I recently completed a short course on Mindfulness. I enrolled in the course last year and as much as I tried, I could never focus on reading the materials or the using what I was learning. At the time I very stressed and often felt overwhelmed. I just had so much going through my head that I never felt like I could be calm and still.
Since starting training to become a coach, my path has continued to intertwine with mindfulness and with a calmer, more open mind and willingness to learn, I was able to focus on my course and took away some very powerful lessons and actions.
As it so happened, once I finished my course, I was recommended the book, The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. This book is based on the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the greatest 19th century psychotherapist. The reading went hand in hand with what I had learnt about mindfulness.
From the course and book, I discovered how to calm my mind, observe what was happening around me and be in the moment. I learnt that it is okay and natural for your mind to wonder, and that you can acknowledge that thought but then bring yourself back to focussing on your breath.
The hardest point for me to work through came from the amount of responsibility we have for our reactions and emotions. I was reminded that you are the one that is in control! By acknowledging how you feel and giving yourself time to understand your emotions, you can be empowered to deal with what you are experiencing at a higher level. Through this process no one can have control over you, not unless you allow them.
I have days where I felt like everyone was working against me, but I reminded myself that I am in control of my reactions and emotions, even if I have to say it to myself out loud. No one can get the better of me with me without my permission anymore. This mindset has allowed me to process situations more clearly and respond in a calmer matter.
For me, I had to be in the right mindset to truly embrace mindfulness. I was recommended it repeatedly, but being told it would help wasn’t enough. I had to be ready to change. This lesson has been invaluable for me and I have become a much stronger person from what I have learnt and experienced.
So, long story short… In a world full of doing doing doing, its important to take a moment to just breathe, to just be – 911well
Creating Your Castle Coaching 