Written by: Juanita Viale, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
One of the lessons the world is learning right now with the heartfelt loss of the world’s longest-running monarch Queen Elizabeth II is how far-reaching the impact of a steadfast presence can be.
As a global leader with a 70-year tenure, Queen Elizabeth II is known for her stoic leadership despite the hardest of challenges and complexities that come with the responsibility of a royal crown.
The mental aptitude and discipline could almost be seen as spiritual as it was clear that the queen’s devotion and agency to upholding the embodiment of the crown was her life’s purpose.
It was through her steadfast presence that the people of the United Kingdom and all the countries of the Commonwealth and territories felt a matriarchal connection to the royal family. A presence that for many were rooted in their emotional psychology for most of their lives.
As we all each wear our crowns of higher purpose, the willingness and courage to change our lives towards that purpose is something that for many of us seems daunting and downright scary. We hold on tight to our limiting beliefs and negative experiences of our past that hinder us from even daring to take on the challenge of changing our lives.
The question to ask ourselves is are we currently running towards our fulfillment or chained to our past by replaying the movie of our deepest sorrows?
At the fundamental level of personal development is our ability to be present enough to identify where our focus and awareness are oriented. The chaotic daily grind of our personal lives and work tends to create enough distraction that we feel like our lives are being directed by something other than ourselves.
The hamster wheel effect renders us too distracted to be consciously aware of our thoughts and ill-equipped to feel and cope with negative and uncomfortable feelings as emotions run rampant in our bodies.
Presence is a skill. When we develop the skills of being present, we garner perspective, motivation, and agency to redirect our lives in the direction of our dreams and purpose.
Here are 4 mindful ways to develop your skill of being present so that this can become your constant state of consciousness, a steadfast presence.
1. Meditate
It is through the quieting of our mind of the constant egoic chatter that creates a space where we can observe our thoughts and habitual patterns of thinking.
Meditation not only helps us to raise our conscious awareness but also helps us to see things as they are instead of how we want them to be.
This type of mindful observation is what offers the opportunity to redirect your thoughts and actions. You gain an expanded conscious awareness through your meditation practice.
2. Breathe
Our life force energy is our breath. When we are experiencing stress, our breathing is shallow, which affects our entire body and our nervous system. It acts as a barometer of your overall well-being.
By using your breath as an anchor in meditation, it gives you a natural focus which is helpful if you are new to meditation. If you take a few deep breaths during stressful situations, it interrupts your pattern of thought and the biochemical reactions your body is producing in response to the stressful stimuli.
STOP (stop-take a breath-observe-proceed) is often used in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program created by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It allows you to reconnect back to your body when it has been hijacked by emotional pain, physical pain, and stress.
3. Feel and identify your emotions
We can control what we don’t know. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one of the leading causes of mental illness is anxiety afflicting 264 million people around the world which is 3.6% of the world’s population.
By allowing ourselves to mindfully feel our emotions and identify them without judgment, we can increase our ability to be present when our good/bad emotions arise. This helps to lower the intensity of the emotions since you can identify them quickly.
Feel the emotion in your body and notice the sensation, such as a tightened stomach, pain in the neck or headache, or a fast heart rate. These reactions help you keep a mental note of how you are reacting to your emotions.
4. Loving-kindness
Daily life presents us with many discomforts from the behaviour of others and the events that unfold during the day, such as rude drivers, conflicts with your boss or colleagues, and/or relationship issues with your family or friends. While you can’t control the behaviors of others, you can choose how you want to respond to them.
What we practice is what we cultivate. When you send people loving-kindness through well-wishes or a compassionate image in your mind, you are expanding that energy within yourself. Practiced enough, you become more loving, tolerant, forgiving, less judging, and more compassionate which expands that energy within you as you share it with others.
As the world continues to undergo massive changes post-Covid in the global economy, geopolitics, mental health, and climate change, we can follow Queen Elizabeth’s impeccable example of steadfast presence to help us ride out the storms in the sea of life.
For Conscious Mindset coaching sessions, email me at madameviale@gmail.com.
Juanita Viale, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Juanita Viale guides and coaches motivated entrepreneurs and companies to Consciously boost their brand and effectively share their unique stories.
Based on the French Riviera, she provides personal Conscious marketing, positive leadership, and mindfulness coaching services.
Juanita's "Conscious Boosting" approach is based on a mindful framework of intention, connection, and authenticity. These elements serve as the foundations for delivering messages that resonate and inspire people to identify and engage with You and your Brand.
As a certified Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher, she gently guides You to reconnect with your truest authentic self and help you get aligned with your intentions.
