Can You Hear Me Now?

 Can You Hear Me Now?

Have you ever studied or tried the concept of mindfulness? This is when we concentrate or meditate on staying in the present moment. It enhances one’s sensory perception and allows the physiology of the body to quiet and helps us focus on what is right in front of us and not on one of the million things we think about every day. This form of meditation works best within the presence of Mother Nature. The birds and the breeze and the sounds of the ocean or whatever nature setting you find yourself in is a good place to try it.

I tried this recently and was amazed at how simple it is to do and how frustrating it can be when we slip into one of those thoughts that fight for our attention. It can be just thinking about a plan or some upcoming event to nearly every story or memory stored up in our memory banks. So, it’s not easy to stay in the now. Our mind and our lives are packed with distractions, and they all fight for our attention. But if we can stay in the moment and really hear the sounds around us we can enjoy a sense of calm and perspective like no other.

People use yoga and mantras and lots of things to help them reach the “now” but that’s not the only time the now is apparent. Through my practice I learned how to listen better and give full attention to whoever was talking. I learned that it is a form of honoring another to give them your ears and what’s in between them. If you’ve ever been really listened to you know what I mean. And the cool thing is it’s easy to do and actually makes both the speaker and the listener closer. And in the moment and power of the now that closeness can be catalytic.

Next time you get a chance to pay your respects through listening, give it a try. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ve been missing.

The Final Thought: Gratitude and appreciation have proven powers that help us see what’s important and will cause us to pause. That pause keeps us in the moment where all good things happen.