Life of Mindfulness

Faced with a world wide web of instant communication Truth and Honesty have never been more important than they are today - and they have never been more under threat.In the a last few years we have all been introduced to the awful term "Fake News". The expression "Fake News" has been freely given out like wine at a wedding, to the point where it is becoming more difficult to tell fact from fiction or lies from truth. We should never accept as normal the idea that people, especially people in authority, politicians and the like would tell lies and not be challenged by those who listen to these lies. It should never become normal to expect people will tell lies and act dishonestly. It has to be called out.In our own lives we need to re-dedicate ourselves to truth and to honesty.We must treat our wonderful communication possibilities with great careThey have power to do great good or to rouse passions that can lead all of us to a terrible place

Do you find it difficult to remain reasonably conscious of your life in the present moment? Somehow it is as if we are existing in the present but dissatisfied with the present, looking to be somewhere else, anywhere else, somewhere better. What is it about the present moment, in this wonderful existence, that makes it so difficult to appreciate?Each one of us is truly a one-off, each one of us unique.Yet in the midst of the miracle of our existence, we can find ourselves spending much of our waking hours thinking about something other than what we are doing. If we call to mind the miracle of our existence, we will more easily find ourselves present in the here and the now and we will more actively respond to the unique gift that is the life of each one of us.

Sunday 9th August 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the bombing in 1945 of the Japanese city of Nagasaki. This was three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. The destructive power of today's nuclear weapons is far greater than the power of either of the bombs which destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.We will all have noticed to our alarm that the public relations between the leaderships of the nuclear powers is far less co-operative than it has been at any time since the Cold War. As well as that there is a powerful arms industry profiting from and intent on inventing more and more ways for people to eliminate other people.We need more than ever a global movement of people dedicated to the promotion of peace and prosperity. Let the memory of the awful events of August 1945 encourage us to rededicate ourselves to the cause of peace.

In this episode of the Life of Mindfulness podcast Tony Brady reflects on the baggage and burdens which we all carry. This baggage is mental as well as physical. We do well to examine these burdens and make a decision to live a happier life by dropping them when we can. The simple message of this edition of this edition of the podcast: If we find the weight of our baggage is too great, simply leave some of it down. Learn to bounce along less encumbered. Notice the difference - guaranteed - give this a try

In week 10 (erroneously referred to as week 11 in the recording) of the Life of Mindfulness Podcast Tony Brady compares life to a train journey. We get on the train, meet our family. We have no thoughts as to the destination. It is a miracle that we are on the train at all People come and go as the train moves from station to station Do we pay enough attention to our fellow travellers while they are in the carriage with us? Do we take their presence for granted? It can be a long or a short journey We don’t know when our ticket will expire The question is - how can we make good use of this journey?Join this journey of imagination and see where it leads

We live in a world of constant change. We are not easy with that concept.If you are anything like most of us you must be feeling a little troubled and maybe even a little frustrated. This is not how things used to be. Queues, face-masks, sanitisers, social distancing.We need patience and understanding to help us cope with the changes all of us are facing these days as we find our way through a world of assaulted by the Coronavirus Covid-19 which has forced upon us an amount of change unprecedented in our time.In week 9 of the Life of Mindfulness Podcast, Tony Brady, looks at where we are right now, where we have come from. and he offers advice as to how we might cope as we work our way through this world of anxiety.

In week 8 of the Life of Mindfulness Podcast Tony Brady talks about how each of us can make a difference. We each have an area of interest, an area of capacity and an area of opportunity. Where these three areas overlap we can use our energy to make a unique contribution in the world around us.No matter how small an impact you think you can make in this world, you can make a real difference to the people around you, much more than you might think.In this episode there are examples of ordinary people who were moved by the needs which they saw around them. They each stepped forward and each of them made an extraordinary contribution to the well-being of others.

This Sunday June 28th is the anniversary of the raid on the Stonewall Inn and the riots that followed in New York in 1969These events gave rise to the modern Gay Pride movement which is celebrated at this time each year It is a time when we are given the opportunity to remember people who have suffered death, discrimination and persecution on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity issuesSo, during this week when we commemorate the Stonewall Riots can we make it our resolution to stand up for the rights of every person to live in the skin into which they have been born Whether that is rainbow coloured, or black, brown, white or any of the other marks that, on the surface, draw attention to our differences Skin colour is not a choice Sexual identity is not a choiceEach of us IS very different from every other person, but when we are injured and when we bleed, what come out is always redWe are all entitled to the same respect

In Episode 6 of the Life of Mindfulness Podcast Tony Brady takes a look at what we do when we come to that 10 minutes that we have promised ourselves, that moment of rest and reflection first thing in the morning, First of all we must stop to notice how good it is to be here alive and well in another new day, how amazing it is to be here.We go on to consider what use will we make of this day – this unique – once in a lifetime day that awaits us bearing in mind the words of John O’Donohue “One of the greatest sins is the un-lived life" We go to examine how will we plan to meet the people and the situations that we will come across in the dayWe are urged to meet this new day with patience, kindness and gratitude This is a day full of opportunity, a day never to be repeated, a wonderful day with wonderful potential A new day waiting there for us to allow it to bloom

In week 5 of the Life of Mindfulness podcast from www.lifeofmindfulness.com Tony Brady examines what we do when we sit for 10 minutes in the morning When we stop to think of it we realise how much of our lives is spent not in the present moment but somewhere else We are present in body but our minds are elsewhereWe can be reliving the pastWe can spend time day dreaming about the future. Worse still, worrying about disasters that might never come to beAll while the present moment, the only moment in which we can do something about anything is ignored and we find ourselves getting troubled by a vague sense of fear and uneaseIn this episode you will find tips to help bring you into the wonder that is the now, the present moment in which everything that happens, happens.

We look on with horror at what happened to George Floyd on the 25th May 2020 and we am reminded of all the people who have suffered ill treatment at the hands of others on account of prejudice of all kinds.Especially awful is the ill treatment of people at the hands of those whose job it is to administer justice fairly.We only hope that the graphic video of the killing of George Floyd will bring about a change of heart in people who up to now have treated other people as lesser beings.As a mark of respect to George this podcast includes an an 8 minute period of silence interrupted only by one minute markers to indicate the passage of time. How long is eight minutes? No time at all if you are enjoying yourself.Tedious if you are waiting in a queue.Forever if you are gasping for air.Let us hope that this death will not be in vain and that a long overdue change in our attitudes to difference will be the legacy of George Floyd

You may have thought - "I’ve read about mindfulness and the stated benefits of mindfulness but I don't have time for meditation, how can I fit any more into an already full agenda?" But, as you will see in this episode, mindfulness is not like that. Yes. learning to practice takes a little regular time. But mindfulness is not an extra to be fitted into the day. Mindfulness is part of the day just as breathing is part of the day. We don't set aside time for breathing. Here are words to encourage you to take up the practice and help you on the road to a Life of Mindfulness

In this episode Tony examines the famous poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling and finds that it contains much food for thought in support of a mindful way of life. Welcome to Episode 2 of the Life of Mindfulness podcast Taken as a whole this poem represents wise guidance for a decent and meaningful life, a mindful life It’s a familiar poem, easily called to mind It’s well worthy of our careful attention as we manage our way in this ever changing world We can put it through the looking glass of life in our time and see how it might help us as we work at living a more mindful and more aware life It reminds us too that there are opportunities for mindful reflection all around us, in our bookshelves, in our cd collection, in our mp3 downloadsEven under our very noses if only we stop to notice

We all wake up with an equal amount of time every day. We all begin the day with the promise of the same numbers of hours minutes and seconds as everyone else.But when we go to bed at night we don’t all find that we have put the time of our day to the same use, the same good use or any use at all sometimes.The Life of Mindfulness Podcast will offer you ideas for living a more mindful life. if you can do that you will be less inclined to react when life goes against you. And be in no doubt about it, life will go against you some of the days It is not that life will somehow decide to get under your skin. Sometimes we think that happening to us - but it is not. Life hasn’t some grudge against us. But every so often circumstances will arise which will not be to your liking. That is just the way life is Living a life of mindfulness, I hope you and I will learn to turn off the autopilot We will practice how to stop and think of the likely consequences before responding to the trials and the tribulations that life might fling at us along the way You will learn to put a mindful aware space between what is coming at you and what you do in response You don’t have to react instantly. This isn’t an incoming nuclear missile – it is just a life event There is wisdom in the old recommendation to take a deep breath and count to 10 Welcome to your new Life of Mindfulness podcast