The Power of Mindfulness

Brain drain?

‘Surrender to the present moment, where problems do not exist.’

How appealing does that sound?

‘Overthinking’ can be an issue for so many people – my clients and me too sometimes, so I understand it.

Going over and over the same things in our head, for ages.

Particularly in the middle of the night.

Exhausting our mental energy.

 

This is why I decided to revisit ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle, probably about 20 years after first reading it.

Back then, I found the book hard to get into and on reflection, I don’t think I was ready for its concepts.

This time was different – massive impact! Here are some key points I noted.

The greater part of human pain is unnecessary.

It is self-created, as long as the unobserved mind runs your life.

Yes, often we’re on ‘autopilot’ with our minds running us, rather than serving us.

You are not your mind.

It is possible to separate ourselves from our thoughts and emotions.

In doing this, create a gap, in which we can become an observer of them.

Our ‘self’ is more than just our thoughts and emotions

Life is the present moment only.

The past is gone, the future isn’t here yet.

NOW, this moment, is all we have

Many of us are not living in the NOW.

Instead, we spend lots of time thinking about past events, or being concerned with what might happen in the future.

These thoughts are robbing us of living in the present moment, really living our life.

=> Wow, lightbulb moment! Yes, I can relate to this.

How would someone work on better presence?

🌻 Become aware of the ‘Thinker’

Notice when it’s going on and try to separate the thinking from the self.

This is definitely easier said than done, but practice is needed in the long term.

Most forms of mindfulness practice, meditation or breathing techniques can help with this.

🌻 Focus on the present moment

Again, a habit to be developed and nurtured.

I’ve found it so refreshing and revitalizing when I can ‘be’ in the moment.

Mindful breathing and meditation seem to help with ‘being’, too.

🌻Accepting ‘what is’

Whatever is in the ‘now’, accept it.

Instead of fighting it, wishing it was different, thinking ‘if only…’ or ‘when I have x, I will….’.

If there’s a need to act on something, doing this can enable a response to it, rather than a ‘reaction’.

🌻Notice and acknowledge resistance to ‘what is’

Resistance is what causes the most ‘pain’.

Oh, how true I have found this to be!

It can take up a huge amount of our energy, too.

To sum up…

Lots of impactful learning in Eckhart Tolle’s work.

The book isn’t an easy read, but I think its ideas are gold-dust.

There are also some excellent videos by the author on Youtube.

If you feel that ‘your mind is running you, and you’re on autopilot’, I’d recommend exploring some of Eckhart Tolle’s ideas further.

How can coaching help?

In coaching, I work together with my clients to break out of that cycle.

Coaching can help you:

– Cut through the noise of all your thoughts and form new thinking habits

– Identify beliefs that sit behind your thinking and fire it up even more

– Decide on new beliefs that will take you towards your goals

– Find out what’s important to you, your strengths, the value you bring and your natural abilities

 

If you found this article helpful and want to know more about how coaching can help leaders in your organisation get out of their own way, then do get in touch.

You can send a DM on LinkedIn or email me: suzanne@theinnerpotential.com