Do you know what we all have in common?

We all have the same amount of time in a day to work with…24 hours. The President of the United States, the Pope, you, me – we all only have 24 hours in a day. Now, what sets us a part, of course, is how we choose to spend those hours and our time management techniques, or lack thereof at times. We’ll tackle time management at another time, because now we are focusing on NOT doing, but on being.

Maybe you’ve heard the term “human doings” as opposed to human beings. We are constantly doing…going from one thing to the next, in constant busy mode, but rarely are we simply being. With the ever present use of technology these days, we rarely disconnect to be in the moment. When was the last time you gave your full and undivided attention to something?

STOP. Stop. Take a breath. Observe your feelings. Proceed.

I talk about mindfulness and meditation a lot…and for good reason!  Mindfulness is paying attention to your present moment experiences, with openness and curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is. It’s not always easy, and it is a practice, a daily practice. Being mindful grants us the opportunity to bring more of our attention into our lives and awareness of our feelings and surroundings.

Whatever you can do, if only for five minutes a day – STOP – do not do anything, tell your thoughts to take a breather, and focus on your breath. I am giving you permission to simply be. As we head into the weekend, give yourself the gift of presence. Give it a try. You may just gain a newfound perspective and what you will reap in return will be priceless.