by Megan McDonough
Life offers choices, but often choices are hidden—unseen between habitual reactions and patterns of thinking. All too often we move forward to get things done, to check off the to-do’s, and to keep the routine going, without seeing the beauty and meaning in this new moment.
We all want to choose a life of meaning—to live deliberately and to the fullest extent possible, making the most of this one precious life. The first choice, then, is how we choose to show up. The good news is that living deliberately can be learned by choosing to practice mindfulness.
Here is a simple practice of mindfulness from the 30-Day Practice on Living with Ease. By choosing to practice, you make the statement to self that this life matters. You are choosing to pay attention … to live deliberately.
Action
Breathe in, Breathe out. Repeat to yourself, “This life matters.” Do this as often as you can today.
Quote
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” —Henry David Thoreau
Write
“If I lived as if today mattered, I would …”
Keep writing until you have 10 answers. No filtering or explanation. Just write.
End
As you brush your teeth or get into bed tonight, recall three moments of aliveness, of being aware of went well.
Creating a habit of mindfulness in your daily life can help you identify what’s meaningful. Then you can deliberately choose to orient actions and thoughts toward your ideal.
Repeat this practice as often as you’d like, or continue to build your habit of mindfulness by taking the 30-Day Practice: Living with Ease.
Megan McDonough is CEO of Wholebeing Institute, an educational organization co-founded with Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar. WBI is committed to spreading ideas and practices that can help individuals and groups live life to its fullest.
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