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| Photo: Anne LaBrie 2011 |
I love the concept of the
fifteen-minute fix because, hey, any way I can improve my life in just fifteen minutes
has got to be good. The
first step is to decide that this idea is important enough to actually rate a
little time from your
already busy schedule, because really, racing around all the time just isn’t
fun – or even practical. This is also true if you tend to spend a lot of time not doing things. Eventually, your body will yell at
you.
So, today I offer Tip #1:
Unplug
Sometime today, think about
your day tomorrow, and see if you can find 15 minutes to be in nature. This means no cell phones (ahhh!), no
paper or books – just grass and trees and birds and things. See yourself stopping by that little
park or going outside to your backyard – any place that is easy and peaceful.
The imagining of doing this
is the first step to actually doing it and will pave the way to making it
happen. The next day, when you get
to your park-place, turn off your ringer and set the timer on your iportable
device for 15 minutes. Then notice
your feet actually touching the ground – even take off your shoes and wiggle
your toes in the grass! Pretend you are going to describe this place to someone
else and really pay attention. Are
there trees, birds, and/or flowers? What smells do you notice? Is there a
breeze?
The intention is that by
really paying micro-attention to what is around you, the busy-thoughts will
take a little vacation. When your timer goes off and it’s time to join the
world again – take a deep breath and give yourself a pat on the back!
