Aha! Moment Monday
Where are you?
I was speaking with a provider on the phone the other day and he asked, “Where are you located?” and I responded, “I’m at my desk.” It became quickly apparent that it wasn’t the answer he was looking for (I laughed, he didn’t), but it illustrates my point about “Where are you?” being an open-ended question, right? When I asked, you may have wanted to answer my question with, “In terms of what?” or “Can you be more specific?”
The ideal answer, I suppose, is “here” because, as far as we know, we can only be in one place at one time and the time is always “now”. But the truth is, in our mind, we’re always carrying stuff from the past and preparing for the future, that we forget that “now” is the only time we actually have control over… at least that’s what the “prophet”, Deepak Chopra, would say.
Thanks to BritCay Insurance, I had the very good fortune of being in the front row of their Zest Wellness event with Deepak as the keynote. Yes, he was mesmerizing. I hung on every word especially as he spoke about stress and the ability we have, through mindfulness, to positively affect our immune system. This is HUGE! The truth is, many of us are negatively affecting our immune system without realizing it.
But here’s how deep that really goes.
Deepak cited an example of a seniors’ home where they piped in music from the era of the residents and in no time, those who were relatively quiet, less mobile and withdrawn were dancing to the music and visible signs of age reversal became apparent. Other experiments included triggers like visualization of happy memories from participants’ twenties and sharing stories and what was important, the pranks they pulled, jobs, weddings, and family times. Taking people back to a time when they were vibrant and engaged sparked the mind and reignited the body.
How do we tap into this resource?
Aha! ~ “The wisdom of the body exists everywhere.” ~ Deepak Chopra in “The Healing Self”
It’s not uncommon for people to think that the mind is your brain but your mind is energy and exists in your entire body. The secret is out: your mind directly affects your body. “…your beliefs, and all the other elements of interpretation, are activating bodily responses all the time.”
Living unconsciously or unaware of potential hazards to your health (Deepak lists a few stressors in the workplace) – rushing, pressures of deadlines, sedentary routine of modern jobs, repetition of routine work, interpersonal tensions, unexpressed negative emotions, consuming packaged or fast foods – may feel like you’re living in the “now” (having to deal with it all) but in reality that’s a sign of carrying a cumulative of the past and projection of the future.
The “now” is what you make it … calm, trusting, confident, in control, healthy, loving, happy … or whatever you choose. “The higher healing is about embracing every experience with an attitude of expanding, growing and evolving.”
I’ll ask you again: Where are YOU?
Have your Aha Moment Mondays delivered right to your inbox… sign up here.