You don’t have to be a Zen master to muster the basics of mindfulness. It is within you, a great toolkit. It relates to being in the now, the ever-infinite present, and not in the past, or the future. It connects, in other words, your inner compass to your innate radar. It helps you to meet situations purposefully. It also helps you to regulate and choose the best course to follow in a given situation. And, when you respond in a mindful way, it can help you turn dull routines into rich experiences, work better and learn to concentrate on the sights, sounds, and smells around you. Mindfulness is meditation — a slowing down of the ‘racy’ processes in your life and career. It is a form of relaxation that will not only nurture greater awareness, but also greater clarity and acceptance of present-moment reality.
Imagine you’re stuck in a traffic jam on your way to office, or an important meeting or, perhaps, a job interview. To begin with, you have ‘stiff’ feelings in your mind. You wanted to create a good impression, and you’d hate to lose the opportunity. But, now you are left in the lurch. How do you react in such a situation? You might berate yourself, “Why did I not leave earlier?” Oh, no, you might also say, “Let’s face it, this is not the best thing that could have happened. I need to stay calm and composed.” Maybe, you could tune in to some good music on the radio, your phone, or in your imagination. Or, you might take a few deep breaths in order to relax.
Don’t Get Worked Up. Relax.
Getting worked up will only lead to pumping up more adrenaline — it won’t make the traffic move. On the contrary, it may also lead to feelings of anxiety, paranoia, excessive anger, sleeplessness, depression, and so on. In other words, the way a situation turns out depends a great deal on your attitude. As Herodotus, the legendary Greek historian, put it, “We are not disturbed by things, but by our opinion of things.”
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