Just in time for Valentine's ♥ Day, we are talking love! And we will be talking about a special and perhaps a not so popular type of love...a love that is vital to being able to live a life filled with an abundance of more fulfilling love...a love that we must start to be more comfortable with…a love that, we will come to learn, is critical to being able to love better and more deeply and more genuinely!

The love that we will be talking about is the love we have for …. OURSELVES! SELF-LOVE! We will discuss the emotions of empathy and compassion and how we often consider these elements related to others. We will learn the importance of how practicing empathy and having compassion for ourselves are key to loving ourselves more wholly. We will learn about the concepts of self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness and how we can use these practices to overcome the barriers to self love which include self criticism, self judgment, and self hatred.

So come on this journey of being present and being mindful and how mindfulness can help unleash a more loving version of yourself - to yourself - Right Here! Right Now!

Hope part II we dive into the interplay between hope and purpose and how hope fuels our purpose; and purpose sustains hope. Purpose-driven hope helps us navigate life’s challenges and celebrate its triumphs. And we look to learn and have the capacity to embrace the journey over the destination:

• The joy of navigation and the lessons from detours.
• Avoiding rigid expectations to cultivate our resilience.

We look to introduce practical strategies to cultivate hope reflecting on past victories and lessons learned and visualizing possibilities with curiosity and an open heart.

Thank you for joining us! 

Be present...

Be mindful...

Be purposeful in your pursuit of hope...

Right Here!

Right Now!

Today we will discuss hope and reflect on pivotal questions, such as:

• Can envisioning a better future help us navigate the present?
• What tools can guide us toward a better tomorrow?
• How can hope and mindfulness coexist without compromising present-moment awareness?
• What actions can foster hope and lead to a more fulfilling future?

The Nature of Hope

Hope will be presented as a belief that the future can be better, coupled with the capacity to make it so. Unlike optimism, which is a general positive outlook, hope is action-oriented and includes a plan to achieve a desired outcome. We will emphasize that hope involves acknowledging challenges and preparing for the journey with resilience and intentionality.

Hope as a Cognitive Process

I will introduce the idea of hope as a bridge between challenges and actionable steps. Hope isn’t wishful thinking but a conscientious effort to navigate obstacles and turn them into opportunities and lessons for a better capacity to deal with life's challenges. The episode highlights its practical power, particularly in challenging times, and underscores the necessity of aligning hope with a plan to achieve goals.

Reflection on Hope and its Role in Life

Listen with intention and I encourage you to ponder how hope:

• Motivates us to pursue meaningful change.
• Intersects with mindfulness and resilience.
• Provides guidance during detours in life.

Open up to the transformative power of hope in turning obstacles into paths of growth.

Takeaways

• Hope is essential for envisioning and working toward a better future.
• It is a dynamic, action-oriented process that helps us navigate life’s uncertainties.
• Mindful curiosity and questioning are key to cultivating hope and resilience.

Be present...

Be mindful...

Right Here! Right Now!

From the inspiration created by The Essence of Mindfulness quote that inspired the last 2 episodes comes a poem that allows us to embrace time and each of our moments in time.

I hope this inspires you to be more mindful and present and aware of the capacity that our moments in time have for each of us...in the present moment awareness of our mindfulness practice.

Click here to check out the poetry on our website!

Welcome back to part 2 of our Essence of Mindfulness journey. 

Discover and unleash the power of the present moment awareness that we can bring to each of our moments in time. 

Be compassionate with your practices - all of them people!! This practice of Mindfulness is not easy but I urge you to listen and come to this moment with an openness and a spirit of curiosity to imagine what each mindfully lived moment can offer you.

Be present...

Be mindful... 

Be deliberate in your mantra that drops you into this very moment...

Right Here!

Right Now!

Link to upgraded website

Happy New Year! 

First episode released this new year! 

A working and evolving and mindfully created and inspired thought of the essence of what the practice of mindfulness has to offer each and every one of us in each and every one of our moments in time!

Be present...

Be mindful...

Be aware of how this moment impacts your very next moment...

Right Here!

Right Now!

A Holiday Rest - being more mindfully merry in our moments this time of year. A special holiday delight...a poem to help you slow down...in the moment of our holiday bustling...

Be present...

Be mindful...

With the essence of our presence among all of our presents!!

Right Here! Right Now!

Through perhaps our greatest virtue of curiosity - a deep held passion for the desire to understand what we seem to not be able to comprehend or make sense of in the world we live in - comes this particular outline of lessons that I continue to learn. A continuous process of thinking and questioning and reflecting and more questioning as possibly one day deeper insight may come. Leading to wisdom…the act of putting it all together in some way to apply new information to new circumstances for a new way of showing up as a better version of you! I am not sure exactly what prompted my thought of putting together some of my own lessons that I have realized over the years of mindful reflection. 

An offering of some words that have really but one primary purpose from me to you - to be inspired to do some reflecting of your own. Then I wanted to see what I could do to match or somehow cross reference my words with words gifted to us by some really incredible learners and teachers of philosophy, science, practical thought, Stoicism, spiritual gurus…and what has been created was some pretty interesting summaries of various lessons that we can reflect on. 

Follow on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnpv2LqaFMseipeTOgnQutA 

#mindfulness #reflection #podcast #presence #quotes

Be present...

Be mindful...

Right Here! Right Now!

Healing is for the heroic spirit within each of us...Healing can be something we work on with a greater ability to smile and be immersed in some level of joy...

“If you can recognize and accept your pain without running away from it, you will discover that although pain is there, joy can also be there at the same time.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Come on this journey of healing with me...

Be Present ... Be Mindful ... and be open to the good parts of healing and the more difficult parts of healing... on this journey of healing as we go...

Right Here! Right Now!

Welcome back Right Here! Right Now! In today’s episode, we lead you through a powerful mindfulness mindset centered around reflection, presence, and resilience. This episode dives deep into how we can cultivate a mindset that transforms obstacles into opportunities for growth, drawing from Stoic philosophy, Buddhist teachings, and mindful practices.

With the guidance of Marcus Aurelius’ famous words, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way,” we look to encourage our beautiful listeners to reflect on the challenges we face and how we can use them as fuel to strengthen our resolve.

Throughout this episode, you’ll find practical exercises, including a Mindful Moment reflection practice, that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine. You’ll learn how to use mindfulness to notice your emotions, embody compassion for yourself, and embrace a mindset that fosters peace and gratitude.

Whether you're on a path of mindfulness or just beginning, this episode offers insightful, relatable reflections and practices to help you live more mindfully, day by day, moment by moment. Join us as we explore the beauty of embodied reflection and the transformative power of mindfulness.

Right Here! Right Now!

Be present...Be mindful...Be reflective...

Timestamps:

• [00:00] - Introduction: Welcome Back to Right Here, Right Now
• [06:15] - Marcus Aurelius Quote: Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities
• [09:30] - Stoic and Buddhist Perspectives on Obstacles and Perception
• [14:00] - Daily Practice: The Mindful Moment Reflection
• [17:45] - The Power of Reflection and Writing for Mindfulness
• [21:00] - Encouragement to Practice Self-Compassion and Patience
• [24:00] - Conclusion: Embrace the Process, Show Up for Yourself

Key Takeaways:

• Obstacles are inevitable, but by shifting our perception, we can use them to advance our growth.
• Daily mindfulness practice—starting with just one minute of focused breathing—can help you slow down, reflect, and live more intentionally.
• Writing down your reflections can be a powerful tool in cultivating awareness, resilience, and self-compassion.
• The goal is to notice, not judge. By practicing mindful reflection, we can learn to let go and begin again with each new moment.

Resources Mentioned:

• Marcus Aurelius: Meditations
• Mindfulness Reflection Routine [Detailed in Episode]

Call to Action: If you find today’s practice helpful, share this episode with a friend who could benefit from more mindfulness in their life. Let’s continue to grow together in this journey—one mindful moment at a time! Be present, be reflective, and be resilient. Right Here! Right Now!