I love my 30 s bcos im slow... im laid back... i don't feel like rushing into something... im not running a rat race in my career. I dont have,constant urge to check emails. I dont want to do what the world is doing. it is just this amazing feeling of being lost to a awesome world, steal some 'Me time' whenever i get a chance and amidst all this the bumble bee boy is growing at a super sonic speed. His english with gramatical mistakes is too cute to be missed. He wants to question something and give an answer to it by saying 'I think its a ....' he also wants to talk fast like adults and would eat away words with a burp...his latest is 'Thirsty crow story taught by his grandmom' He rushes and pushes the crow to fly away happily that's what we hear eats up most words in between lol... he loves walking with the mobile phone in his hand and shaking his head ok, I see, hmm, all imitating the adults in the family.
So ... when I pause and think about this bumble bee he is super busy we all are complaining about time and work and errands I'm glad the daylight saving will strike soon to enjoy an extra hour in the busy day.Have you noticed that our world seems to be speeding up all around us? There are plenty of cultural examples, like Justin Bieber becoming an overnight sensation via YouTube so much so to the tunes of 'Baby' my 4 year old connects my mobile to a blue tooth headset and jumps like a monkey on the bed thats his dance move btw :-!
As a woman and as a Mom or just as you , it’s important for us to recognize the speed of change that’s happening around us, and consider the skills and approaches that have historically contributed to our success and need to adapt to the realities of our lives. Given my large family there's always someone to talk with and learn from. Most recently my Aunt proved, once again, to be an invaluable teacher.
For context, my Aunt is about 25 years older than I am. As a woman, mother, and experienced executive at IBM, she lead a hectic life right from her 20 s. This past few years she s' become calmer, more present, quicker to rebound from disappointment, and has more clarity of purpose. She lives in Australia in a small town . Her new "zen" state is impressive so I asked her how she was achieving it. With a smirk on her face she replied, "I'm practicing mindfulness." At the time I didn't know much about mindfulness except that it was working for my Aunt ! At the first instance I thought its another lecture on positive attitude and life stuff - you know what I mean but it did make sense to me today that im in the 30 s boat. As my friend Setuka grins Oh Priya please do not ask me to read books on life and motivational stuff if I tell her to read a Robin Sharma but Here's what I've learned so far and have been "practicing" for the last month or so and Setuka this is for you my dear friend.
While the 'Me time' rarity circles my life and every mom s life what matters is live the 'Me Time' thoroughly if its one hour of shopping do it - live it. if its a coffee with a friend or a date night with your partner live that moment and please do not discuss your daily errands and managing a toddler it might be the toughest task but not during 'Me times' please !!
So whilst I'm both religious and spiritual I discovered both are different and can have its own meaning. What I've learn about this eleven letter 'Mindfulness' (just as long as my last name 'Ram - chan -dran' is :-))
For context, my Aunt is about 25 years older than I am. As a woman, mother, and experienced executive at IBM, she lead a hectic life right from her 20 s. This past few years she s' become calmer, more present, quicker to rebound from disappointment, and has more clarity of purpose. She lives in Australia in a small town . Her new "zen" state is impressive so I asked her how she was achieving it. With a smirk on her face she replied, "I'm practicing mindfulness." At the time I didn't know much about mindfulness except that it was working for my Aunt ! At the first instance I thought its another lecture on positive attitude and life stuff - you know what I mean but it did make sense to me today that im in the 30 s boat. As my friend Setuka grins Oh Priya please do not ask me to read books on life and motivational stuff if I tell her to read a Robin Sharma but Here's what I've learned so far and have been "practicing" for the last month or so and Setuka this is for you my dear friend.
While the 'Me time' rarity circles my life and every mom s life what matters is live the 'Me Time' thoroughly if its one hour of shopping do it - live it. if its a coffee with a friend or a date night with your partner live that moment and please do not discuss your daily errands and managing a toddler it might be the toughest task but not during 'Me times' please !!
So whilst I'm both religious and spiritual I discovered both are different and can have its own meaning. What I've learn about this eleven letter 'Mindfulness' (just as long as my last name 'Ram - chan -dran' is :-))
- Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. It's living in the moment, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future.
- Mindfulness is about observing your thoughts, feelings, and body without judgment. Rooted in Buddhist meditation, it aims for acceptance rather than framing things as right or wrong.
- Mindfulness can improve overall wellness. It has been proven to be beneficial for our bodies and minds. Research studies have shown improvement in the immune system's ability to fight off illness, increased positive emotions, reduced stress, increased focus, improved memory, and improved empathy.
I realize this might
sound a bit hokey or too abstract for some. Here are actionable things to
train our minds to stay in the present, be highly productive at work and home,
and energize, rather than drain, us.
- Change the lens. We all perceive situations based on our beliefs, opinions, and ideas. Without realizing it, these "lenses" shape how we perceive information. As humans we tend to recycle the same thoughts or thought patterns. This can be limiting, negative, or judgmental. Trust me I hate the damn word 'Judgemental' I was recently frustrated by a comment a Mom made on my 4 year old s naughty attitude who is busy practicing some pushes and kicks on his timid friends not always when some do not co - operate or annoy him . Almost my entire family genes with boys especially is being super naughty and then the same boys grow up to be the most shy and quiet personalities so I kind of relate to it and my cousins jokingly ask me who got the punch today. But trust me he looks so cute when he does that it cracks us up but I have to stop it if it goes over the bucket. I jokingly tell my family and friends maybe he took Mr Marwah s comment very seriously my parents neighbor in Mumbai gifted my new born son a silver bangle which in Punjabi is called 'Kada' and its from their Gurudwara (place of worship)and Mr Marwah said 'Beta Maarke aana lekin kabhi Maar Khake mat aana' meaning ' You hit but do not get hit by others' :-) Okay so while I intervene and ask him not to do it this judgemental person who has a lot of time in life so I say creates a bibiliography on me and my son. Get a life please don't judge a 4 year old. They just go through these phases big deal !! .......okay now im deviating from my spiritual being sorry so as per my Aunt, Mindfulness involves consciously exploring these "lenses" in the moment to break habitual patterns that aren't productive and retrain the mind. And maybe most importantly, be comfortable not thinking at all. Be at peace with simply being
- Distance is good. Mindfulness encourages us to step back and examine how our body, emotions, and thoughts come together in response to a situation so we're not carried away, or along, by it. Put some distance between the experience and your reaction to it, particularly when you can sense a strong emotional response.
- Think small….really small. This one is pretty hard. Slow down and examine small, routine actions to raise awareness of your body and your emotions. There's a raisin exercise that's commonly cited in mindfulness. You eat a handful of raisins one by one, rather than tossing a handful in your mouth, so you can individually observe the taste, feel, and process. The idea is that by raising awareness of small habits or moments you actually increase your ability to influence larger, more stubborn habits or moments. (Admittedly, I haven't attempted the raisin exercise yet).
- Meditate in a way that resonates with you. Whether it's 90, 60, or 10 minutes, have a formal daily practice of focusing on the present through meditation. For my friend Setuka I introduced her to a Zumba class if you cannot do yoga or those meditation related stuff do anything that resonates you why not be a hip hop or Zumba class right ..
Many of us would agree that increasingly we live in world of grey ambiguity, rather than black and white certainty. And, that world seems to be moving faster, as technology advances afford us greater transparency and the ability to analyze, understand, and disseminate information much more quickly. I’m curious if you agree that the world does seem to be spinning on its axis just a bit faster. How are you preparing yourself to be successful in a rapidly changing environment? our kids are the best example they are growing so so fast. So Pause breathe think. watch this video and tell me what you think. Thank you once again for subscribing to my blog. Enjoy that 'Me time rarity' I aspire to watch a broadway with my buddy in NYC that's my planned 'Me time' for this fall and I'm looking forward to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwWhvm5RHZE&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwWhvm5RHZE
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