In William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet states the now famous phrase, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Similarly, mindfulness may seem like a fairly recent concept used to promote more productivity, but in reality mindfulness has been around for centuries with different names attached to it.

What Is Mindfulness Really?

According to Wikipedia, 

“Mindfulness is ‘the intentional, accepting and non-judgmental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment.’”

It is further stated in the Wikipedia article on mindfulness:

“In a paper that described a consensus among clinical psychologists on an operational and testable definition, (they) proposed a two-component model of mindfulness:

“The first component involves the self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment. The second component involves adopting a particular orientation toward one’s experiences in the present moment, an orientation that is characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance.”

Living In the Moment with Integrity and Values

Many articles that one reads today on mindfulness emphasize living in the moment and being non-judgmental. In a day like ours when we see so many people being judgmental and jumping to conclusions before knowing all of the facts, certainly being non-judgmental and accepting are qualities to strive for. There is a huge difference between being judgmental and being able, and willing, to make good judgment calls however. While mindfulness should mean living in the moment, being aware of your present surroundings, having an open mind and not jumping to conclusions, do not park your values and integrity on the door step.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said,

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”

And Deepak Chopra stated,

“Enlightened leadership is spiritual if we understand spirituality not as some kind of religious dogma or ideology but as the domain of awareness where we experience values like truth, goodness, beauty, love and compassion, and also intuition, creativity, insight and focused attention.”

The True Benefits of Mindfulness

The vast majority of us are deeply influenced by our past experiences. These experiences in turn many times lead to fear of the future. When this happens we will often find ourselves less productive and unable to live up to our full potential. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to, over time, reverse many of our insecurities. We stop living on autopilot and begin experiencing a more liberating and joyful existence. When practiced correctly, mindfulness should also lead you to a more self-less existence, and when we give back to others, we will always be more fulfilled – and more productive. Mindfulness becomes a way of life. To learn more about mindfulness and exercises you can begin that will transform your life, click on this link: A Guide to Understanding & Practicing Mindfulness.