Have you thought about how often you put others first. I’m sure every day of your life, you are doing something for someone else. While that is often necessary and certainly admirable, I strongly believe that occasionally, you should put the world “on hold” and take some time for you!
So today we are going to take “baby steps”. We’re going to talk about things you can do just for you that will NOT take a whole lot of time out of your busy life. And they cost virtually NOTHING!
So I have 3 assignments for you to complete this week. Are you ready?
Assignment One:
• My last blog talked about “mindfulness”. Mindfulness is simply TRULY being in the moment and putting your full emphasis on what you are doing. As an FYI, while I sometimes fall into the trap of multi-tasking, I do not believe it is effective. I think that doing one thing at a time truly does work. But that’s a whole other topic.
So for your first mindfulness assignment, I want you to make a cup of coffee or tea and get a piece of toast or a donut or anything else you chose to enjoy with your coffee. Now comes the hard part. I want you to sit down in a quiet place –no music, no cell phone, no newspaper, no distractions –and I want you to CONCENTRATE on simply eating your toast and drinking your coffee. The only thing you are going to think about is the taste of the toast and coffee. Drink your coffee as if you were at a wine tasting. Feel the crunch of the toast. Don’t just chew it -savor it as if you were enjoying Crème Brûlée. If you’ve added butter or jam, how does that feel on your palate? Do you prefer the taste of the toast or the flavor of the coffee? Oh. I know, someone is about to say, “Tiffany has lost her mind”. No, Tiffany is trying to calm her mind and re–generate her brain. As easy as this assignment seems, if you do not practice meditation, then most of you will NOT find this an easy task. So go ahead and try this and please share your results.
Assignment Two
• This one is easy–I want you to pick up the phone and call someone you care about and with whom you have not spoken for at least 3 month. Make sure that you put the time aside –with no interruptions. Stay focused on the person and truly LISTEN to every word they are saying. Don’t have your “hidden agenda”. Hmmm for my Party Plan gals…. Kinda sounds like recruiting. LOL Several years ago, a great friend of mine, Chris Hemmeter gave me an immense compliment. He said, “When you are talking to Tiffany James, you feel like you are the most important person in the world”. I kindly thanked him and replied, “When I am speaking to someone, at the moment in time, to me–they ARE the most important person in the world. “ If you are taking the time to talk, take the time to listen and take the time to care.
Assignment Three
• Break ONE pattern that will make your life more pleasant. Each morning I wake up and I put the news on the TV in my dressing area. That’s important here in Hawaii –because by the time we’re up…we’ve lost 5 East coast hours. Then of course I do the “morning ritual” you know, brush teeth, contacts in, and shower blah blah blah. I have always kept the news on. Now, after I get up and put on the news and thankfully the world is reasonably safe, I shut the TV off. I then put on “Happy Music”. If you wonder what “Happy Music is…let me tell you what it is NOT. It is not “Look Down” from Les Miserable or Dance With my Father by Luther Vandros or Someone Like You by Adele. No, that’s depressing music. I listen to “Chicago” both the band and the play. I love Grease. And my favorite vocalists are Pink Martini! BTW, if you are “daring”, put on Polka music. Yes, you heard me correctly Polka music. I know you think I’m daft, but WJJ puts it on in the car and believe it or not…. you can’t help but smile and start taping your foot. Yes, Polka music is Happy Music…just ask Lawrence Welk … “And a one, two, three.” Oh and yes, it’s true… as a teenager, WJJ toured with Lawrence Welk and Myron Floran the accordion player. For my Hawaii friends, we all know it is our Christmas Eve tradition that we all sing-a-long as Walter plays the accordion and I lead the chorus. Except this year, where our wonderful friends the Carungi’s joined us and brought their daughter Amanda’s and her friend–who just happened to be Glen Campbell’s beautiful and very talented daughter Ashley. Somehow by popular opinion, Ashley took my role. And damn it… she is good….really good! Guess who’s not going to be invited next year? Just joking. You really should listen to this gorgeous young lady sing.
So those are your assignments: Be Mindful –Listen to a Friend & Break One Pattern in your life to make your life better. Bottom line: These simple steps allow you to put YOU first –even if it is only for a moment, an hour or a day. I am a strong believer that in order to helpful to others, you really have to take care of YOU! That is NOT selfish. That is merely a way for you to stay focused, stay strong, stay positive and stay healthy! And guess what? You deserve a little “time out” for YOU!
#mindfulness #partyplan #ashleycampbell #selfish