Slow down.
Focus.
Stop trying to multi-task.
Put down the phone.
Pick up your child/pet.
The article "Lessons from a Zen Mommy" by Bethany Saltman in the August issue of Parents magazine gave me pause. She has some advice that sounds so simple, but that can really be a challenge for us today in our media- and tech-bombarded world. Even if you don't have children, these are pearls...
• Do what you're doing while you're doing it. Stop multitasking! The past is over. The future hasn't happened yet. Therefore all we have is the present. Why do we need to do it all? Dig deep to find YOUR answer to that question.
• Leave no trace. Oh how I wish my family abided by this rule! Take responsibility for yourself and your mess.
• Take just the right amount. Do we really need all of this "stuff"? You already know the answer to that.
• Practice Patience. Don't beat yourself up over things. I loved this idea: Saltman suggests using something you see or do every day- such as flushing the toilet- to remind you to pause, breathe and slow down.
If you're like me, you're more familiar with the feeling that your world is spinning out of control than you are any sort of Zen state. And that's okay. Just remember the journey IS the journey, so we might as well enjoy it, right?
