Tag Archives: challenges

Commitment

Conscious Living, ,

commitment

Is commitment really a choice we make?

I’m not sure it is.

The way I see it, we’re all committed to something. The main difference is the degree to which our commitment lies outside our personal comfort zone. The farther away from familiar territory we get, the more conscious we become of our commitments. By definition, we almost have to be consciously aware of these commitments. Doing anything outside of our comfort zone on a regular basis takes effort, and effort is something we can’t help but be mindful of. Continue reading →

I meditated (almost) every day for a month straight. Here’s how you can too.

mindfulness, Uncategorized, ,

balance-110850_1280

Last month I participated in a 30-day meditation challenge.

The idea was simple: Meditate 10 minutes every day for one month.

If the word “meditation” carries too much baggage for you, think of it this way – I was challenging myself to find 10 minutes every day to sit still and just be. This would involve finding the time and space to sit down, close my eyes, and turn off my mind. I could focus on my breath for guidance, but was supposed to let the seemingly constant noise of regular thoughts come and go, without dwelling on them.

When I saw my friend Steve post this challenge on his Facebook page, I knew I had to dive right in. I’ve been wanting to incorporate a regular meditation practice into my daily routine for a while now, since the benefits of skillful relaxation that meditation are hugely appealing. Less anxiety, better moods, feeling calmer in the face of stress and adversity. Who couldn’t use more of that?

Plus, if I couldn’t find 10 minutes every day to prioritize something as simple as being still and shutting up, then there were bigger issues I needed to address. Continue reading →