Stop the presses!

Every once and a while you need to do something for yourself that totally changes the way you conduct your daily activities.  In the Getting Things Done (GTD) organizational system, a weekly recap of one's to do list is necessary in order to stay focused and free the brain from constant action items.  This weekly pause works really well.  In a similar fashion, I will introduce something derived from YOGA that will help you to take charge of your mental state at least once a week.  To be done without any objection and a clear mind.

For some of you, this may be the most challenging and painful thing I have asked you to do to date.  For others, you will laugh and that is OK but when you are finished, I highly suggest that you try this at least once per week to start with, and then move to once per day.  The thing that I will ask you to do: absolutely nothing.  Stop for once in your life and try and just think about nothing.  Find a quiet place in your house, go to the beach, or even in your car away form everything and everyone.  Turn off your radio, your television, your cell phone: whatever it is that will distract you from doing nothing.  A daily or weekly meditation will surely renew your mental state and allow you to actually accomplish more in your alert state.  Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.  Try doing this for at least 5 minutes in the beginning, and then increase to 10 minutes.  When you close your eyes just think about your breathing and nothing else.  If your mind wanders let it, but stay the course for the time allotted.  

You know sometimes our kids teach us the best lessons.  When my two year old gets tired she simply gets down wherever she is and puts her head on the ground to rest.  It does not matter where she is.  As we get older, our frontal cortex does not allow us to do the things that we need the most.  With deadlines to meet, tables to set, friends to entertain, etc. our lives are full of activity, ubiquitous stimulation, and forever bills to pay.  For the next week try and forget about all these things and get lost in your own mind.  So what are you waiting for?  Go get lost in your mind in a quiet place and let me know how you do.