Right Here! Right Now!

Today's mindfulness intention builds upon the work from one of our more popular episodes…today we reflect and get a little closer to the concept of Amor Fati - The Love of your Fate.  This concept has become very powerful and quite meaningful for me - a practice and mindset we learned from from the Stoics - I have studied it and reflected upon this wisdom in my own life - especially most recently.Amor Fati encourages us to view adversity as a teacher. We must always ask ourselves, "What can I learn from this experience?" Be present and be mindful - Right Here! Right Now!Listen to the original Amor Fati Mindful Moment episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-moment-amor-fati/id1616393846?i=1000619794080    Music Credit:Intro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Strngs from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com PROMO music:STKA_Path To Chaos Undrscr1 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com Outro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Stng2 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com Music overlay for Intention:  mDm__Adagio for a Rose (key of C)  0023 Vital Hope (volume one)  Doubt music (ASCAP) by Lincoln Jaeger 

One of the mantras or values or virtues that I often share here is the capacity to open our minds and our hearts to be better positioned to learn and grow and evolve into the best version of ourselves.  This practice can be a tremendous help in getting in the habit of having a better outlook on how we can handle life's challenges.  Today we will hear from Pema Chodron and how we can learn how to be more open to what life serves us and how we can approach life with less propensity to react negatively so quickly.  Be present with an open mind and be mindful with an open heart.  Right Here! Right Now!

And today we are going to admire the incredible feats that we - OURSELVES - accomplish. Getting the seemingly impossible done.  And the inspiration for today's mindful moment is another poem.  This poem - which I have read a bunch of times - is a succinct and precise and warm description of so many of the days that we live - so many of the days we see others are entrenched in…The poem is from the book: Self Love Poetry for Thinkers and Feelers, by Melody Godfred The Self Love Philosopher.  We venture into the things we do and how we get it all done and why, perhaps, we often make it look easy!  Our mindful approach to all that we do will allow us to persist and be disciplined to get it all done.  Be mindful of the work and tasks that you are doing - be present in each moment you have fulfilled what needs to be completed. Right Here! Right Now!

Amor Fati is the subject of today's mindful moment . Amor fati is translated to "Love of one's Fate".  This is not an easy concept to embrace. Especially through the difficult and challenging times and the suffering and pain we have all endured…let's get curious in this mindful moment to see what we can learn to help us on our way to being better people - people who can respond and be better with each of our challenges - every day!  The Love of your fate - To LOVE everything that it is happening to you - because IT IS happening.  No judgment - just love.   Right Here! Right Now!

This week's Mindful Moment is designed to slow us all down and gives us a greater capacity to ask ourselves "what is now" as opposed to "what's next".  This practice helps to ground us and keeps us present in our moments.  It takes discipline and work and the awareness that I hope today's Mindful Moment helps to cultivate.  Be present and be mindful! Right Here! Right Now!Please take a moment to share with those you care for!  Thank you!!

Welcome to Right Here! Right Now! We are so excited to offerthe premiere eipsode in the new special series “Mindful Moments”!  We hope you enjoy and share these mindful moments as I look to take something that inspires me to reflect on - write about - think about - and most importantly - to share with each of you.  So each of you, please share with someone that you think might enjoy a moment of being mindful - a moment where we can be still - a moment that may change our day because it changed a thought on our way to work or as we wind down our day.  Be present and be mindful people!

Today's episode is all about how our capacity to learn can be unleashed if we focus on the best methods we can employ to learn HOW to learn. We will take a quick look at Jim Kwik's masterpiece Limitless. We discuss the distractions that pull us away from the important details of life's path to learning. He calls these Supervillains of Learning. We discuss and help to demystify some of the lies we all tell ourselves about learning.  Essentially - today we try to break down barriers to learning so we can set ourselves up to be better learners. The book is incredible and I hope that listening to some of its concpets through my lens will help motivate you to learn and become a better learner - Right Here! Right Now!

Being “somewhere else” you think you need to be doesn't take you there - it takes you away from your present moments.Be Present and Be Mindful!Right Here!Right Now!

We bring to you another Mindfulness Intention this episode of Right Here! Right Now! This intention is on discipline following last week's episode on unleashing our discipline! Discipline requires so much of our energy and the virtues that we must employ - but it also gives so much back to us! Be mindful and be present and be open to the journey of a life with more capacity for being disciplined!Right Here! Right Now!

Where it all began! We celebrate our one year anniversary with our first episode! Be present and Be mindful! Right Here! Right Now!

Today's episode is packed with so much information and insight on discipline and some of the virtues that can help us all lead a more disciplined life. We will take some wonderful information from the great author and podcast host Ryan Holiday. We will learn about discipline from his book Discipline is Destiny and we will also learn about the ancient philosophical school of Stoicism.  No spoiler here but this is what I want to get to the heart of in today's episode as we think aabout what discipline might look and feel like for each of us: Discipline is doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done - for the right reason!  Come on this journey and make sure you stay for the end - it will move you to want to be disciplined about learning more and bringing your best to everything you do when your work is aligned with why you do the work you do! Be present and be mindful people! Right Here! Right Now! Links to Ryan Holiday and his concepts of what Stoicism is:  https://dailystoic.com/what-is-stoicism-a-definition-3-stoic-exercises-to-get-you-started/#what-is-stoicism   

I am excited to share with you a different kind of episode that will hopefully get you all thinking and reflecting on some of the things that might serve us well to think and reflect on. The format is a bit different. I will be reading quotes from a modern day philosopher - he is not a well known individual but I assure you that your lives have been impacted by the industry he revolutionized - he is Dee Hock - founder of Visa [the credit card company] and his book “Autobiography of a Restless Mind” includes nearly 1200 quotes and aphorisms that I was deeply was inspired by.If you follow along with the podcast you know that I love a good quote. I love many, many good quotes!! I have so many favorites for so many reasons and applied to various contexts I believe that you can find the right combination of words to spark the right thought in the right moment for incredible enlightenment and insight. So join us on the adventure through the restless and provocative and insightful mind of a modern day philosophical genius who pondered many thoughts and was profoundly fascinated with the process of how we think. Hopefully it at least gets you thinking about how we can be better thinkers...Right Here! Right Now!

This Mindfulness Intention of Self Love is a follow up to our powerful episode on The Power of Self Love.Let this intention find you with an open mind and an open heart during this season of love. Let this intention help you take notice of how harsh we might be on ourselves. Let this intention provide you with some mindful moments that allow you to be as compassionate to yourself as you are to others.Let these words be a guiding principle in the path to loving ourselves a bit more richly and with an intention that allows us to love ourselves and love others more genuinely.

Just in time for Valentine's ♥ Day, we are talking love! And we will be talking about a special and perhaps a not so popular type of love...a love that is vital to being able to live a life filled with an abundance of more fulfilling love...a love that we must start to be more comfortable with…a love that, we will come to learn, is critical to being able to love better and more deeply and more genuinely!The love that we will be talking about is the love we have for …. OURSELVES! SELF-LOVE! We will discuss the emotions of empathy and compassion and how we often consider these elements related to others. We will learn the importance of how practicing empathy and having compassion for ourselves are key to loving ourselves more wholly. We will learn about the concepts of self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness and how we can use these practices to overcome the barriers to self love which include self criticism, self judgment, and self hatred.So come on this journey of being present and being mindful and how mindfulness can help unleash a more loving version of yourself - to yourself - Right Here! Right Now!

This is the bonus episode following up the Power of Sleep episode from this week. There are some things you can do - Right Here! Right Now! - to help give you a better opportunity for sleep - TONIGHT!!

Wake up people!! Next up on Right Here!Right Now! - we will be talking sleep!! And we'll discover why it is likely the most important and vastly neglected function of our species - we will learn how and why getting better sleep has the potential to improve not only your heart health, immune system functioning, brain health, but also your creativity, problem solving, decision-making, learning, memory, mental health, emotional well-being, and even your life span. We will take many facts and insights from Matthew Walker's book “Why We Sleep - Unlocking The Power of Sleep and Dreams'' and discuss how he believes and will persuade each of us that “The decimation of sleep throughout industrialized nations is having a catastrophic impact” and it is propagated by a lack of attention to the harmful and deleterious effects of poor sleep!! Bring your curious spirit along on this episode and let's learn and grow and be mindful of why we sleep and how we can get better at it and how we can then harness it's true power - Right Here Right Now!

Today we look to understand anxiety and what purpose it can serve. It is so often seen as a flurry of negative emotions and we then get into a cycle of deeper and more difficult thoughts on how things will turn out or what things we expect to turn out badly. But it is possible to employ the anxiety if we better understand what purpose it can serve us.  Please reach out to someone if you are struggling with mental health issues and are having trouble coping. Reach out to a loved one for support or certainly reach out to a mental health professional to get the help some of us need to get better.    Be Present and Be Mindful - Right Here! Right Now! https://right-here-right-now.constantcontactsites.com/ Music Credit:Intro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Strngs from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com Outro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Stng2 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com 

Mindfulness allows us to better notice our challenges and the responses and the curiosity allows us to better understand what we are experiencing – connecting the awareness with the impact of our awareness is a wonderful state to be in for a cycle to be formed so that we can employ this newly discovered and cultivated strength in all of our moments in life. And there is growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you're actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain!Come on today's journey to understand how being more mindful and practicing mindfulness can improve our resilience!

Today we will begin to learn and understand  and PRACTICE how experiencing our pain and suffering may allow us to come through  some difficult challenges and loss – with a more healthy approach that has the propensity to leave us even better than we were before.  We will review Rabbi Steve Leder's beautiful book "More Beautiful Than Before - How Suffering Transforms Us".  “The lessons pain comes to teach us are the tools that can repair and save our very lives and souls.” Link to TED Talk by Stacy Kramer [MUST WATCH]: https://www.ted.com/talks/stacey_kramer_the_best_gift_i_ever_survived?language=en Buy this wonderful book:  https://www.steveleder.com/books  Mindfulness Intention - RHRN Episode:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindfulness-intention-embracing-pain/id1616393846?i=1000585068775 Be present and be mindful as we embrace our pain, find meaning in the suffering and come out more beautiful than before! Right Here! Right Now!

When was the last time - at any point in your day that you stopped to look for something that created some joy - some amount of pleasure - a well deserved but overlooked or hastened opportunity to smile? A moment that in reflection allows you to propel yourself to your next moment - with more confidence and belief that this moment will have something good to offer you! But we must have our head up and look for it. Maybe that moment is right here right now? Let this Mindfulness Intention help you find and treasure and savor those moments!  And most importantly, notice the positive impact on ourselves and those around us!  Be present and be mindful!  Right Here!  Right Now!

Today, we are going to talk about how we can approach the inevitable pain that may lead to suffering and how we can all embrace our pain - understand its utility even - come to know its faculty in our lives. It's in the noticing and awareness of our pain that we breed the compassion to help - help ourselves and help others - and come out of it better off. Music: Adagio for Strings - Composer Samuel BarberRHRN Website: https://right-here-right-now.constantcontactsites.com/ 

As we come upon this season of Halloween - where we look for things that might scare us in a fun and transient way - we will cozy up with the made up things that instill a fear within us - a fear that we battle with a little too often — perhaps needlessly fighting these fears.  We will take excerpts from a Stoic philosopher - Seneca - who wrote many philosophical pieces - many in the form of letters.  This letter is on “Groundless Fears” written to Lucilius:“There are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”Join us on our journey where we will be better at recognizing fears that may never come to be and how we can be more mindful and present to combat the fears that torment us needlessly.  Be present and be mindful, people!  Right Here! Right Now!

Today's Mindfulness Intention is about liberation - setting ourselves free - specifically unleashing the parts of us that may be hidden by our strife or disharmony - and those parts of us that are already embedded within us - parts of us that we need to unchain and unearth - so that our best selves can shine - to experience the good and overcome the not so good for the service of ourselves - for the service of others. Taking a mindful approach to looking deeply within ourselves - this will help unleash the most authentic and much needed YOU! Right Here! Right Now!

Today, we are going to talk about how we can approach life maybe a bit differently by taking a better perspective on how we interact and connect and communicate with others. We must attempt to assume the best intentions of all those we encounter! It will, at first, seem daunting a task - possibly a bit difficult to even imagine - but of course - and - as always - I ask that you all come on this journey with an open mind and open heart - with a passionate curiosity. So this philosophy of Assuming Positive Intent was introduced to me by author - Scott O'Neill - in his book “Be Where Your Feet Are - Seven Principles to keep you present, grounded and thriving”. Scott asks us “What would happen if you assumed in every interaction - meetings, phone calls, texts, social media posts, and conversations - that the other person was kind, generous and loving regardless of any past experience you've had with them?” Let's find out ways we can practice this - Right Here! Right Now! Be present and be mindful!

This Mindfulness Intention will help us realize who we are - how the world sees us and how this is jaded by how we see others' perception of ourselves - through self awareness and an awareness of what the world sees in us - we can be more mindful of who we CAN BE. Be present and be mindful!https://right-here-right-now.constantcontactsites.com/Music Credit:Intro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Strngs from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com PROMO music:STKA_Path To Chaos Undrscr1 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com Outro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Stng2 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.comMusic overlay for Intention:  mDm__Adagio for a Rose (key of C)  0023 Vital Hope (volume one)  Doubt music (ASCAP) by Lincoln Jaeger

What a great way to begin S2 of Right Here! Right Now! with the concept of MINDSET! We've all heard the notion that 'we can do anything we put our minds to'; but maybe there's more to it than that? Maybe having the right mindset - specifically in how we deal with adversity or failure - is how we must be in the frame of mind to be open to learning from the failure and being a bit more deliberate about the work and effort we put in to whatever our challenges are. Helping us to turn the challenges into opportunities - opportunity to grow and learn and evolve - how we can think about the path we take on this journey of life and make it a little easier to learn from the challenges that we know we will face. A new mindset on our journey that starts…RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW! Be present and be mindful! https://right-here-right-now.constantcontactsites.com/ Music Credit:Intro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Strngs from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com  PROMO music:STKA_Path To Chaos Undrscr1 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com Outro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Stng2 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com 

7 Rules of Life - Reminders of how to better navigate our world - our emotions - and of course tie it into how we can be more mindful and present in all of our moments of life.https://right-here-right-now.constantcontactsites.com/ Music Credit:Intro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Strngs from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com  PROMO music:STKA_Path To Chaos Undrscr1 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com Outro music:STKA_Path To Chaos Stng2 from the album STKA-Rock-Orchestral 1 by Strike Audio [Curtis Marolt, William Jay Stein, Michael A. Rosen] by way of PodcastMusic.com 

Here's what you can look forward to - coming up soon - Season 2 of Right Here! Right Now! From the teachings of the Stoics, an American Buddhist nun, psychologists, business leaders, and with quotes from all around the world from all time - get ready for some learning and growth in a mindfully present manner on Right Here! Right Now! 

Here it is - The final episode of Season 1 of Right Here! Right Now! I am so excited and honored to have been able to share this practice and various insights of mindfulness with each of you.Creating and contemplating this final episode has helped me grapple with the "Mindfulness Mindset" and how we can see how it can fit into our lives in a more practical way without getting too caught up in the constraints it may put on us - especially if we put too much pressure on ourselves.A focus on healthy "mental time travel" and how we can better ourselves by not ruminating over the past or worrying about the future. I discuss a profound concept where we can practice being more mindful of our mindfulness - where  we learn to notice how it becomes increasingly difficult to notice you are no longer in the present moment when you spend more time away from it; and when you are further in time from it. Join us on this finale  of the inaugural season of Right Here! Right Now! 

How can looking back on fondly held memories help in being more mindfully present? How does nostalgia help to experience today's moments more fully? Let's discover these questions and ask many more - Right Here! Right Now! 

And so today as promised, we will take a deeper dive into the masterpiece - “Think Again - The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know” by the insightful thought leader Adam Grant.  Today's principles really lay the foundation of how our minds will tackle with new information - new thoughts - opposing ideas even.   We will talk a bit about how our hearts play into the learning and unlearning processes.  We will outline what Adam presents as our "Re-Thinking Cycle" (Good) and our "Overconfidence Cycle" (Not So Good).  We can help understand how to break the not so good cycle of overconfidence and reinforce the elements of the rethinking cycle. Come on this journey - learning and growing - rethinking and unlearning...Right Here! Right Now!

Be mindful and be present in your connection to others in this world - Right Here! Right Now! 

If you are not familiar with Adam Grant - YOU'RE WELCOME here people! Adam Grant - is such an incredible author and an insightful organizational psychologist.  He is a researcher  and he is the ultimate writer and scholar in  the most profound ideas that challenge how we think and look upon the world we live in. My very first encounter with Adam Grant was when he was a guest on Jay Shetty's podcast “On Purpose” - episode from February 2021 (link below): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-purpose-with-jay-shetty/id1450994021?i=1000510132893 

My Intention of Empathy for You - Right Here! Right Now!  Come on this short journey of how we can be better at understanding the feelings and emotions of those closest to us!  

It's creativity today people!! I want to share a few quotes that I came across at very poignant times over the last few weeks… and these insights will lead us into a nice reflection on how being more mindfully present might allow our creative spirits to shine!! The creative spirit that we all possess and where some of us are more natural than others in expressing our creative spirits… hopefully today's discussion will help you to be more mindful of your innovative thoughts and release the imaginative spirits within ourselves that are looking to be set free. Check out the creative Mother's Day card here: https://right-here-right-now.constantcontactsites.com/gallery 

We are going to do a deep dive on the following passage from "365 Days of Kindness" from BroadStreet Publishing - a spiritual daily read book with some amazing insights on how to spread kindness. “Encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” from Thessalonians“There are dependent people and there are independent people. In our culture, we think that independence is the better way to be…this whole mindset leaves us thinking that we should first try to do things by ourselves before asking for help. Unfortunately, this might mean missing out on spending time with someone. It might also mean that you struggle alone and get more bitter and resentful than you need to…It might be good for you to remind yourself that dependency can be positive.”We will explore how we can make being dependent on others a positive - on both accounts!Right Here! Right Now! website:https://right-here-right-now.constantcontactsites.com/

My intention for you - be present and be mindful - Right Here! Right Now!

Today we are reviewing Cory Muscara's amazing book: "Stop Missing Your LIfe"! This was an amazing story on how we can use very practical information to be better humans and more mindfully present and connected to our moments. Cory has an incredible definition of PRESENCE - “[Presence] is more than simply being aware of the moment; it's bringing our full selves into the moment, and the fullness of the moment to ourselves.” Today we dive into his book and more specifically, how being curious can help us all be more mindfully present - moment to moment! Cory's website: https://corymuscara.com/ Cory's podcast "Practicing Human": https://practicinghuman.buzzsprout.com/ Connect with us at Right Here! Right Now!: https://right-here-right-now.constantcontactsites.com/

It's the POWER OF POSSIBILITY TODAY PEOPLE!!  The power of possibility should inspire all of us to continue to work on being better people!  I recently came across a beautiful poem in this amazing book by Courtney Peppernell.  The book is called “Watering the Soul” and is full of inspirational poems and passages from the heart of a struggling poet.  “The possibility of becoming the breath of fresh air someone needs in their day.”Everything Courtney Peppernell:https://www.peppernell.com/   Like, Share, and comment with your "Possibility":https://www.facebook.com/michael.scicchitano.5 

We are talking Humor today people!! We will dive into the Science of humor as we review some great insights in the book "Humor, Seriously - Why Humor is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And how anyone can harness it. Even you.)” This book is by Dr. Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas: Dr. Aaker is the General Atlantic Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business; Naomi is a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an executive coach. We will explore the benefits of humor and levity in the workplace and help to dispel some of the myths that make humor a little scary for some to try out. Come laugh with us and explore how having a little more fun at work and in life in general can make a lasting change to your mindset and outlook on life. We will, of course, discuss how being more mindful and present - Right Here! Right Now! - will help with your humor. Come join us and make sure your smiles are primed to start laughing with this one!https://www.humorseriously.com/  10% Happier Podcast Episode on Humor, Seriously authors:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/id1087147821?i=1000552264721 Humor, Seriously Ted Talkhttps://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_aaker_and_naomi_bagdonas_why_great_leaders_take_humor_seriously 

Be present - Be mindful - Be generous - Right Here! Right Now!Is there any greater gift than the gift of life?   April is National Donate Life Month.  The Donate Life website informs us that by registering to be an organ donor - “You can save up to 8 lives and heal the lives of more than 75 people. Your registration serves as a symbol of hope to patients waiting, and sharing it with your family lets them know your decision.” Register here to be an organ donor: https://registerme.org/ FAQs on organ donation: https://www.donatelife.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-NDLM-FAQs-.doc 

“Every moment is an opportunity for a fresh start. Yes, one could argue that everything that has preceded this moment has created who you are and how you think. AND you still have the capacity to notice the momentum of your life pushing you in a certain direction, be still, and choose a new response. As you wind down the day, see if you can view tomorrow as the beginning of the rest of your life.” This is a message from Cory Muscara and on today's episode we will be talking New Beginnings!! So, as we celebrate NEW LIFE in the season of Spring, as we celebrate this Easter season - can we reflect on all that it means for all of us RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!? If we are talking about new beginnings and how to treat LIFE as A PATH THAT WE ARE ON - how can we embrace this MINDSET? We will have a few more quotes from some philosophers and through our faith and learn how we can use a certain character trait to help us overcome challenges along our journeys. The mindset shift is about turning these challenges into New Beginnings - and we will do this Right Here! Right Now! Link to everything Cory Muscara offers us: https://corymuscara.com/ Link to Pastor Doug's church: https://livingwordli.org/messages/video-podcast 

Be present and be mindful people!! Right Here! Right Now!“People don't realize how important it is to wake up every morning with a song in your heart.” ~Jiddu Krishnamurti But you must be looking for it – you must have your head up – you must be present in the moments of life – RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! Remind yourself that we cannot experience our lives without transforming our minds into this “being there” mindset! Link to "Nothing is worth more than this day" book: https://www.workman.com/products/nothing-is-worth-more-than-this-day/paperback

We have, likely for the first time in most of our lives, experienced the uncertain feeling of not knowing if we might be able to get our hands (or our hearts) on something that we so badly needed.  Our world has changed – AND we have changed; but I am not sure that we have accepted these two realities or that we even know how these changes would align into a new way of experiencing the world and responding emotionally to a 'new world' we lived in. If we are not used to the experience of scarcity, how could we possibly be able to know how we would “normally” respond emotionally to the experience? The thing that I missed the most over the last 2 years was something we may have taken for granted for most of our lives. We likely saw them every day and maybe we glossed over how they made us feel. We felt it for sure, but maybe we just did not notice - we were not mindfully present of the experience that we shared with another human being. We may not have noticed their impact until they were absent or far too scarce. Of course I am talking about our smiles. This feeling forced me to think about what else is staring us in the face - RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW - that we might be “missing out on” by not being mindfully present?  Join us as we learn to be more present and more mindful people!

Be present - Be mindful People - Right Here! Right Now!“The good we do lives on in other people, in other places, in other times. Generosity lives on forever.” Wow!! This week's quick hit quote comes from an amazing little book that just came out - The Generosity Habit by Matthew Kelly. This quote inspires me to be more generous and this quote made me think that the feelings evoked by the generosity - the givers and receivers - all of us experience the emotional contagion and THAT is what inspires us to do more, be more, give more! Be generous people! Link to the awesome gem of a book: https://www.matthewkelly.com/books Link to Happiness Lab podcast episode on Emotional Contagion: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/id1474245040?i=1000456540458 

Today we are talking about Mindfulness and the science that lets us know how it works and how we can understand it better so that it may work better for us.  I will be sharing what I learned from Dr. Amishi Jha's new book - “Peak Mind  - Find Your Focus - Own Your Attention - Invest 12 Minutes a Day”. Amishi says in her book that “Mindfulness is the capacity to be PRESENT: to take in an experience without elaboration, judgment, or reactivity allowing us to absorb, learn and discern so much more clearly and effectively than we would otherwise.” This masterful definition set the stage for what compelled me to dive deep into this topic and to begin a practice of mindfulness to sharpen my mind.And the mindfulness practice - being present in the moment - allows us to give each experience the attention it deserves.  And when we do this we can live with a “Peak Mind” as Amishi puts it. The peak mind allows us to live fully in the face of all of our ups and downs, the joys and the sorrows, the pleasure and the pain.  This mindset allows us to be more resilient - more adaptable.  Dr. Amishi Jha website:https://amishi.com/ Mindful Moment with Teresa McKee Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-mindful-moment/id1441828050 

This week's Quick Hit Quote comes to us from Marcus Tullius Cicero (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero), a roman statesmen. This is one of my favorite quotes about the passion of the reader: "A room without books is like a body without a soul." Today's message is about how the reader (and learner) in you can be drawn out at the right time with the right book - with no pressure on yourself about reading. Find the pleasure in the reading and it may become a passion and a path to learning and growth. But if not, that is ok as well. 

Wendell Philips said “What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first steps to something better.” Learning! Not losing! Taking away lessons!! Not being conquered!! This philosophy centers on CURIOSITY - it is not about keeping score or comparison or the tension that may come from these mindsets. As we come upon the season of Spring, recognize in this philosophy that we have the capacity - even the responsibility - to begin again - and your new beginning starts RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.