Fear nothing !

Fearing, worrying, focussing ourselves on issues that lie outside of our direct circle of control. We human beings are champions for dedicating our mind power to processes that ultimately make us unhappy.

“How will the group respond to my presentation today? How save is my job really nowadays? Have I chosen the right hotel for our romantic weekend trip? What if I am not as good at yoga as the rest of the group? Will I truly be happy with this person for the rest of my life?”

We heap an enormous amount of pressure onto ourselves and reap stress, anxiety and fear in return. Without being aware of it, our eating habits change over time. We over-eat out of stress or a need for comforting ourselves. We use our electronic gadgets until late at night to quieten our restless minds and thus shorten our much needed spleeping time. We become impatient with ourselves and those around us. We are so busy that we actually forget to “live”!

Yet all of our worries and fears have one common element: Most of them will NEVER materialise! The future is unpredictable, full of surprises and rich in opportunities.

So, how can we break this negative habit of fearing?

Here is the good news: You can start with yourself and do not have to wait for some magic to happen. There is a simple and effective tool to do so and it is all about living in the present moment and leaving the future to where it belongs: Another day. Mindfulness meditation has since long been that powerful tool for millions of people across the world, independant of religious believes, social upbringing, age, race or gender.

A lot has been written about the positive effects of meditation: Mental and physical well-being, higher capacity to concentrate and generally a sense of being more in control of your life. Yet, it is not those benefits that we are aiming for. Though these are most welcome resulting effects, it is awareness above all that we seek.

Becoming truly aware of your physical sensations, emotions and thoughts in a non-judgemental way can act as an early warning system. Your heart starts to beat faster? You feel insecurity creaping up inside of you? Your thoughts create your own personal horror movie inside your brain? It is time to wake up to the present moment! Breathe deeply in, and breathe deeply out. Again, and again, and again and …

Here is the other side of the coin: If it would be so easy, why are we not simply doing it? Firstly it requires personal commitment and regular practice to obtain the benefits of meditation. And once you made it a part of your daily routine, the notion of “yet another obligation” gives way to a feeling of “I am looking forward to my personal me-time”. Secondly, you will need some external guidance to learn how to direct your awareness to body sensations, thoughts and (maybe difficult) emotions. You will have to learn the art of “letting go” and to be more compassionate, first with yourself and then with others.

Jump can give you this intial helping hand and the regular gentle push to stay in the present moment. Be it through individual lessons, as a 2 hour session during an off-site company event or in the classic 8 week course, based on the scientifically proven process established by Jon Kabat-Zinn and practiced, among other, by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre.

From today, think less about the future, stay more in the present moment and FEAR NOTHING!

Yours

Sascha Klenke

[email protected] / www.jump.business 

GSM +32 (499) 77.43.41