Mindfulness is the continuous observation of moment by moment internal and external experience, culminating in awakening to one’s true nature of pure awareness and happiness (also known as “Nirvana”) and elimination of dissatisfaction or suffering. It is the unifying thread of Buddhist teachings, which are a set of pragmatic, proven practices and not a specific […]
20 years ago today I graduated with a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, en route to just under four years of pastoral ministry in The United Methodist Church of Florida. I’m very grateful for my three years at Asbury. I had brilliant, dedicated professors, several close friends, loving mentors, and […]
I turned 52 today. It’s kind of a strange, surreal number. Like many of you I feel “younger” inside. I’m not sure how much younger in particular, but I recognize familiar perspectives and instincts that have been with me for as long as I can remember. My ongoing personal growth and healing work is showing […]
By Alexandra DeMarco, Guest Writer As a busy college student, I often find that it can be difficult to live and act mindfully. With ever-decreasing acceptance rates, the academic environment in collegiate America has gradually grown more and more competitive. This academically exclusive society often fosters a culture of increased stress over grades, internships, future […]
Across 2019 I’ve been peeling back the many layers of Buddhist teaching that support mindfulness practices, and attempting to apply them to my self-care, relationships, and work. I’d been studying and trying to practice mindfulness for several years; but it was only when I took this deeper dive into Buddhism, in which mindfulness finds its […]
I’m at a Starbucks, thinking about loving-kindness. My Saturday began early, journaling about loving-kindness while my youngest daughter, Olivia, got ready for us to drive to her high school. There, Olivia and the other freshmen are cheering on people of all ages with disabilities as they participate in the Achilles Nashville 6th Annual Hope and […]
Many professionals find slowing down and focusing on one thing to be counter-intuitive. They’ve been eating a diet of “mindless frenzies” and “getting more stuff done.” The alternative approach is mindfulness habits. Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more fully aware of, and focused on, what’s taking place within and around you. It’s concentration on steroids.
No one will give you “permission” to live in the manner that’s optimal for you. It’s up to you to get clear about what optimal looks like, start “practicing” its associated habits, and begin to develop new muscle memory until it has truly become your life.
As you grow mindfulness, learning agility, and storytelling habits into strengths, all three will increasingly interrelate and optimize one another. Here’s how. Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more fully aware of and attentive to, without judgement, what’s taking place within and around you. It’s focus and concentration on steroids. Mindfulness habits cultivate a curious, […]
Mindfulness, a core career and life strength, is the practice of becoming more fully aware of and attentive to, without judgement, what’s taking place within and around you. It’s focus and concentration on steroids, with a big dosage of stress reduction. Mindfulness is not only the seventh path of Buddhism’s Noble Eight-fold Path, but it’s the […]