Live In The Moment

The greatest secret to live happily is to live in the present - ANON

Life is so much more complex than ever before.??Attention spans are shortening and before you get into one task fully, another seemingly more important task comes along to distract you.??Even in a one-on-one conversation we as humans are generally thinking of the next question to ask without fully engaging oneself in what is actually being said to you.??Reflecting on that, how rude does that sound?

A great lesson I learned and still trying to master is Active Listening. It’s amazing how a conversation can suddenly become such an intimate moment between two people when you Actively listen to the other party.??By truly being in the moment and not in the past nor future (i.e. thinking of the next question) you really unleash the beauty that lies within a conversation. The moment is pure.??If you truly listen, you will get so much more out of the conversation and that person.??Think whilst in your next conversation how really invested you are in it, whether it is with your partner, your friend, your colleague or your customer.??Are you really concentrating in that moment?

Oprah Winfrey says “Living in the present moment means?letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It?means living?your life consciously, aware that each?moment?you breathe is a gift”.?

The ability to be in the?present moment?is a major component of mental wellness and mental strength.??Mindfulness is the new essential exercise regime.??Find a process that works for you.??Too busy for Mindfulness, how about this Old Zen saying:??“You should sit in mediation for 20 minutes a day, unless you are too busy then you should meditate for 1 hour”.

Meditating is just one of many ways to create a meaningful moment in time.??The benefits of meditation are equally found in other forms of Mindfulness.??These include:

·???????Fire up your five senses.

·???????Focus on your breath.?

·???????Observe your thoughts.

·???????Mindful eating.

·???????Practice Active listening.

·???????Observe your surroundings.

It’s not just by chance you get some of your best ideas doing virtually nothing whilst having a shower.??Getting your brain into a mindful state, giving it a breather and a bit of space, whether consciously or unconsciously we unleash the power of the unknown.??Being mindful to ensure we have more dedicated time to this replicates this power to create special moments in time.??

Are you living in the moment???If you aren’t, you aren’t really living.??How can you create more mindful moments in your day and your life.??What actions can you put in place to ensure you live in the moment as often as possible???What are the watchouts to ensure life doesn’t just pass you by.

About the author:

Adam Ashcroft?is one of the Middle East’s leading executive coaches and Founder & CEO of The Advantage.?Adam, as The Advantage Coach, harnesses over 20+ years of Middle East & Africa experience which includes having started, grown, led, and exited one of the region’s largest start-ups.

Adam now works closely with some of the Middle East's leading CEOs, business owners and senior executives, and their teams to ensure they are performing at their very best by:

??Identifying leaders’ strengths and passions and using them for success.

??Implementing world recognised leadership best practices to fully empower themselves and their teams.

??Integrating proven business models used by the world's most successful companies.

Adam has become the go-to authority in Dubai, the Middle East, and the region for those who wish for an advisor, mentor, confidant & coach who has already climbed the corporate ladder, or for those who wish to take their established business from successful to the next level.

To inquire about Adam’s one to one coaching, team, group & leadership coaching, keynoting or speaking at your company or event please email?[email protected]