If you haven’t checked out What is Mindfulness?: Why All the Hype?, check it out HERE. That article will give you a bit of background on what we mean by mindfulness. So let’s dive a bit deeper into what mindfulness really is, how to strengthen it, and how mindful living can help to reduce unnecessary heartache and suffering in your life. But before diving in, let’s look at a few common … [Read more...]
What is Mindfulness?: Why All the Hype?
Many of us by now have likely heard of the term "mindfulness." It seems like every 5th book on the psychology and self-help shelves has the word mindfulness in the title. There's "Mindfulness in Plain English," "Mindfulness for Beginners," "The Mindful Way Through Depression," "The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD," and so on. Why is this the case? Why is there such hype around it … [Read more...]
Mindful Media Consumption: Eating and Digesting the Social Sphere
These days it seems like we can’t go five minutes before being assaulted by or choosing to engage with some kind of social media. This trend was made benignly but oddly clear to me recently during a lunch with a good friend. I was “briefing” my friend on the latest happenings in my life and informed him of some bothersome health issues befalling another friend. He quickly replied, “Yeah, I … [Read more...]
Plugged In, Tuned Out: How Mindfulness Can Literally Save Your Life
Now I don’t know about you, but I really hate getting hit by cars. Why I hate getting hit by cars is not the subject of this post. However, how hundreds of people in the Boston area are almost hit by cars each day is the lamentable topic for today. I can’t tell you how many times in the past five years that I have witnessed someone walking head down with headphones or texting almost get … [Read more...]
Mindful Parenting: Giving the Gift of Sovereignty
Your children don't know every single thing that you think about them. They can’t possibly. Nor would that be very useful to anyone involved. As a parent, you don’t know every single thing about your children. You can’t possibly. Nor would that be very useful to anyone involved. However, it can be very helpful to approach what you already do (and will) know with a certain type of respect. It’s … [Read more...]
Changing Habits of Mind and Choosing a More Mindful Life
For many years as you leave your house in the morning you walk by a lovely stream that snakes its way through your neighborhood. This stream is peaceful and helps you prepare for the day and de-stress when you come home in the evening. Everyday you witness children throwing little twigs and sticks into the water. You know the children well, and the scene is quite familiar to you. You see the … [Read more...]
The Profound Benefits of Mindful Acknowledgement
Living our lives can be a very tough job. Living our lives can also be a very wondrous experience. These are facts for most if not all human beings. Here is another simple fact that can change your life profoundly: when you practice acknowledging that life is generally both very hard and quite amazing, you can begin to more peacefully greet the harder moments with a sense of appreciation for … [Read more...]
Mindful Living: A Life Less Hard Begins Now
Welcome to my blog, Life Less Hard: The Art & Science of Mindful Living. I have conceptualized this blog as a way to communicate with the public about how we can live our lives with greater ease, with less suffering, with more joy, and with more purpose. The title, Life Less Hard, implies that our lives are usually pretty tough. But the encouraging part is that we can do some pretty simple … [Read more...]
