STRENGTH & FOCUS: Introductions and everyday beauty
Greetings, friends, and thanks for reading my debut column for NEPA Scene! This column will be focused on improving mindfulness and self-awareness with regards to mind and body. I’ll be covering a variety of topics, interviewing some amazing local and regional professionals/practitioners, and highlighting special events throughout the Northeast.
I’ve always had an interest in holistic practices, natural remedies & healing, and the abilities we have as human beings, more specifically the power of the human mind and the greatness that can be accomplished when we are truly focused on our goal. For a number of years, I’ve been on a personal quest to attain knowledge and information to make myself a better and more successful person. As a coach, I want to share that information with others.
It is my goal to provide an informative, insightful, and interesting weekly column, and I will do my absolute best to achieve that goal. In my travels and through various networking connections, I’ve met and befriended some truly gifted local professionals, and I know there are many more I have yet to become acquainted with and learn from. If you’re reading this now and have an interesting piece of information or event that I should know about, please contact me.
As we begin our journey together, here’s a fun activity I’ve done in coaching, as well as with students in meditation classes. It’s simple, enjoyable, and can be extremely inspiring. At your convenience, I’d like you to go out into the world and find beauty in an ordinary activity or daily event. Go and learn something new and/or find wonder in a place or activity that you may have, up until now, taken completely for granted.
In the past when I’ve given this task to my clients/students, I usually allowed a few days to complete the exercise. Although I’ve done this numerous times, I’m always blown away by the fantastic stories. The majority of people have noted learning something new of interest, gained an appreciation for their environment, and expressed gratitude for their blessings. Some have even brought back a newfound inspiration or rekindled spark of a former passion.
The one constant through all the times I’ve introduced this activity is the abundance of smiles throughout the room as stories were shared with others. Go ahead and try it! During your daily routine, simply take a few minutes to experience the world and happenings around you. What do you see? What do you hear? Be mindful of your surroundings and to what your senses are telling you. Just relax and take it all in. Maybe you’ll be surprised when you notice something truly incredible, something you’ve never seen or heard, until now.
Photo by Keith Perks/1120 Studios
