Those of you who know me know I try to practice and encourage Mindfulness, the exercise of allowing ourselves to fully be in the moment. A Thich Nhat Hanh book for the novice lead me to the joy of embracing those everyday tasks that make up so much of life, like cooking dinner or washing the dishes.

“Wherever we are we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine, the presence of each other and the wonder of our breathing.”  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

It’s a good thing mindfulness practice is forgiving because I am a miserably imperfect practitioner. Especially challenging is when I have feelings that are uncomfortable, like jealousy or anger, or have thoughts that cause me anxiety, like how will we care for my husband’s elderly parents who live far away. Staying with the feeling is not as natural for me as running away from it.

Mantras help me stay anchored. Like prayer sound bites, a well chosen mantra reminds me of what’s important. Lately I’ve been using, “No fear. Action!” to get through financial worries during these recessionary times. Another one that helps me when I get weird with jealousy over what the Joneses have that I don’t is: “Appreciate.” Just that simple word reminds me of the many blessings I’ve received and those I’m fortunate enough to share.

Here are a more tips for living in the moment found on the World of Psychology Blog.

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