5 Thought Friday — SleepMindHeart

Here are 5 Thoughts for the week basking in the power of the present moment!

1. What I am currently reading, viewing, or listening to:

You Are Here: Discovering The Magic of the Present Moment; Thich Nhat Hanh
Couldn't resist this self-improvement book when I saw it was a 4.8 out of 5 with 2,700+ ratings on Amazon. “Zen monk, author, and meditation master—distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives. But true mindfulness, Hanh explains, is not an escape. It is being in the present moment, totally alive and free.”

2. Gratitude Practice (for improved happiness):

Grateful for our doggie Lulu’s safe arrival in Las Vegas after an epic 10-day, 25,000km (15,000 miles) journey. She boated from Macau to HK, then flew from HK to Ethiopia, Ethiopia to Togo, Togo to JFK. She hung out for 3 days at JFK’s Ark doggie integrated resort then drove from New York to Las Vegas.

3. Wellness ideas to consider:

As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, consider living more in the present moment by simply starting with understanding your breath
“So we begin with the breath. Be nonviolent with your breathing. Be tender with it. Respect it, and let it be as it is. You breathe in—there’s an in breath, that’s all. If the in-breath is short, let it be short. If the in-breath is long, let it be long. Do not intervene, or force either your in-breath or your out-breath. It’s like looking at a flower: letting it be as it is, mindful of the fact that it is there, a kind of miracle. See the flower as it is. See the breath as it is. We let the flower be as it is, and we should not do violence to our breath either.”

4. What I’m eating, drinking, buying, or whatever else is on my mind:

Cooking Salmon and grilled vegetables. And yes, I burned the sh*t out of my veggies. Check out this terrible cooking HERE!

5. Quote(s) I am Pondering:

“The Buddha said, “The past no longer exists, and the future is not yet here.” There is only a single moment in which we can truly be alive, and that is the present moment. Being present in the here and now is our practice.” Thich Nhat Hanh, You Are Here

Happy Friday!

Mike