Put simply, mindfulness is awareness of the present moment and circumstances. The concept of mindfulness is Buddhist in origin and can be defined in many different ways in modern society: for example, as a kind of mental attitude that one may adopt, or a set of techniques that can anchor a person’s consciousness in the present. People think many thoughts at once and many of them are concerned with the past, or the future, or abstract things. Being mindful means keeping your mind on the here and now.

This can be very calming, allowing worries and regrets to be left alone, especially when it is the focus of meditation. Mindfulness is currently frequently discussed in the media as a treatment for many things, including serious anxiety and depression, chronic pain, and feelings of being overwhelmed by modern life, stress relief. However, being mindful is not always easy, and mindful meditation, in particular, needs regular practice to become effective.

One might choose to be mindful in daily life simply by paying attention to current tasks, but mindfulness is usually associated with doing so with a particular attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance. That way you can be open to your actual experience, free of preconceptions and without being distracted by your reactions to it. Mindfulness is at its most acute when one is focussing one’s mind entirely on it: such a state of mental focus being described as meditation.

Meditation is sometimes described as ‘falling awake’ as a contrast to falling asleep. Meditation can be classified as concentration meditation, where there is one particular focus, such as a sound, or as mindfulness meditation where the focus is on all aspects of the present moment. However, complete awareness of the present is very often easier to achieve by paying particular attention to one aspect of it, at least initially, so the two kinds of meditation are intertwined.

The movement of breath into and out of the body is a very popular initial focus of attention in mindful meditation as it is always present and involves just enough bodily movement to keep one interested. Some people prefer a repeated silent phrase (called a mantra), or a set of rhythmic, simple movements, or enjoy being guided through a meditation by verbal instructions and reminders from a teacher or an audio track.

How can you be mindful? Just observe, become patient with yourself. Mindfulness or meditation is no more than being naturally awake, aware and present to what is happening. Most meditation methods support this. All you need is to sit quietly in a pleasant, comfortable place and notice what happens: The sounds and sights around you as they change. Your breathing in and out as it changes. Your thoughts and emotions as they come and go – That is enough – The more, the better.  Try and be mindful every day.

Get in Tune with your Goals – Commit to Yourself

Setting up realistic small goals is fundamental for the conquering of bigger dreams and projects. There are hundreds or perhaps even thousands of techniques that one can put into practice to accomplish our plans.
There is one thing, though – what about self-commitment? Without it, we will not be able to accomplish anything. Are you seriously ready to commit the rest of the year?

Accomplishing goals and plans are fundamental for the evolution of our lives. Progress is happiness, and stagnation is practically death. In the teachings of the Upanishads, (Katha Upanishad), the good and the pleasant are presented as experiences rooted in our nervous system.

“There are two things in this world, and people pursue
either this or that. These two may be regarded as the path of
the pleasant, and the path of the good. Most people choose
the former, and not the good. The pleasant is pleasing, but
passing, and ends in pain. It is different from the good. But
while the good need not necessarily be pleasant, the
pleasant is not good.”

The act of commitment might no be pleasurable at first, but the result of this engagement is indeed more pleasurable than the result of stagnation. It is not enough to plan and strategize; we must strive and fight back our negative habits and work harder to become a better version of ourselves.

The Way to Commitment

The first thing one must understand before committing is to know what we want. This process can be sometimes difficult as there so many distractions in the world and can make our minds vulnerable and prone to procrastination. Knowing not only the reason for what we want but to identify yourself with the result is vital to reach success and fulfillment.

One practical way to develop commitment is to make things incredibly easy. Don’t be a perfectionist. Break down your primary goal into little tiny mini weekly or daily goals. Build up the confidence you need to change the perception of yourself.

Perfectionism is dangerous because it creates lots of pressure and instead of raising your standards, you are creating a hostile environment where the peace embedded in progress is consumed by the irrational awareness of agitation, subtle anger and even depression resulting from an unhealthy level of perfectionism.

Be compassionate with yourself, Buddhist nun Pema Chodron affirms that compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.

Likewise, the commitment to a consistent and steady yoga practice will create humility, compassion, even a sense of stillness in mind, but most importantly patience which will grow gradually with time allowing the commitment for growth to become steady as the breath. Committed to a spiritual practice will help you in life. A yogi once said: “When you can accept the irony that yoga is not about postures at all, then the frustration due to the physical abilities will start to fall away.”

Be committed and conquer your goals.

What are you doing to engage in supportive practices aimed towards your human fulfillment?

Success is a matter of never-ceasing application. You must forever work at it diligently. Otherwise, it takes wings and flies away. At no time can you afford to rest on your laurels— a pause for self-admiration— because there are others who may have eyes on your coveted place and who would like nothing better than to push you out of it, especially if they observe that you have a weak hold on it or are doing nothing to strengthen your position. Despite the great strides that America has made, it is still a country with great resources, many of which have not yet been tapped.  Already in our laboratories, scientists are at work on what many may consider fantastic ideas. These include light and wearable fabrics from wood and other products that will be fire- and water-resistant, materials that will make ships unsinkable, machines that will capture energy from the sun, and even apparatus that will actually record our unspoken thoughts. These are only a few of the things appearing on the horizon, and they are all coming from the imaginations of men, or from their subconscious minds. Perhaps in less than fifty years thought transference or telepathy will be as commonplace as the radio of today. Who knows? It has been said that man can bring into materialization anything that he can conceive mentally, and the millions of things we use and enjoy today prove it. When a man fully comprehends the great power of his mind and earnestly puts it to work, not only will he have dominion over this earth and everything on it, but he may be reaching out to control the nearby planets. You yourself have this inner spark, but it must be fanned until the fire is of white-heat intensity and it must be constantly stoked, which you do by adding fuel— ideas, ideas, more ideas, and action. One man, I know who has many achievements to his credit and who has passed the seventy mark declared that most people fall by the wayside because they are never starting anything. “I make it a plan, and have for years, to start something new— that is, new for me— at least once a week. It may be only the making of some simple gadget for use in the kitchen or it may be an entirely new sales plan or reading an unfamiliar book. I find in following this plan not only that I keep my body and mind active, but also that I put to use a lot of imaginative qualities that otherwise might fall asleep and atrophy. This idea of a man’s retiring when he’s sixty or sixty-five is to me a great mistake. As soon as a man retires and quits becoming active mentally and physically, he’s on the way to his grave in short order. You have seen what has happened to fire horses when they are retired. You know what happens to your automobile when you leave it outside unused and neglected; it starts to rust and is soon headed for the junk-shop. Humans are the same; they rust out or wither and die when they go on the shelf. The plan of starting something new at least once a week brings us to the matter of initiative and how valuable an asset individual initiative is for any person who seeks success. Without it, a man is stopped almost as soon as he starts. Men and women remain in minor clerical positions all of their lives because they never display initiative in their work, never attempt to find new ways of doing their work, and never suggest improvements.

Your very life is your thinking and the result of your thinking processes. Your flesh, bones, and muscles can be reduced to 70 percent water and a few chemicals of small value, but it is your mind and what you think that makes you what you are. The secret of success lies not without, but within, the thoughts of man.