Mindfulness Mode

Latest Episodes:

057 Gratitude and Thankfulness Solo Weekend With Bruce Feb 19, 2016

Show notes

Gratitude, being Thankful and Mindfulness Mode. "It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up." I love this powerful quote by Eckhart Tolle about gratitude. He is awonderful author on the topic of mindfulness and he gets right to point here. He feels gratitude is so important that it can take us into the spiritual side of life and he feels gratitude for the present moment is most important.

Of course most of us feel some type of gratitude every day. There were times in my life when I didn't focus a lot on being thankful for the present moment, but I always have had gratitude in my life. As a family, we often talked about being grateful for what we had. My father would mention how grateful he was for rain and the weather, because he was a farmer and the weather was important in his work. There are always things to be grateful for, we just have to look around and be aware.

Related Episodes:

024 Pat Flynn: Using a Weird-Looking Device to Get Insight Into Calmness

047 Hilde Larsen: Gratitude Will Put You In A Sense of Awareness Every Second

More Thoughts From Bruce

If you're not feeling good, or feeling happy, just start to think about what you're grateful for. This will put you into a sense of awareness. When I interviewed Hilde Larsen, she said, "Gratitude will put you in a sense of awareness every second because when you focus on being grateful, you have to be one hundred per cent mindful. You cannot be lost in anything else when you're grateful. Plus, it is a feeling, it's not a mindset. Gratefulness is a feeling. And once you connect with those good feelings, you're always grounded in yourself."

Hilde also talked about nature and how important it is to be grateful for what nature provides. I loved interviewing Hilde, because her story about how she went from ill health into becoming a very healthy person who could help so many other people, is very compelling. (047 Hilde Larsen Show Link) I share Hilde's opinion about the importance of nature and being grateful for the natural world.

In the book, Cracking the Success Code, Brian Tracy says: “Taking the time to become an excellent human being will do more to raise your visibility, enhance the quality of your life and improve your chances for promotion than anything else you can do.” - Brian Tracy. Brian is a very grateful person and that gratitude comes through when you hear him speak, when you meet him in person and even in his books and training materials.

I enjoyed reading the book 'The Miracle Morning' by Hal Elrod. I am so inspired by him and live my life by the morning 'SAVERS' plan he teaches in the book. Gratitude is central to Hal's philosophies. See one of Hal's quotes below.

Quotes

“Gratitude and complaining cannot co-exist simultaneously, you must choose the one that best serves you.” – Hal Elrod

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” - John F. Kennedy

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” - Denis Waitley

“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” - Brian Tracy

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” Zig Ziglar

"Being grateful lifts you up and gives you confidence." - Bruce Langford

“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” - James Herriot

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward

Books:

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Will It Fly? by Pat Flynn

Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Words of Gratitude for Mind, Body and Soul by Robert A. Emmons

Count Your Blessings: The Healing Power of Gratitude and Love by Dr. John F. DeMartini

Solo Weekend Action:

Think of what you're grateful for and make a list. Post it in your office, on a mirror, as a screensaver, or as wallpaper on your phone to give you a constant reminder of what you're grateful for.

Thank You Bonus:

As a thank you for listening, download your free book "Cracking The Success Code", which I wrote with Brian Tracy and a group of other entrepreneurs. Please leave your name and email and I'll add you to the Mindful Tribe email list. Download Cracking The Success Code here.

Conclusion:

I think gratefulness needs to be a constant or nearly constant thought in your mind. It needs to run as a consistent message in your mind.

Tune in to our next Mindfulness Mode episode 58, for a terrific interview with Greg Zuffelato. We chat about how mindfulness can help you get centered.

056 Living a Mindful and Congruent Life with Andy Gray Feb 17, 2016

Show notes

Andy Gray is a software and technology expert, helping organizations be more effective in their use of technology. He has coauthored two books published by Cambridge University Press and is a frequent speaker nationally and internationally. Andy has a deep interest in spirituality and was aProgram Director for a non-profit education and retreat center. Andy has completed a two-year Art of Spiritual Discernment training and has attended many retreats and workshops on the topics of spiritualism and mindfulness. Andy also has a podcast called ‘A Congruent Life’.

Contact Info

Website: www.acongruentlife.net/mindfulnessmode (This page has some bonuses for Mindful Tribe)
Personal Page: www.grayandy.com
Podcast: A Congruent Life
Twitter: @grayandy

Most Influential Person

Belden C. Lane, Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies, Saint Louis University

Effect on Emotions

I think mindfulness is really primarily about presence, about being present in the current moment. I would like to think that's positively affected my professional life in the way that I relate to other people. Sometimes we get into these corporate situations where there's a lot of disfunction, a lot of political maneuvering, a lot of emotion. I think that being mindful and being present has a way of diffusing that, of getting into a place where you can see beyond the immediate behaviour and really understand and connect with people on an individual, deeper level, listening to the things they are saying beyond just the words that are coming out of their mouths.

Thoughts on Breathing

Breathing is great. Breathing is something that I completely underestimated the power of. We all breathe, of course we need oxygen. Our lungs need to work in a certain way to be able to exist. My experience with breathing is truly incredible. I've worked with a breath coach that was a significant eye-opener for me. What we are able to do without physical touch, but just through our breath is amazing. Deep conscious breathing is a tool that we always have with us. We always have our lungs, we have our bodies, so we can instantly access this way of being present, of calming ourselves down, of being conscious and in the moment in the places where we get these adrenaline spikes, or these fear responses or these flight responses.

Suggested Resources

Book: Loving What Is by Byron Katie
App: The Pomodoro Technique / Brain.fm and FocusAtWill.com

Advice for Newbie

There's no right way to do any of this. I tend to be a perfectionist by nature and so if I'm exploring something new I've got to figure out the right way to do it. There's no such thing with mindfulness. It's really just about being willing to jump in and figure out what works for you and give it a try without worrying whether you're doing it right or not.

055 Better Decision Making with Meditation and a Chat with Gregg Clunis Feb 14, 2016

Show notes

Gregg Clunis is a writer, producer and podcaster based in New York City. Gregg is fascinated to learn all he can about the brain, motivation, mindfulness and what inspires people to succeed. Although he has no qualifications in psychology or neuroscience, Gregg isknowledgeable on the topic because of the many books and articles he reads and the information he’s learned from guests he interviews on his podcast entitled, Tiny Leaps, Big Changes.

Contact Info

Website: www.tinyleaps.co
Twitter: @GreggClunis
Podcast: Tiny Leaps, Big Changes

Most Influential Person

Tony Robbins

Effect on Emotions

Mindfulness has given me the ability to recognize what emotions I'm feeling and what that means for the situation.

Thoughts on Breathing

Taking a deep breath is the main thing that gets me through the day when I'm stressed.

Suggested Resources

Book: The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph by Ryan Holiday
App: Calm and Headspace

Advice for Newbie

Start on the small things. Earlier in this episode I said I made this big, audacious goal and I failed to hit it. One of the things that I've learned since then is that the main issue with goal setting is that when we don't hit it, even if we're ahead of where we planned on being, it's still very demotivating. I would say to focus on setting smaller goals that you know you can achieve and build up momentum that way. And in regard to how that relates back to mindfulness, whatever area of your life you want to integrate this into, focus on doing something small everyday that's going to help you get there.

054 Laughter, Humor and Mindfulness Solo Weekend With Bruce Feb 12, 2016

Show notes

Solo Weekends with Bruce Langford. Laughter and Humor is the topic. "There is joy in the present moment." This quote, by Pompe Strater-Vidal expresses the connection between mindfulness and humor.

Humor and mindfulness fit together and there areso many ways they do. One of the reasons is because mindfulness is about letting go and its about allowing yourself to just enjoy the moment. How can we enjoy the moment more than having humor and seeing things in a laughable way.

When I think of humor and laughing I instantly think of people like Pompe Strater-Vidal. She was a guest on my show, episode #19. Pompe has a great sense of humor, I asked her about her humor on the show. I said, "I love the way you laugh, and how much you laugh, where did this free, relaxing laugh come from?"

She said her mom had a great sense of humor and she grew up with the humor. As she's grown older, she laughs even more.

Another person I really got that feeling of joy from is Michael Sandler, episode #28. He has a wah-who (higher pitched), followed by a lower pitched, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. He has a podcast called, Inspire Nation. He feels his laugh adds energy to the moment. He notices energy a lot and when he notices the energy is getting low, he injects the moment with his unique laugh.

Another funny person whose laugh I love, is my friend Heather. She has an incredibly refreshing laugh, which I think is about letting go. There's nothing restrained about it. Suddenly something sparks that humorous cell in her brain and she just lets go. I think those all the best kind of laughs.

I love how Ellen Degeneres sees humor in so many different places and she highlights that humor on her show. There's something very light and relaxing about her humor.

"Most comedy is based on getting a laugh at somebody else’s expense. And I find that that’s just a form of bullying in a major way. So I want to be an example that you can be funny and be kind, and make people laugh without hurting somebody else’s feelings." Ellen Degeneres

Mark Twain said, "Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing."

That's probably why I married two very funny people.

Humor is also related to pain and sorrow.

"The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow; there is no humor in heaven." Mark Twain

"There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt." Erma Bombeck

If we're going through something painful, being able to see humor somewhere can be helpful.

I love the humor in children. It is so natural and easy to enjoy.

"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person." Audrey Hepburn

"Humor is everywhere in that there’s irony in just about anything a human does." Bill Nye

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It’s jolted by every pebble on the road." Henry Ward Beecher

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." e.e. Cummings

"A day without laughter is a day wasted." Charlie Chaplin

"Laughter is an instant vacation." Milton Berle

"From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere." Dr. Seuss

Tune in to our next Mindfulness Mode episode (55), for a terrific interview with Gregg Clunis. We chat about mindset, the brain and of course, mindfulness.

As a thank you for listening, download your free book "Twenty-One Ways To Practice Mindfulness With Your Child Everyday for 7 Minutes. Get your free ebook here. Please leave your name and email and you'll receive it in your inbox right away. Download It here.

053 A Coma, Relaunch and a Focused Routine with Joel Boggess Feb 10, 2016

Show notes

Joel Boggess is a man whose passion it is to help others rebuild confidence and move into a fulfilling life. He’s a coach, podcaster, author and speaker. As you get to know Joel, you’ll discoverhe has a strong Christian faith, and he uses that faith to live the best life he possibly can. He’s truly mindful and is one of the most grounded and focused people you will ever get to know. His book, “Finding Your Voice” is an Amazon best-seller and his ‘Relaunch’ podcast has received rave reviews since it’s start in 2014. Joel has recently been invited by Success Magazine to run a monthly article and has also been approved as a contributing writer for Huffington Post.

Contact Info

Website: relaunchshow.com
Podcast: ReLaunchShow.com/itc

Most Influential Person

Zig Ziglar

Effect on Emotions

Mindfulness helps people keep those emotions in check so that you channel them in the best and appropriate way.

Thoughts on Breathing

Breathing is something we all need to very much be aware of so that when life gets hectic and things start to seem like they're spiraling out of control that we can just step back and start to focus on our own breathing. That can be a difference maker. It can lower your blood pressure and your stress. Wen you take that mindful break you can come back more recharged and ready to go.

Suggested Resources

Book: Calming the Chaos by Jackie Woodside
App: Pomodoro Timer

Advice for Newbie

Give mindfulness a try. Have fun, play, enjoy! When you're not focused on following the rules, but you're just focused on the moment, unbelievable things happen. Miracles happen. Don't concern yourself with following the steps outlined in a book. Understand the overall concept and start playing and practicing. Start experimenting with your own version of mindfulness and what will probably happen is you'll discover what really works for you in mindfulness and it may or may not be a carbon copy of what the 'experts' say. Give yourself the freedom to create your own program .

052 Enhance the Effect You Have On Others With Mindfulness says Brandon Beachum Feb 07, 2016

Show notes

Brandon Beachum is a serial entrepreneur. He started his most recent business, called Resort Share, five years ago with zero capital, while living on his friend’s couch . Last year it was featured as one of America’sfastest growing companies. Brandon strongly believes in meditation and makes it a regular part of his life. One of his philosophies is visualizing his goals and taking steps forward as if those goals have already been met. Brandon has a podcast called Positive Head.

Contact Info

Website: positivehead.com
Podcast: The Positive Head Podcast

Most Influential Person

Osho

Effect on Emotions

Mindfulness has affected my emotions in a tremendous way. I'm someone who has a great energy to achieve and do things and make things happen and connect with people but I also can tend to get frazzled or excited in a negative way. Mindfulness is the path to healing that for me.

Thoughts on Breathing

Remembering that everything is a reflection and so if your breathing is shallow that is a reflection of how much bandwidth you have for what you can deal with in your life. You can't be upset when you're breathing deeply. Take deep full breaths and you move into a state of calm so you can deal with anything.

Suggested Resources

Book: Oneness by Rasha
App: Podcast App

Advice for Newbie

Take time to meditate. Everyone should meditate 15 minutes a day unless you don't have time. Then you should meditate an hour a day (Zen proverb). The greatest advice I can give to someone is, a lot of times its easier to use thoughts because we have trouble turning the brain off and that's the toughest thing about meditation for people. Instead of resisting that at first when you're just starting down the path, instead close your eyes and do visualization practices.

051 Vulnerability, Honesty and Mindfulness Solo Weekend With Bruce Feb 06, 2016

Show notes

Solo Weekend with Bruce Langford. Vulnerability is the topic. You can't reach courage without stepping through vulnerability. This episode is the first of a new weekly weekend chat with Bruce. No guest, just thoughts about mindfulness and today's topic, vulnerability.

To be connected to people, you need to be willing to show vulnerability. Oprah Winfrey said, "All you really need in life is to be more of yourself". And of course that requires vulnerability. What is vulnerability? How do weaccomplish this in a society where many view vulnerability as a sign of weakness?

Bob Marley said, "Being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure." Brene Brown said, "Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change."

It takes confidence and courage to be vulnerable. The reverse is also true. Being vulnerable can give us confidence, courage and connection with the world and with others. In fact, vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage.

"I think I fall in love a little bit with anyone who shows me their soul. This world is so guarded and fearful, I appreciate rawness so much." Emery Allen

Here are three articles I wrote for The Good Men Project which have elements of vulnerability:

5 Things I Learned Fathering My Autistic Son

How That Old Black Accordion Connected Me To Dad

7 Ways Guys Can Spin Anxiety Out of Their Life

Tune in to Mindfulness Mode, episode 51, for a heartfelt chat about vulnerability.

050 Movement, Meditation and Mindfulness with Courtney Townley Feb 03, 2016

Show notes

Courtney Townley is a health and fitness expert with a strong background in dance. Through her business, Grace & Grit, she helps women be healthier, happier and more fit in three specific areas: food, movement & stress management. She has incredible energy and enjoys sharing her love of movement with her clients. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a BFA in dance. She iscertified as a coach and trainer in various aspects of health and fitness. Courtney is a strong advocate of mindfulness and uses mindfulness strategies on a daily basis. Courtney began working in the fitness industry nearly two decades ago. She is fully certified as a STOTT PILATES® instructor, NSCA personal trainer, ACE Health Coach, Genesis Transformation Health Coach and Precision Nutrition Health Coach. She is also a certified Booty Barre® instructor, TRX™ trainer, and is a very proud student of the Ido Portal Method.

Contact Info

Website: www.GraceandGrit.com
Podcast: Grace and Grit Podcast

Most Influential Person

My health coach, Sherri-Lynn. She talked a lot about the importance of meditation and mindfulness and fired me up more than I already was to dive deeper into it.

Effect on Emotions

Calmed me down, I'm a very excitable creature. It really just helped me to have more choice over my emotions rather than my emotions running me.

Thoughts on Breathing

It's the linchpin in the sense that there is no quicker way to get into a state of mindfulness than just by pausing and taking several deep breaths.

Suggested Resources

Book: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
App: A gratitude App (An alarm went off three times a day when I would stop and jot down what I was grateful for in that moment).

Advice for Newbie

The best way to start walking is by putting one foot in front of the other, so break down mindfulness into a digestible bite and even before you sit in a chair and build some sort of meditation practice, I would say just try practicing being fully present with one activity in your day for a set period of time. And be realistic on that time frame, like maybe five minutes. And be consistent, consistency is everything when it comes to building any kind of practice.

049 Jeff Agostinelli: A Vipasana Retreat May Be Your Greatest Mindfulness Experience Jan 31, 2016

Show notes

Jeff Agostinelli is a life and business coach and was trained as a Macrobiotic Chef who focuses on alternative healing. Jeff is an avid believer that eating raw foods is a recipe for better health. For more than six years, Jeff submersed himself in learning and practicing everything food and health related. Jeff then became fascinated withdigital marketing and business, and proceeded to share his expertise with others through his coaching practice and podcast called, The Next Level.

Contact Info

Twitter, Instagram: @jeffagostinelli
Facebook: Search Jeff Agostinelli
Website: www.jeffagostinelli.com or www.jeffa.co
Podcast: The Next Level

Most Influential Person

Thich Nhat Hanh

Effect on Emotions

It's enabled me to allow myself to be completely present with what I feel and let that be ok.

Thoughts on Breathing

Breathing IS my mindfulness practice.

Suggested Resources

Book: Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames by Thich Nhat Hanh
Book: True Love: A Practice for Awakening The Heart by Thich Nhat Hanh
Book: True Meditation: Discover the Freedom of Pure Awareness by Adyashanti

Advice for Newbie

One of the keys for me with mindfulness is breathing. I did a number of 10 day Vipasana Meditation Retreats where basically all you can do for fifteen hours a day is sit there and meditate. No looking at each other, no physical contact. Men and women are separate. Really just very focused effort. As long as you're breathing, you need to be mindful. That's really all there is to it because its one of those things that's like, if you're not being mindful then, what else are you doing? Being mindful is washing the dishes and being aware that you're washing the dishes. It's listening to your spouse and listening to your spouse and breathing and being aware of what's happening in your immediate environment. Be patient, because like anything else, with practice comes one new level of understanding and then the next level and then the next level and just be ok with where you are now and know that there's not a destination. It's not to get anywhere other than to be present, to be more loving, or whatever it is that is your current focus. It's to amplify who you already are.

048 Jay Papasan: Know Your Priorities to be Present and Calm Jan 27, 2016

Show notes

Jay Papasan is a writer. He spent several years editing at Harper Collins Publishers, and has written a number of bestselling books, including The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, which he wrote with Gary Keller, of Keller Williams Realty. Jay also co-authored the # 1 Wall Street Journal bestseller The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results.

Contact Info

Website: www.the1thing.com

Most Influential Person

My partner, Gary Keller

Effect on Emotions

When I know what I'm supposed to be doing, when I'm clear about my priorities, I'm present and I'm calm. There's just no other place to be. It's amazing how that works.

Thoughts on Breathing

You get excited, you breathe faster, you get calm, you breathe slower. But even if you're excited and you breathe slower, you'll become calm. Understanding that has allowed me, at moments of high stress to, 'just breathe'.

Suggested Resources

Book: The One Thing, The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

Advice for Newbie

Think big, start small. Imagine what your life would be if you were really succeeding at a high level, and then start really small. If you want something to be a habit, start with a target that is so attainable you could almost trip over it and build momentum on that success.

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