Platinum Author
"My father says that almost all the world's asleep; everyone you see, everyone you know, everyone you talk to.
He says that only a few people are awake, and that they live their lives in a state of constant, total amazement."
-- Patricia Graynamore, from the movie Joe versus the Volcano
Someone from the positive psychology listserv I belong to had this quote attached to his signature. It rang so true. I remember the movie (not one of Tom Hanks' best moments) but not the quote. When I talk about how easy it is to fall into the trap of living life on automatic pilot and not noticing what's around you I guess it is a bit like sleepwalking. Do you ever sleepwalk through your day?
I mentioned in my last post that I was going to set the alarm on my watch and check in with myself throughout the day to see what I'm thinking about. Instead I found a necklace with Buddha on it that had belonged to an Aunt of mine who passed away ten years ago. Since the Buddha kept flipping around when I walked, each time I turned Buddha to face outward I was reminded to bring my focus back to the present moment. It truly changed the quality of my day. I took a short walk in the park and looked out on the river. My to do list wasn't going away but I was giving myself permission to be in the moment. Do you ever give yourself permission to take a break from your to do list?
When I turn my attention to thinking about how I live on a planet in the middle of a hostile galaxy I feel glad to be alive and a part of life itself. There is power in focusing on the moment. When I practice it enough I can feel that sense of amazement about being alive. Unfortunately it is so easy to get right back into the to do list. With some practice we can increase the moments of total amazement in our lives.
Go ahead and put down the to do list and take a walk in a natural setting.
About this Author
Donna Deming, LMSW, Life Coach
Visit my website: http://www.BreakThroughLifeCoaching.net to learn about life coaching and to sign up for a complimentary session.
Credentials: Master of Social Work from New York University, a certificate in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and trained in life coaching at MentorCoach.
The next workshop titled "It's Not About the Diet" begins July 26, 2010 and runs for 8 weeks at a cost of $139. Please visit my website to learn more and to sign-up for the workshop.
Follow me on my blog: http://www.breakthroughlifecoaching.net/blog/
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