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Category: Mindfulness

Mindfulness provides access to powerful inner resources so we can change the way we see and ultimately experience difficult situations. We’re empowered to participate in these situations – and interact with the world at large – as we work with what arises instead of trying to escape.

Never Enough Time? How to Master Time and Feel in Control!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

If you feel there’s never enough time and you’re pulled in a million different directions, alter your relationship with time and regain control.“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” ~ Anthony Robbins

“There’s never enough time…” This may be what we say when we know we need to do something and we really don’t want to make the time for it. It may be losing weight, learning a new skill, or visiting with a loved one. At this point, your relationship with time may not be the real issue. It may be that a part of you is struggling with another part of you. 

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Recovering From Emotional Exhaustion? Wholeheartedness, Not Rest, Will Heal You!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Emotional Intelligence, Life Skills, Mindfulness.

When you're recovering from emotional exhaustion, mindfully developing a deep awareness of your mind/body connection is vital to restoring your balance.“Burnout is a state of emptiness, to be sure, but it does not result from giving all I have: it merely reveals the nothingness from which I was trying to give in the first place.” ~ Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak

We have all been through some pretty hard times, and the world isn’t getting any rosier. There are so many ways to describe how people are feeling today — burnout, emotional exhaustion, mental exhaustion, mentally drained, emotional burnout, nervous exhaustion, overworked, over-stressed, over-committed, over-stimulated, and now we even have Zoom fatigue! And some of the tried-and-true methods for recovering from emotional exhaustion aren’t working. 

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75 Powerful Reflection Prompts that Unlock Missing, Hidden Wisdom Every Person Needs

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

Tell your brain what to remember or forget by mindfully and intentionally using these Reflection Prompts daily to assess and learn from each experience."Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful." ~ Margaret J. Wheatley

Imagine that everything you’ve ever experienced has been wiped from your memory. How lost would you feel? On the other hand, what if your brain was constantly flooded by every sensation you’ve experienced? It would be an unbearable overload! So we can be thankful that the brain does daily sorting, filing, and clearing. Understanding that this happens gives us an edge, if we use it mindfully! We can influence the brain by telling it what to keep and what to discard through a practice of reflection. But reflection takes time and effort and it doesn’t come easily to everyone, so I’d like to share some reflection prompts that will get you started.

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How to Engage The Power of Mindfulness to Lead a “Delight Full” Life

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

Do these mindfulness exercises to increase your awareness of self and the environment thereby unleashing the power of mindfulness.About the power of mindfulness: “The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” ~ Pema Chödrön

It’s a hot summer day in the garden. Diana is miserable. All she can think about is getting done with work and getting in the house. On the other hand her sister, Daniela, although uncomfortable in the heat, is delighted to have spotted a swallowtail butterfly on the gloriously scented roses, as a delicious bit of breeze tickles across her arms. She feels filled up. Both women have the same physical reaction to the heat, yet one can’t wait to get the day over, while the other is savoring the delights around her. Would it surprise you to know that Diana, not Daniela, is the one that loves gardening?

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Are You Showing Up Authentically? Be Proud, Be Courageous, Be You!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Life Skills, Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

A practice of showing up authentically means eliminating what’s artificial in your life and choosing practices that fuel the person you truly wish to be.“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let out true selves be seen.” ~ Brene Brown

Being authentic is an overused buzz phrase today, yet I think it still has value, because when it comes to showing up authentically, don’t you find that there are parts of yourself that you hide from others, perhaps even from yourself? And when you’re called on to do something out of your comfort zone, do you say, “I can’t,” when you really can? Or perhaps you promise you can, when you know you won’t. 

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