Mindfulness and Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Would you agree that with success can come a lot of busyness?

Like you, I have lived an incredibly busy life.

I’m often asked how I’m able to juggle so many things and such a full life—running two global brands, spending time with five grandkids, managing multiple properties, dating, friendships, pets, maintaining my health, exercise and there’s rest…and the list goes on.

My answer is simply that my inner pace is not that fast; it is slower and allows me to focus and be highly productive, so I can get a lot done with complete presence and deep engagement with whatever I’m doing. I am in the moment of what I’m doing when I’m doing it, which allows me to to be completely focused on that activity.

The other day I was talking to, Sally, a mother of two; she is around 42 years of age and employed with a company in sales management. She was sharing how frazzled she felt in the fray of her corporate life trying to balance her career with family and marriage. Sally began her day as if there was a fire alarm and she was racing to get her kids out of a burning house each day only to get to work with little relief. All in all, Sally was feeling like she’s falling short in every department, and we all know, that’s not a good feeling.

Sally was stressed, extremely unhappy, and wanting to know how to feel less hurried—she wanted to stop living her life as if it was an emergency.

If YOU’RE wondering this too…

You can’t rely on changing outside external circumstances. That doesn’t work.

Whether you’re a stay-at-home Mom, a corporate executive, a working parent, or an entrepreneur, you can learn how to be more self-aware and practice life with greater peace and harmony.

…the answer is simply that you must slow down on the inside to feel calmer and be more present. By slowing down on the inside, you’ll experience better focus and deeper engagement with intention AND attention on whatever you’re doing.

…you must learn the art of mindful living.

For years, our books in the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series have taught people how to do just that—live with intention, kindness and attention to the present moment.

According to mindfulness expert Dr. Shauna Shapiro and her mindfulness teaching model, these are the same three keys to practicing mindfulness. (intention, kindness, attention)

It’s not enough for me or anyone to tell you about mindfulness; you need to know how to practice letting go of the thoughts that distract you from being present and slow down from the inside; catching yourself early in the act before you get into a “thought attack” of negative spiral thinking. THAT is why the five principles are so important to truly living your most vibrant and mindful life!

As a pioneer in the field of positive psychology, Dr. Richard Carlson in his work and myself alongside of him, have been teaching the art of happiness and mindful living long before it was “the thing” to do so. The five principles that point you to a mindful life are understanding: thought, moods, feelings separate realities and present moment living—when practiced and integrated, your mental health rises and these simple teachings help you to have clarity and to keep life in perspective.

When we see things clearly… this is by definition of what it means to live mindfully!

But living mindfully is a practice.

And as mindfulness teacher, Dr. Shauna Shapiro says, “What you practice grows stronger.”

Life is like a sport, you want to practice it the way you wish to live it. As your brain is wired into trillions of neural pathways—what fires together wires together—it’s really important to look at your habits and how thought patterns turn into habits that become your normal way of moving through your days.

Habits are just ways you practice life; both knowingly and unknowingly. From the time you wake up in the morning to the time you sleep at night, you are practicing your hard-wired habits.

And guess what… as it turns out, “you can teach an old dog a new trick!” Research proves that even a person in midlife or older has neuroplasticity, which is the ability to make changes and rewire your brain!

Isn’t that exciting news?!

One of the best practices applied to mindfulness and happiness is something we’ve taught forever in the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff books, and that is:

“How you start your day is how you live your day, get off to a peaceful start.”

Research also proves this to be true, that having a peaceful start to your day primes you for having a better day.

You’re never too young or old to makes changes that shift you into a more present way of life—slowing down to the speed of life and practicing the five principles will help you in your quest for greater mindfulness and living your most vibrant life.

To learn more about the five principles of happiness that will help you live life mindfully—go to my new video course: Happiness Training: You Can Be Happy!

It’s only $19.99 for lifetime access, and I just know you’ll soon begin reaping the benefits of living mindfully— like waking up to your happiest, most inspired life.

Treasure the gifts of life and love,
Kristine Carlson