What is truly important?

Most of us would agree some things are at the top of the list: family, friends, health, and financial stability might be some things that come to mind.  Along with these, I believe that self development is a life-long necessity to have a truly  amazing life.  Why do we often do things, and why do we oftentimes not do things although they could change our lives for the worse or better? For the most part, it may simply be habit, learned behavior, and social conditioning.

I’ve been trying to be more conscious of my total experience — my thoughts, emotions, physical being, and etc. — aware and living in the present moment. When I practice awareness, I find I am more centered and can observe that voice in my head that is constantly jumping from the past to the future, judging, analyzing, criticizing and comparing; I find that all these things are simply that – the voice in my head which is often associated with a subtle and underlying fear.

The more I pay attention, the less meaning and weight these random thoughts and emotions hold sway over me. How I view myself and the world around me are determined more by my internal values and beliefs and less so by outside factors. This allows me to avoid wasting my mental energy on useless biological chatter. There may have been a time in our distant past that this constant analysis keep us safe, but for me, it is no longer useful.

So what does all of this have to do with starting a business? In is my belief that the more in touch we are with ourselves and what we actually want out of life, the better we are at doing things that serve us well, not only mentally, but financially. By being focusing on what is truly important in life and business, we are more productive and can better balance family and work.

Some common results of paying attention and relegating internal chatter to the trash bin:

1. We solidly know our vision and set goals
2. We are better at making critical decision
3. We come up with more ideas
4. We desire to surround ourselves with like-minded people
5. We complain less and demonstrate more gratitude
6. We take better care of ourselves emotionally, physically, and spiritually and as a result take better care of others
7. We abandon the emotional roller coaster
8. Passion begins to grow

This doesn’t mean that you are suddenly this enlightened being no longer bothered by the pettiness of mere mortals. We all grapple with finding balance and meaning in our daily lives, but by being aware and spending 15 to 20 minutes daily to reflect on and examine my thoughts, my world has become fuller and more satisfying. I hope it help you also in both life and business.

Here’s to being aware enough to know what is truly important

With Love and Respect,

Gary