A few weeks ago, I was out for a run on one of my favorite routes, and this little gem caught my eye. I was super stressed that morning, as I’ve had a habit this summer of asking for seconds before finishing my first plate, if you get my drift. All for the good, but I was feeling it. And then, this. I thought to myself, “Maybe it’s time to take your own advice, miss MindfulMBA.” The universe was staging an intervention by way of my its very own mindfulness challenge for me:
It was all like “Hey girl, maybe just breathe, ok?”
As you know, I give out a lot of advice about how to be mindful. I’m even certified to do it, so I like to think it’s fairly legit counsel. I also really love sharing it, too. Helping someone tap into the potential that is already within them is one of my most favorite ways to spend a minute, or a day. Or forever, I hope.
That said, I sure am a lot better at dishing out advice than I am at taking my own myself. We’re kind of all like that, though.
This week, we dove into the world of professional advice giving, which is a huge part of the business world. Consultants, unite, in your frustration over clients who don’t adequately heed or value your recommendations. What can you do, right? They paid you for it, so they can do what they want with it. Argh.
For a fun twist, this weekend, you’re the client. Your mindfulness challenge is about listening to the inner consultant that mindfulness seems to have a lifetime contract with. And while last week we learned that “No” is a complete sentence, this time your charge is to experiment with “Yes.”
Go about your mindfulness business per usual – meditate, walk, visualize, or get bendy with some yoga. Download a new app, or even try some mindful eating (it’s a thing!). As you do, notice what comes up. Probably all kinds of things, from “I’m hungry” to “I’m scared.” Scared of mindfulness, no? Scared about not getting into school, not getting your dream job, not “making it”? Maybe. It’s your inner self. It feels what it feels, and it may be none of that. It may be something else. Whatever it is, just accept it. That’s how you feel right now. Say, yes – or at least, “I see you.”
Saying “no” is totally ok, you know. But, it won’t make it go away. It’s the truth, after all…it has a way or resurfacing when it’s ignored.
Seeing challenging thoughts and emotions is different than absorbing them. It’s experiencing them while knowing that they will pass. It’s also not about denying them, though. The “current state” is what it is. If you, as the client, decide you want to change it, you have to be real about where you’re starting from. Mindfulness, like any good consultant, can help give you some insight on what that looks like. Implementation is, as always, entirely up to you.
