Presents or Presence?

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little. ” Jon Kabat-Zinn

In a society that rewards busyness over peace of mind it can be difficult to remember what really matters. Every year I see a meme on Facebook that reminds me of the kind of person I want to be. It suggests your holiday to do list look more like this; BE present instead of buying presents. WRAP someone in a hug instead of wrapping gifts.  SEND peace instead of gifts. DONATE food instead of shopping for food. And BE the light instead of seeing the lights. 

What seemingly “little” things can you do this holiday season?

What if you were simply PRESENT?

The idea of being “present” may seem vague but it simply means to be fully here in this moment. Get out of your head, forget the “to do” list, quit regretting the past, quit fearing the future. No, it is not hard. Simply take a breath and come back to this moment. Take many, many mindful breaths. You give the gift of someone being heard and validated when you are present when in their presence. If you can come from this frame of mind when dealing with a difficult boss, employee, or patient, a child throwing a tempter tantrum, or a crazy relative, you will have peace of mind.

Monday mornings I used to volunteer to teach mindfulness to elementary students. I was amazed at the children’s ideas on ways they could express kindness. From picking up dropped pencils, to opening up doors, to sharing, to simply offering to see how they can be of help. All simple thoughtful acts of kindness. 

Sometimes we think we need to give “BIG” for it to be significant. Or that what we give needs to be concrete or visual for it to matter. That is not true.

What if your boss, employee, or patient really needs a break or has personal issues far beyond average? What if the child that appears to be out of control having a meltdown is simply tired, hungry or over stimulated? What if the crazy relative has financial issues or depression? Would you respond to them differently knowing these things? Why? Why not just be generous with kindness because it feels good?

To be understanding, to offer validation, to give a hug, to smile, to express gratitude, to laugh, to be present, to offer your time, your expertise, your help and your support, and to be present, these are the presents worth giving. Random, simple, acts of kindness. 

Be present. Be mindful. Be kind.

Amy McCae

http://www.amymccae.com

Certified Life & Executive Coach. Mindfulness Meditation Teacher. Energy Coach.

Free phone consultation https://amymccae.as.me/focussession

Mindfulness Matters for Health, Relationships, and Success
Reduce burnout and improve communication and resiliency through mindfulness and emotional intelligence. 
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Presents or Presence? Mindfulness and Generosity for a Happy and Peaceful Holiday Season

What if this year instead of only giving presents you gave the gift of your presence? Now don’t wrap yourself in a box or let your ego get involved here… What I am suggesting is that you be more present, that you be more mindful. 

The idea of being “present” may seem vague but it simply means to be fully here in this moment. Get out of your head, forget the “to do” list, quit regretting the past, quit fearing the future. No, it is not hard. Simply take a breath and come back to this moment in time. Take many, many mindful breaths. You give the gift of someone being heard and validated when you are present when in their presence. This is generosity. If you can come from this frame of mind when dealing with a difficult boss or employee to patient, a child throwing a tempter tantrum, or a crazy relative you will have peace of mind.

Generosity is mindfully giving in a way that makes you feel good.

Monday mornings I volunteer to teach mindfulness to elementary students.  I was amazed at the children’s ideas on ways they could express generosity.  From picking up dropped pencils, to opening up doors, to sharing, to simply offering to see how they can be of help. All simple acts of kindness. 

Sometimes we think we need to give “BIG” for it to be significant. Or that what we give needs to be concrete or visual for it to matter. That is not true.

What if your boss, employee, or patient really needs a break or has personal issues far beyond average? What if the child that appears to be out of control having a meltdown is simply tired, hungry or over stimulated? What if the crazy relative has financial issues or depression? Would you respond to them differently knowing these things? Why? Why not just be generous with kindness because it feels good to give?

To be understanding, to offer validation, to give a hug, to smile, to express gratitude, to laugh, to be present, to offer your time, your expertise, your help and your support, and to be present, these are the presents worth giving. Random, simple, acts of kindness. This is generosity.

Be present. Be mindful. Be kind. Be generous. It will all come back to you tenfold and rest assured you will be blessed with happiness and peace of mind.

What ways will be present and generous?

Amy McCae

Certified Life Coach and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher

www.amymccae.com

Free phone consultation https://amymccae.as.me/

Amy McCae is a Life Coach and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. She is passionate about healing and helping others and especially about mindfulness and emotional intelligence.

Amy spent her childhood dreaming of being a doctor only to watch her other die of cancer when she was 20. Her life took an entirely different direction after that and she spent much of her 20’s sick with chronic illnesses.

One day Amy was too sick to take care of her newborn baby and she had to crawl to the phone to call for help. Amy then went on a quest to heal and looked in places she never knew existed before that day. AND she healed largely through fitness, nutrition, and meditation.

The experience allowed her to rediscover her passion for healing and helping others. Amy now holds numerous certifications allowing her to be of support to individuals and organizations. Mindfulness Matters is an accredited 8-week online course rooted in science and inspired by her desire to help others develop emotional intelligence (especially leaders and those struggling with self-doubt and overwhelm). Please contact Amy for more information and to sign up!

Mindful Relationships

Christmas 2015 at my dad’s house :). I love my family!

Oh… holiday season. The time of the year when we are reminded to be grateful, joyful, and of the dynamics of our family relationships.

I believe people are in our lives for a reason. I don’t believe in accidents. I believe that if you look closely at your relationships that you gain an understanding of yourself, that you heal parts of  you that hurt, and that you cultivate compassion for yourself and others. The world needs this and so do your family and friends. People, both the ones you adore and the ones that challenge you, are there to teach you. Your experiences with others can bring you great joy and peace and transform your world if you pay attention.

This year as you head out to go shopping, as you wrap presents, decorate the house, bake goodies, and attend family gatherings be mindful. Instead of just going through the motions be present. Don’t just buy presents, be present. Take the time to be grateful. Take the time to breath. Take the time to listen. Take the time to feel. Take the time to be kind. Take the time to laugh. You may be surprised how much better each day and each moment is when you can take the time to be mindful.

This year give more hugs, spend more time, love more deeply and cherish each moment. Make a gratitude list and share it with your family. Donate food, donate your time. Take a nap, play a game, read a book, learn to knit, see a play, or simply have tea with friends. Are time for peace, love and joy.

Excellence in Love is a program that I created teaching relationship skills. The practices are Awareness, Acceptance, Attitude, Action, and Acknowledgment. The practices create a new level of self-awareness allowing you to live an authentic and empowered.  If you would like a FREE pdf please email me at creativewellness@cox.net  You can also listen to me speak about these skills by visiting my website www.amymccae.com  (rated #6 out of 40 speakers, top 3 were the organizers, Vibrant Life Summit)

Want to learn more of how I can support you please visit https://amymccae.acuityscheudling.com/  to set up a time to talk to me!

Love the people you have in your life 🙂

Happy Holidays!

Amy McCae

www.amymccae.com

I am the oldest of four children all who are married with children. Our children range from age 20 to one on the way! My mother is not alive and I am divorced so we are missing a few in this pictures. The past six years both of my grandmother’s, both of my father’s sisters, a man that was like a grandfather to me, and a brother and sister of my mother’s have all left this world. This picture is my immediate family and includes my then 94 year old grandfather who is still watching football and even occasionally drinks beer.