| I got an invoice from my lawyer a couple of days | | | | - rather than crawling back into the normal cocoon of |
| back - for what exactly I'm not sure, as his services | | | | snap reactive behaviour that normally makes matters |
| didn't really match the bill! He said he was sending out | | | | even worse than you think they already are. |
| invoices to a as many people as he could think of, to | | | | And, on the basis that life is lived moment to moment, |
| "keep the wolf from the door in these challenging | | | | you're going to have to be up to the task, moment to |
| times". | | | | moment. That means that, before you set sail every |
| Challenging times they may well be. We're all faced | | | | morning, you need to have your mind tuned in to the |
| with difficult economic circumstances at present, we | | | | here and now - not focused on the day ahead, the |
| are all regularly faced with the ups and downs of | | | | day ahead will present itself one moment at a time - |
| normal everyday business and personal relationships | | | | one peak, one trough at a time. This means that whilst |
| and we are frequently confronted by the trials and | | | | you're drinking your breakfast coffee, that's what |
| tribulations of work, career and business. However the | | | | you're doing - inhaling the aroma, tasting the bitterness, |
| only real challenge we face is the challenge within. | | | | feeling the warmth of the mug in your hand, watching |
| "How will I react in the face of so much negative stuff | | | | the steam curl of the liquid's surface, feeling the warm |
| coming at me?" as one client put it to me last week. | | | | liquid run down your throat, listening to the sound of |
| "It's very hard to stay centred in the midst of all that's | | | | you swallowing. Through preparing yourself before the |
| going on around me - it's like I'm in the eye of a storm" | | | | day gets going you will be appropriately equipped to |
| said another. "How am I supposed to stay focused | | | | put the same level of five-sensory, presence of mind, |
| when my personal life is falling to pieces around me?" | | | | mental focus into play during the course of the day - |
| another client asked me a couple of years ago. | | | | not matter how choppy the seas around you become. |
| These external challenges are just life's "big waves" - | | | | The point is, you need to focus your mind every |
| and like all big waves, they keep coming at you. Life is | | | | morning, to turn yourself on to the reality of the here |
| like the Volvo Round-the-World yacht race. If you've | | | | and now, to be present, to have presence in the here |
| decided to participate - and I hope that you have, you | | | | and now. At the very least you should ensure that you |
| know that there are going to be lots of big waves. | | | | take each opportunity that your routine of normal |
| Armed with this understanding, you go about preparing | | | | morning chores presents you with. The problem is, if |
| yourself to make sure that you're adequately equipped | | | | you start the day mindlessly, you'll continue mindlessly |
| to deal with them. As a result of your preparations - | | | | and all manner of challenge will swamp you. If you |
| and putting what you've prepared into practice when it | | | | start the day focused - and remember to check |
| matters, you're able to ride those big waves. So it is | | | | whether or not you're still focused during the day, you'll |
| with the ups and downs of everyday life. You know | | | | be a totally different person and your day - and your |
| for a fact, because you see it all around you, that life is | | | | life - will be totally different. Even from drinking your |
| full of these big waves - these peaks and troughs. So, | | | | coffee mindfully! Of course, you could go that bit |
| just like the yachtsman or yachtswoman, you need to | | | | further and do a little meditating - that wouldn't just |
| have adequately prepared yourself to ensure that | | | | make you a great yachtsman or woman, it would |
| you're appropriately equipped to ride those waves. | | | | make you master and commander. |
| However, I'm not talking about being prepared in some | | | | But, at the end of the day - or, in fact, at the beginning |
| vague sense - I'm not simply talking about being on | | | | of each day, if you don't bother to take a few minutes |
| your guard. You will need more than the simple Boy | | | | to get yourself up to speed first thing in the morning, |
| Scout attitude! I'm talking about developing the kind of | | | | basically you will have decided to participate in life's |
| clarity of mind and mental focus that will enable you | | | | round-the-world yacht race in a rubber dinghy. If you |
| take real action in facing up to what life throws at you | | | | get drowned, you'll only have yourself to blame. |