Being Mindful In Everything You Do

The apostle Paul couldn’t have said it better:

Php 2:3-5  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  (4)  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  (5)  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus

I am convinced that my interactions every day could use some TLC when it comes to thinking about others.  Try as I might, I struggle to place others in front of me.  When I do achieve that feat great things happen, relationships are built, and trust is gained.   When I catch myself being more self-centered instead of others focused I do the following:

Mindful Breaks

Many times, work becomes overwhelming.  The computer is no longer my friend and staring at the screen at the inflammatory email I am about to send is way overboard.  I get up from my desk and take a walk around the halls.  I may just close my eyes for five minutes.  I may focus on a task that is totally unrelated to the one I am engrossed in. All of these help me to refocus and realign my thinking.

Being Present With Others

I am in a lot of meetings.  It is hard for me to be present each and every time I am around people where I “feel” there may be a lack of competency or disengagement to the process.  One of the core questions I have started asking myself when someone speaks is “What can I learn from them?".  This helps me grow, stay focused, and even engage fully.  I don’t bring my laptop to the meeting and try to only take notes when the meeting is virtual.  It is so easy to tune out otherwise.  Lastly, but most importantly, I am becoming more aware of how much I speak versus others.  I am starting to eliminate my speaking in exchange for others.  Awkward silence has become ok for me in meetings as I know everyone processes differently.

Asking Myself The Smart Questions

Andy Stanley has identified amazing questions we should ask ourselves before we make decisions.

• What is the wise thing to do?
• What would a great leader (replace leader with the person relevant) do?

If I truly take the time to be mindful on these questions before making decisions, I am blessed by the outcome.