In our information-technology age, we live in a world where we are always connected. This excessive connectivity has caused many people to be bombarded with too much information; thus, suffer from mental distress. Today, I encourage you to be mindful of your surroundings, your relationships, and your time at the Eccles School.
Mindfulness is defined as the human ability to be fully present. This translates into being fully aware of where you are, what you are doing, and not be overly concerned or overwhelmed by what’s going on around you. There are several benefits of mindfulness which includes understanding your pain, connecting better, lowering stress levels, focusing better, and minimizing brain chatter. Overall, mindfulness helps with your whole wellbeing.
Maxwell Ayeliya, majoring in accounting and will be graduating in fall of 2017, explains how he uses mindfulness to help him at the Eccles School and in life.
“Mindfulness helps me be self-aware, thoughtful, and mentally present when I am making decisions. It is always a good thing to pause, think, and spend my time thoughtfully. I have learned various principles and techniques during my time at the Eccles School which allowed me to make better decisions. Being present and considering all possible information is essential to my success as a decision maker.” Ayeliya strongly believes mindfulness helps him harness the power to quiet the storm of emotions in my mind. This enables him to work hard no matter what to achieve his goals.
A statement he lives by is this one and he encourages other business students to do the same.
“You are the steward of your own potential. The resources within you—and around you—are only tapped when you recognize their value and develop ways to use them. Whatever the future of technology may hold, the greatest leaders will be those most capable of tuning into themselves and harnessing the full power of their own minds.” -Jocelyn K. Glei, author of Manage Your Day-To-Day.
This statement truly represents Ayeliya as an individual. His mindfulness is not only demonstrated by his ability as a successful decision maker, but it is explicitly shown through his actions. He is mindful of the many things around him which include his relationships with others, resources, opportunities and more. He cares deeply for others and empowers them to be their best by being his best.
I challenge you to a practice of mindfulness today.
- Turn off your phone
- Sit comfortably without doing anything
- Observe what’s around you
- Take a series of deep breaths
- FOCUS (Do not lose yourself in thoughts)
Most of all, pay attention to the present moment.