I am often reminded of the power of taking a few moments to simply stop and breathe.
Recently, I completed a 21-day meditation challenge. Every day for 3 weeks, I woke up, fed the cats, put the coffee on and then sat in silence for 20 minutes. I was amazed at what it did for my patience, my creativity and the level of intention that I brought to my work. It also gave me a keen awareness of when I am not showing as my best self. I started noticing that the last few minutes before heading out to work, my mindfulness flew out the window in a flurry of activity of looking for my keys, packing my briefcase, all while balancing an extra-large coffee in hand.
And then I remembered a habit that one of my clients had adopted. Before he leaves in the morning, he sits on his couch quietly for just 5 minutes, drawing his attention to who he wants to be in the world. Not what he has to “do,” but who he wants to “be.”
Along that same line of thought, my partner, Justin, has developed an effective practice of meditating before he puts his car into drive. He starts the engine and as it warms up, he closes his eyes and takes 10 deep breaths, yep, about 60 seconds. As the car idles down and falls into a steady hum – so does he. I’ve noticed how this has affected his patience on the road and how much safer I feel in the passenger seat!
So, I thought that I would give it a try. I was surprised how often I’d say to myself, I don’t have time for that! I don’t have 60 seconds; I have to get to work! And then I would catch myself. What, I don’t have 60 secs? I don’t have 60 secs to centre myself to ensure that I bring my full awareness to driving?
The one thing that we share is the same 24 hours in a day. Time feels like it’s racing by, but we need to remind ourselves that time is passing at the same rate. It always has, and it always will. The only thing that changes is our perception of it. In every single moment, of every single day, we have a choice.
The greater awareness we bring to a moment, the more intentional we can be about how we are showing up in the world and how much presence we bring to our team, our friends and our loved ones.
What would a 60 second pause do for you?
If you were to take a pause, what time of day would be most valuable?
David Graham and Leadership Coaching
The one thing that we share is the same 24 hours in a day. Time feels like it’s racing by, but we need to remind ourselves that time is passing at the same rate. It always has, and it always will. The only thing that changes is our perception of it. In every single moment, of every single day, we have a choice.
