MINDFULNESS OR APPRECIATION?

I've written previously about 'Living in the Moment' and 'Mindfulness'. It is a way to greatly reduce stress in your life as well as cultivate greater joy. It also brings your mind into focus in a way that grants you full access to all of your natural abilities as well as your, experience, education and training. For some, the steps to bring the mind back into the present moment seem too cumbersome or they feel they wouldn't be able to do it. There is another way to the state of mindfulness that applies all the steps but in a natural, almost effortless, way. The way? Wherever you are right now, whatever you're doing, take a moment and look around. Find something to appreciate. It doesn't matter what it is, - the pattern the light makes as it falls across the floor or ground, the sound of the wind in the trees or the air coming through the ventilation that provides coolness. The act of appreciating brings your attention to where you are right now. Even briefly pondering things you appreciate in your present environment activates the mind and your thoughts to take stock of the elements... what you see, hear and feel regarding the thing appreciated. Now, ... there you are... present, mindful, thankful... appreciating.