was “no one there.” Sure, they were standing right in front of you (or on the phone) physically but you knew they were not present. And sadly, we are often the one who is mentally checked-out. The one who is not being very mindful.
What to do? Well, a good place to start would be to turn to Dr. Ellen Langer of Harvard who has been studying mindfulness for over 40 years! She has done some amazing experiments and written several books to report on her findings. Here is just one of her many books worth checking out: Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility
The good news from Dr. Langer’s 40 years of work is that mindfulness is absurdly simple. It basically boils down to “actively noticing new things.” Say what? That’s right. Notice new things continuously. As you do this, you become more mindful. Your power increases, your energy level goes up, you become more charismatic, your relationships will tend to improve and you will be less likely to cause an “accident.”
Our new motto to match our mindfulness intention is this: Always be noticing something new! Notice the pattern in the hardwood floor, the way the wind blows the leaves on the tree, the pattern of a wine stain on the shirt, the color of a button on your phone, the color of someone's eyes, foam on the beach, patterns in the sand.
What is something new you notice right this second? How can you assist your team to become more mindful?
