"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein Gratitude is one of those things you know you should focus on, but when you’re hustling to build your business and brand it can be easily overlooked. But did you know that learning to focus on feeling grateful can affect your success as a founder? Here are a few major ways gratitude and success are connected.   Feeling Grateful Improves Your Mental Health "I try to be grateful for the abundance of the blessings that I have, for the journey that I'm on and to relish each day as a gift" - James McGreevey Several studies have shown that practicing gratitude has definite psychological and even physical benefits. When you feel gratitude, it can increase your feelings of vitality and optimism and reduces feelings of depression, while also giving your overall well-being a boost. It’s easy to imagine how this can lead to more success both professionally and personally: the more vibrant, alive, and healthy you feel, the more energy you will have to dedicate to your business as well as your personal goals. Plus, if you begin feeling more positive feelings, you may be more inclined to take a few of those leaps of faith which are so often necessary when taking your success to the next level. This is one of the major reasons success and gratitude go hand-in-hand. Feeling Grateful Shifts Your Focus “Speak only endearing speech, speech that is welcomed. Speech, when it brings no evil to others, is a pleasant thing.” - Buddha Have you ever noticed that the more you focus on the negatives - daily inconveniences, setbacks, hurdles, etc.- the more those things seem to grow and consume your time? By choosing instead to focus on positive developments in your life and business, and cultivating a deeper appreciation for those good things, you will shift your focus toward appreciation for the things that turn out well. As you notice your successes more often, you will probably notice that your success grows the same way setbacks used to when that’s what you chose to focus on. Plus, by becoming a more grateful and positive person, you will become someone other entrepreneurs and business people feel great being around, which can lead to more opportunities for collaboration. A Grateful Attitude Promotes a Positive Company Culture "In the household in which I was raised, the themes were pretty simple. Work hard. Don't quit. Be appreciative, be thankful, be grateful, be respectful. Also, never whine, never complain. And always, for crying out loud, keep a sense of humor." - Michael Keaton According to polls, less than 15% of people regularly express gratitude to work colleagues. What might happen if you decide to become the exception to that depressing statistic and find ways to thank and show your gratitude for team members, staff, clients, and vendors on a regular basis? Most likely, they will get a boost from feeling appreciated and feel even more motivated to do a great job. Not only will this contribute to the overall success of your business, but it will also promote a healthier and more positive company culture. People will want to work with you and for you, because they will feel appreciated. In turn, they will be more likely to express gratitude for you, which can boost your own motivation. Practice Gratitude to Improve Your Life and Business Making gratitude a priority not only feels amazing, but it can also help you become more successful. If gratitude does not come naturally to you, don’t despair: anyone can learn to be more grateful and make gratitude a habit, even if your tendency is to be a pessimist. One simple way to incorporate gratitude into your daily life is to keep a gratitude journal. Start and end each day by jotting down a few things you feel grateful for. Perhaps you are grateful for how well your presentation went, for the beautiful weather outside, or for the fun time you just spent with family. It may feel silly at first, but this simple gratitude practice will, with time, help you to feel gratitude more easily.

When you’ve got your head down and are hard at work reaching your entrepreneurial goals, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important. Maybe a project doesn’t go as you would like, a client runs out of money and can’t pay you, or your website gets hacked. These situations are frustrating, but in the grand scheme of things, they are minor compared to all the things you have to be grateful for. The simple act of feeling and expressing gratitude is powerful. It not only helps you improve your mental well-being; research has shown that it can improve your physical health as well. Despite the benefits, however, it can be hard to make time for gratitude in your daily routine. To help you start practicing gratitude today, we present the following quotes about gratitude from renowned politicians, scientists, philosophers, and more. 1. Giving Thanks to Those Who Have Helped You “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” - John F. Kennedy Even if you work for yourself and by yourself, you cannot succeed without the help of others. Whether it’s a mentor who gave you feedback on your first business idea, the first client who took a chance by hiring you, or the parents who encouraged you as a kid, you have someone to thank for where you are today (and where you’re headed). So, take a moment today to send a quick email, text, or message expressing your highest appreciation to one of the people who has helped you out on your entrepreneurial journey. For another expression of the importance of being thankful for the people who have helped you, see how Marcel Proust put it:  "Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." 2. The Importance of Expressing Gratitude “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” - William Arthur Ward While there is great power in just writing down what you’re grateful for in your journal, it’s even more powerful to express your gratitude in a public form. This doesn’t mean you have to post constantly to Facebook about how #blessed you are. But you could apply the idea to an annual post on your blog about the things you’re grateful for. Or you could send all your clients (or employees) a yearly holiday card thanking them for working with you. Whatever way you choose, don’t let gratitude stay within you; let it out. 3. Be Thankful for What You Have “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” - Oprah Winfrey Setting goals is crucial to growing your business and getting what you want out of life. But if you focus too much on your aspirations (especially financial ones), you run the risk of being perpetually unhappy. It’s not wrong to want more, but it’s also important to remember that you already have great abundance. Oprah’s quote reminds us of the value of being happy with what we already have, even as we continue to improve ourselves and pursue ambitious goals. Or, as Brian Tracy puts it, "Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." 4. Gratitude Is the Greatest Virtue “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” - Marcus Tullius Cicero While this may sound like a bold statement, it’s also true. If you want to be happy, generous, kind, or whatever other virtues you aspire to, gratitude unlocks the path to reaching them. Take generosity, for example. When you’re grateful for what you already have, then it’s much easier to give your money or time without fear of loss, since you recognize the great abundance already in your life. 5. Gratitude Is True Prosperity “Gratitude for the present moment and the fullness of life now is the true prosperity.” - Eckhart Tolle When we hear the word “prosperity”, maybe we imagine having lots of money, or a beautiful house, or even a large family. These are all nice things to have, certainly, but this quote reminds us that when we’re present in this moment, and grateful for the gift that is life itself, we can reach a form of prosperity that doesn’t require material abundance. As Maya Angelou also wisely put it, "This a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before." 6. Gratitude Transforms “Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity… it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie When we practice gratitude, we can transform not only our present lives, but also our relationship with the past and our plans for the future. As we’ll explore in the next quote, all the things that have happened in your past have come together to bring you to where you are today. Not all of those experiences were positive, but each had a role in shaping who you are now. 7. You Are the Sum of Your Experiences “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson This quote reminds us to pay attention to the little things in life. It’s easy to be excited when you hit a major business milestone, make your first sale, or receive a glowing review from a client. But it’s not as easy to see the smaller reasons for gratitude that come between the big successes: the sunny day that puts you in a good mood, the coffee you drink each morning, or the routine jobs you do each day to make the rest of your business run. As Robert Brault put it, "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." 8. Life Is a Miracle “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein To have a chance to live life at all is pretty amazing, if you think about it. The odds of being born are actually quite small, and the odds of you specifically existing are even smaller. Add to that the many advantages you already have that are allowing you to read this article at all, and there’s even more cause for extreme gratitude. You can, as Einstein says, also choose to view it the other way (that nothing is a miracle), but we think he would agree that life is a lot more spectacular if you choose to see the everyday as miraculous. 9.  Don’t Take Things for Granted “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” - G.K. Chesterton Einstein and Chesterton might seem very different on the surface (the former was a physicist, the letter a theologian and author), but they seemed to agree on the importance of gratitude. Chesterton’s statement is a pithy, memorable encapsulation of how gratitude is ultimately a choice. Life is going to throw lots of challenges your way , but the choice to accept these challenges with gratitude rests with you. Or as Brené Brown put it, "What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude." 10. Gratitude Reinforces Itself “The more you recognize and express gratitude for the things you have, the more things you will have to express gratitude for.” - Zig Ziglar This quote shows how gratitude is a virtuous cycle. The practice of being grateful opens your eyes to how many other causes there are for gratitude. For example, you might start with being grateful for your friends. From there, you remember the school where you met and the teacher you had who encouraged you to take an unconventional path. And so on and so forth, with the gratitude building on itself. 11. Health Is Cause for Gratitude "Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship." - Buddha This final life quote from one of the most legendary wise men of all time is a fitting conclusion to our list, for it reminds us that we should be grateful for our health. Good health is easy to take for granted, but it's the foundation for most of the things we want to achieve. Even if it feels like nothing else is going your way, remember that seemingly small things like good health are reasons to be grateful. Cultivate Gratitude Always We hope these inspirational quotes have helped you see that no matter what you’re going through right now in your business or in your life, you still have a lot to be grateful for. With gratitude as your foundation, you can go forward in your pursuits with less fear and more joy, knowing that your life is already full of abundance. Other quote articles you might like… 15 Quotes About Forgiveness That Can Set You Free 40 Intimacy Quotes That Will Leave You Feeling More Connected 18 Entrepreneur Quotes To Keep You Motivated 10 Mindfulness Quotes To Improve Happiness & Eliminate Stress 50 Quotes That Inspire You To Think Bigger, Achieve More, and Enjoy Today

Do you know why finding your why matters? It's one of the most daunting questions we can be asked. "Why are you doing that?" It always seems to catch us off guard and the immediate response that pops into our head, "Because it's what I'm supposed to do." annoys us more than helps us. The answer is one that immediately instills doubt in our actions and once that emotion is unleashed there's no telling where our thoughts will take us. It takes some effort to engage with finding your why, and the answer can be ever changing but when we can answer the question "Why are you doing that?" It becomes the ultimate power boost to our resilience. So, how do we go about finding our why?   Up Life's River Without a Why Let's be honest, achieving in life is hard, it is really HARD. The longer we engage with it the harder it becomes. If we aren't prepared it will slam into us and leave us reeling. When that happens it's so easy to feel out of control like we've lost our footing. With our foothold lost life becomes a wild river rapid, dragging us along it's tributaries until we reach a final destination we never wanted to go towards, and are left to wonder how we got there. To avoid this we have to keep our bearings and maintain our direction. Some specific tools in life help us do that. Aspiration is our canoe, confidence is our life vest, knowledge is our skill on the water, and a why? Well, that's our oar. We can survive the rapids without it, our boat will keep us moving, our vest will keep us afloat when we fall, and our skill will help us survive in whatever way is necessary.   The greatest challenges do not come from without, they come from within ourselves. The one thing we cannot do without an oar is steer. We can't direct ourselves down the paths and parts of the river we want to be on. Without an oar we are at the mercy of where the river flows the hardest. The odds of being on the path we truly desire is not in our favor if we don't have a why. Navigating the rapids of life this way all but leaves the final destination to chance.   The Winding River of Finding your Why One thing is at the core of finding your why, this is your decision making. When you make a decision it is the manifestation of why. Refuse to decide and it's the same as not having a why, decide in haste and the river will be just as unpredictable as if you have no why at all. To navigate properly, you must pay attention, you must engage with the flow of the river. Only through watching for the streams and pathways that will lead you in the direction you want to go will you achieve the results you want. To find your why, the reason that in this moment, you do what you do. You have to look, you have to engage, and you have to decide. That decision, to engage with your journey down the river will reward you, or it will punish you. You will feel the violent push or embracing pull of your why as a result of the decision you made.   To Find Your Why: Make a decision in your life. Reflect on how the decision made you feel. Ask yourself, did you feel pushed away, or pulled towards it. The more decisions you make, the more you come to understand your why. The better you can travel the river.    Your Why Matters It's powerful to put your why into words. To find those words are an entirely different matter. Few things are as the reason why we do things. Our motivations and decisions are wide and varied, but even with all this variation we will always find someone next to us on the river. When we meet this person we can help them or we can hurt them. They can heed our help, or they can ignore us. We encourage you, to help and to heed. 

Is a visualization exercise more than wishful thinking? It can be, without actions a vision can fade but without a vision actions eventually become muddled. Without a vision it's far too easy to get lost on the way to our goal. Worse, if we feel lost it eventually leads to us becoming indecisive. Once indecision tears into our lives it leads us down a dark path of all our progress being halted. If indecision effects us deeply we tend to look for a guide, someone with experience to help us along our path. This usually comes in the form of an external force, a friend, a coach, or the like. It helps in the short term but can become a crutch in the long run if we aren't careful. This is because an external force will not always be there to point the way for us. So, utilizing a third party to manifest decisiveness in ourselves doesn't develop the skill set for manifesting decisiveness in ourselves. How can we become the masters of our own decisiveness?   Visualization is an Exercise to Plot the Path There's little more we face in life as sinister as the motivation destroying tornado of indecision. It's a subtle force that sneaks slowly into our minds. At first we don't realize it's influence but in time it builds into a mass of power until it becomes a cyclone that crashes through our lives. In the wake of indecision's chaos confusion reigns that diminishes of any sense of self-confidence we have. Everything around us feels like a mess, we don't recognize our surroundings and it makes us think we're lost. It turns us around when suddenly we find that we're wandering aimlessly through life despite our best intentions or goals. What's worse is that we know how to beat indecision, we make a choice! Get up and do something, anything! Yet, when indecision has us in it's hold, knowing what we must do does not equal taking action. Indecision stops us because it veils any action we might take as just another step down a road you're already unsure of.   ...if you do not know where you are, then you can't know where you're going... To find our way we have to stop and take a moment to check our compass, find our true north, and verify we're headed in the direction we desire. When we do this indecision loses it's grip! Our steps gain back their purpose and a growing haze is lifted. Give visualization a try with this exercise!   Special Gift: A Visualization Exercise from the Inner Circle Once you’ve reflected on your year, the next step is to start looking forward. Our mission is to help you live a life you're proud of.  So it’s time to think about what you’d create in a life that makes you proud. A proud life is a balanced life that’s fulfilling in all areas. So if you could wave a magic wand, what would you love to create in the year ahead - to build a life that makes you proud?   STEP 2 OUTCOME  By the end of this step you’ll have a comprehensive list - categorized into areas that matter to you - of what you want to create for your life. This list provides a clear vision for your future. It’s a reminder of what you really want to strive for. It’s a reference point where you can sense check any decisions - to ensure your choices, actions, and hustle take you closer to where you want to go. ESTIMATED TIME: 60 minutes ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Life Focus Worksheet TOOLS NEEDED: Life Focus Worksheet What's Visualization? To get to this stage you have to have reflected on the year that’s passed to give yourself a baseline to spring from. The next step is to visualize what you’d create for your life if anything was possible. Here’s why… By visualizing, you can use your imagination to create a new future. And because you’re using your imagination you don’t have to think in the way that you usually do. Instead, you can let go of any limiting beliefs and give yourself space to dream. This is hugely powerful.  When you think without limits and let go of any preconceptions of what you can or should do, you start to explore the things you really desire. You become a shade braver and bolder with your goals. And when you then articulate them on paper, you set the wheels in motion to make them a reality. In this way, visualization can provides a road map - a vision that can direct your brain’s focus. As a result, your future actions, decisions, and observations all work together to help you discover the insights and opportunities you need to make things happen. Have you ever wanted something so much that it consumed you? Then, as if by magic, you met the right person, read the perfect book, discovered the missing insight, or solved an ‘impossible’ problem. That’s the power of visualization.  It kick-starts a chain of action It unleashes your subconscious mind It provides the inner compass that takes you closer to the things you desire. It’s why Step 2 of your Best Year Yet uses visualization to tease out the goals you long to achieve.   How To Visualize When it comes to visualization, here are some tips to help you get the most value from this step. Firstly, aim to banish all your preconceived notions about who you are and what you’re capable of. We get it! This probably won’t be easy! You live everyday under the pressure of perceived limitations that have come to define you.   You tell yourself there are: • Things that you’re just not good at• Successes you could never achieve• Ways of existing and socializing that's just who you are• When you start to dream outside these confinements, things can get scary!• But awesome things can happen when you shrug off those old preconceptions and start from a place of openness about what’s really possible for you. It’s a little like starting a whole new life in a whole new place - where you get to define exactly who you are (and what you do). And because the people you meet don’t know any different, they accept your story outright. This is what visualization looks like. It’s the ultimate view of a life you love. A life that’s lived on your terms - where you’re not squeezing yourself into someone else’s framework and where you go after those meaningful goals that will bring you joy. So how do you visualise a life that would make you proud? Let’s move onto the activity instructions and start visualizing yours...   Action Items: Step 1 already got this process rolling. Thanks to your reflection, you’ve identified things you enjoyed in the past year (along with the things that didn’t go so well). As a result, you’ve already begun to think about what you want to create more of in your life (and what things you wish to let go.) So building on your Step 1 foundation, we’re now going to visualize what your life would look like if you could wave a magic wand and have everything and anything you desired. There are two ways you can approach this activity.   Method 1: Use the Life Focus worksheet You’ll notice the Life Focus worksheet comes in three formats: There are two versions already complete with eight categories And another one that’s blank - so you can focus on the categories that are important to you When it comes to your areas of focus there’s no wrong or right answer - there are only the areas that matter to you. So the first part of this exercise is to determine your categories. Either use the categories provided, create your own, or use a combination of both. Once you’re happy with your categories, now comes the fun part. It’s time to dream :-) Taking each category in turn, if you could wave a magic wand (and have absolutely anything you desire), what would fill each section?   To complete this task:  1. Set yourself a limit of three minutes per category 2. Grab a pen 3. Write down whatever comes to mind   Don’t censor yourself. The benefit of working to such a short time-span is there’s not enough time for your logical, analytical mind to trip you up and keep your thinking small.There key here is to dismiss what you currently believe is possible for you and instead dream as big as you dare! As Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t - you’re right.” Here’s the thing about your brain… It will look for answers to whatever questions you ask. Ask different questions, get different results. Just allowing a possibility the space to breathe can open up all kinds of opportunities that you previously didn’t imagine were possible. And remember you don’t have to achieve everything tomorrow! In fact, it may take you a number of years before you create everything you desire. But that’s part of the fun. Life is about the journey - not just the destination. And anyway you never really ‘arrive’ because every time you achieve a goal you simply open the door to an entirely new target.   Method 2: Sticky Note Method Here’s an alternative take on the visualization task. This is the same goal setting process that we use on our team retreats and it’s hugely effective. The principles remain the same. This is about thinking big and reaching out into the world of desire and possibility. To complete this exercise:  1. Grab a pack of sticky notes and a pen 2. Think about what you want for your life 3. For every idea that you have, write it on a different sticky note 4. Give yourself 20-30 minutes to do this 5. Once finished, categorize your sticky notes into different life areas 6. Then add them to the relevant sections of your Life Focus worksheet The key difference with this approach is you get to think about your life as a whole instead of category by category.   Did you like this exercise? There's more inside the members only community! DON'T LEAVE THE YEAR TO CHANCE. STAY ON TARGET Two Eyes are Better Than One When we reflect on our lives having someone we trust to work through the details can give incredible insight we might otherwise be blind to. This is because those around us aren't caught up in the habits and cycles our mind engages in. When we share our visualization with others it helps clear paths and reveal truths  we might otherwise miss with our singular viewpoint. 

What do you do when you're feeling overwhelmed? Feeling overwhelmed is a common problem that can strike at any moment. As demands roll in from all directions this productivity killing monster often rears it's ugly head. At first it's not so bad. We feel busy, challenged, maybe even a little excited that we have so much to do. There's a catch though. If busy goes on for too long or if tasks pile up too high the excitement quickly turns into despair, action into inaction. But what can we do? The answer is simple in theory, but nuanced in practice. What we can do is ask ourselves questions. It's important to ask questions because the right question and the right answer can change our entire perception of something challenging in an instant. It's likely you already engage in this practice. We all tend to ask ourselves questions about challenges we face, even if we don't realize it. It's the caliber of these questions and what they focus on that means the difference between getting unstuck or falling deeper into the trap that overwhelm sets for us. Surely, at this point you're asking yourself, "Well then, what's the right question?" Good question, but the bad news is there's no single ultimate question we can ask ourselves to get the answer every time. Rather it's the practice of exploring multiple questions and answers that is key in the fight against overwhelm. The good news is we can use other people's trigger questions, ones that help them defeat overwhelm, to jump start our own practice! An Examination of Tim Ferriss' Tactics shared in Tribe of Mentors In his most recent book Tribe of Mentors, Tim focuses on the idea of asking questions. In the book he shares that it was manifested out of a need to fight the monster of overwhelm in his own life. It was during a period of self-reflection that he started to journal about what he wanted to do and how he wanted to grow as a person from 40 onward. The list grew and grew until it became completely overwhelming! How was he going to accomplish all this? Particularly the things he'd struggled with his whole life... overwhelm began to tighten it's grip. In the book he shares that he then asked himself the single question he uses to trigger a perspective shift. "What would this look like if it were easy?" According to the book, the ultimate answer for him was: I would have a whole tribe of mentors to call upon when facing the biggest challenges on my new journey. With this the looming cloud of overwhelm began to dissolve, and he set himself to breaking down tasks using this new perspective. When we're overwhelmed there's an inescapable feeling of everything being so hard! We create a narrative in our minds that the only way we can get through is to struggle. The cycle of this narrative reinforces a perception that individual tasks are a singular insurmountable thing. His question is powerful because it automatically leads us to challenge this core aspect of feeling overwhelmed. What the question shows us is the size of the task isn't what's overwhelming. Rather it's our approach to solving it that creates this perception. So the next time you feel overwhelmed try and ask yourself: What would this look like if it were easy? See where it leads you! Community Contribution Whether your questions cycle you deeper into overwhelm, or they're triggering questions that help you climb out of the hole-- they are valuable! Examining our questions and seeing what others ask themselves gives us insight on improving our own questioning practices.  

We’ve all heard of meditation. It’s when you’re supposed to sit really still and not think about anything for an appointed amount of time (easy right?), but is it worth it? How do we know if we’re even doing it properly? If you’re like us, you’re probably a bit skeptical. Why should I meditate? What’s the big deal? For us, meditation seemed to come up over and over again from people we trusted so we decided to find out once and for all. History of Meditation The practice of meditation (Latin for “to ponder”) has been around for over a thousand years, originating from India. In Hindu tradition, the Vedas (an ancient Indian scripture) discusses the importance of meditation for spiritual enlightenment. Religious scholars would read sacred text and use meditation as a period of thinking and reflection. It didn’t take long for Buddhists and Taoists in China to adopt the practice as well. Slowly, yet surely, other religions and parts of Europe caught on. With the influence of yoga spreading into the western world (which became popular in the 60’s), meditation became less about spiritual enlightenment and more about relaxation, inner focus, and self-improvement; until it evolved into the practice we’re all familiar with today. It’s noticeable that some of the most successful people in the world, such as Arianna Huffington, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, and even Kobe Bryant, all practice the art of meditation. How Will Meditation Help My Body? Photo Credit: julie-smith.net There have been countless studies showing the health benefits of meditation. Not only does it help nurture you physically, but it also improves your mental health. According to an article in HeadSpace, meditation can help reduce: • Stress• Anxiety• Depression• Sleep• Relationships• Cognition The research was done in Belgium involving five schools with 400 students ranging from 13-20 years old. After six months, students reported reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. As for the physical benefits, a study done by Harvard University Medical School, Meditation also helps: • Lower blood pressure• Improved blood circulation• Lower heart rate• Less perspiration• Slower respiratory rate• Lower blood cortisol levels• More feelings of well-being Meditation focuses on the most important aspect of our bodies: breath. Without air, we cease to exist. When we meditate, we’re helping our mind and body come back to its center. All the distraction, cares, and worries are set aside and our minds can return to a sense of clarity and calmness. We’re giving our body, and more importantly, our mind, a chance to recharge and refuel before we jump back into the chaos of everyday life. How Will Meditation Help At Work? No one is safe from the stress of a busy work environment. From deadlines, to difficult bosses, to faulty computer systems, it can get pretty overwhelming pretty fast. So how do you bring yourself back to your center? Those who practice meditation, often bring their healthy habits into their workplace. When you find you’re getting overwhelmed or stressed out, step away from your desk and find a quiet spot to close your eyes and breathe. It’ll bring down your heart rate, balance your blood pressure, and clear your mind so you can focus again. According to Eoc Institute, meditation “can give many the opportunity to increase problem solving skills, and think creatively ‘outside the box’ instead of analyzing problems in the same, drab, and routinely predictable way you have always done”. Meditation is a tool to quiet your mind and calm your body. With it, you’ll be able to handle stressful situations and critical thinking opportunities with more ease and perform at a higher level. How to Meditate Photo Credit: julie-smith.net Now that you know where it came from, you’re ready to give it a try: • Select a time of day where you’ll be able to devote a few minutes to meditate without being disturbed.• Wear comfortable clothing• When you’re ready to begin, silence your cell phone and lie or sit in a comfortable position. (A popular meditation pose is the Lotus position where your legs are cross-legged and each foot is placed on opposing thighs with your hands lying open. If this is not comfortable for you, change positions. Being uncomfortable is distracting!)• Close your eyes• Breathe naturally.• As you inhale and exhale, focus your mind on the movement of your shoulders, your chest, and rib cage.• If your mind wanders, bring it back to your breathing.• Do this for just a few minutes and gradually increase it as you become more comfortable with meditation. Quieting your mind can seem like an impossible task, but with practice, you can master it. The late Steve Jobs was a big believer in meditation and we love this quote from his biography: “If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes it worse, but over time it does calm, and when it does, there’s room to hear more subtle things – that’s when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before. It’s a discipline; you have to practice it.” Once you’ve harnessed the power of calming your mind and relaxing your body, you’ll begin reaping the healthy benefits of this powerful practice. Conclusion We never recommend tools or practices we don’t try ourselves. Both Cathryn and I (Allen) practice meditation daily as part of our morning routines. Busy lifestyles are a part of life, but creating time for our mind to unwind makes our mornings better and our days more productive. Your stress won’t be erased the moment you begin to meditate, but you’ll be giving yourself the tools to handle and fend of stress better in the long run. While meditation is tough when you’re just starting out, eventually your mind will find a sense of calm among chaos. You’ll find that you’re calm in moments when you normally would panic. You’ll find that you’ll be able to think clearly and creatively to handle problems you would have found tough before. And when life just gets to be a bit too much, you have a tool to deal with it. Steal a quiet moment and meditate.