Checking In With Yourself
By George Marino CPC, CMMT
March 25, 2023
Have you checked-in today? No, I am not referring to the proverbial question how are you , and the conditional response of okay-ness. I am pointing to a profound sense of who/where you are in the present moment.
The thirteenth-century Sufi poet Hafiz so eloquently writes about the human dysfunction in this way: “The Beloved sometimes wants to do us a favor: hold us upside down and shake all the nonsense out.” As you develop your own unique practice of mindfulness, you’ll know if it is working or not if your predominant state is a quiet heart in the face of adversity and pain. A quiet heart is a “right brain” meditation and a letting go here and there of the analytical thinking mind and the inherit fear that is likely to come up when you are confronted with challenges. It could happen the moment your manager or client is breathing down your neck for the audit report. How can you remain internally calm as you deal with the all-encompassing stress around you? Or, perhaps it is self-created worry and confusion. Where can you go?
The three-minute breathing exercise is a good place. I would also suggest you go to that place of rest in the one-heart and “play” there as you live without a “why” in your mind. Sometimes, we just need to put our minds to bed even during the busyness of our day. A moment of stillness is the doorway to go beyond balancing the books.
Beyond Balancing the Books p. 291