
Mindfulness is being present and engaged in the moment. It involves tuning into our thoughts and feelings in the present moment without judging them and looking at the world with acceptance. Mindfulness is a quality that each of us already possesses; we just have to learn how to access it. The mind is powerful. It can easily trick you into thinking you’re not good enough. But with mindfulness, you can cultivate gratitude and change your thoughts to calm your busy mind and increase your well-being.
Luckily mindfulness is easy to implement. It comes in many forms- yoga practice, meditation sessions, or during everyday activities like washing the dishes. At the minimum, all it takes is short pauses throughout the day to check in with yourself. This is where gratitude comes into play. Gratitude helps you appreciate the little wins- like the bus being on time. These small moments accumulate into a web of well-being. Mindfulness and gratitude go hand-in-hand as mindfulness lets you notice all that you have to be grateful for.
Shift your awareness towards life’s small delights. Many of us tend to focus on the negative qualities in our lives, leading to a distorted view of reality. Don’t let pitfalls become the center of your thoughts. Instead of perceiving a struggle as a failure, reframe it as a growth opportunity. Mindfulness practice is associated with decreased anxiety and worry, and has shown positive effects on cognitive skills and social-emotional intelligence.
Especially in the age of social media, where we are constantly scrolling through the highlight reels of others, we can feel that our own accomplishments are diminished. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks without taking the time to reflect on how far we’ve progressed in the long term. Mindfulness and gratitude can positively shift our mindset to gain a better appreciation for our achievements and goals as we reflect on the bigger picture of what we are working towards.
Maintaining perspective on life’s big picture is a critical part of estate planning as well. We all want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. We want to cultivate what is best within ourselves. When we approach financial and life planning with mindfulness and gratitude we can optimize well-being and flourish in life. An estate plan designed to promote happiness enables ourselves and our beneficiaries to live healthier, more successful lives.