Years ago, there was a public message on TV at night that said something like,

“It’s 11 PM. Do you know where your children are?”

Well, sometimes it seems we know better where our children are than where our minds are. When we start checking in on our minds, we may discover that our thoughts are just as out of control as the behavior of some teens. Like teens, our minds really like to wander far from the reality of present moment experience.

What’s so amazing is that when we do check on our minds, we “wake up” and come back to what’s happening right now. And we recognize a moment of choice. We can choose to be with “what is” instead of hanging out with “what was” or “what could be”. We can choose to allow for more enjoyment in life, since joy and inner peace can only be experienced in the present moment. Choosing to “Be here now”, we create the possibility for joy.

As a spiritual life coach, I help my clients achieve this kind of inner peace, balance and greater success. Living a mindful life, clients can step more completely into their own power and inner guidance.

Here is one simple experiment that you can use to become aware of how you are focusing your attention:

Use mindfulness check-points throughout the day. Create your own list, but below are just a few to get you started. Then, anytime you discover that your mind has wandered, remember you may choose to refocus on Now, where joy exists.

• It’s morning and time to get up, where is my mind?
• It’s time to eat breakfast, where is my mind?
• I’m driving to work, where is my mind?
• I am walking up the stairs, where is my mind?
• I am having lunch with a client, where is my mind?
• I am greeting my family, where is my mind?
• I am getting ready to pay the bills, where is my mind?

You get the idea. All it takes is setting the intention to remind yourself many times throughout the day to check in on what your mind is doing. Is it off in a fantasy of the past or future? Can you bring it back to the experience of Now?

The mind is your tool to experience each moment, to tune into the richness and fullness of Now, to notice the sensations of the smell of cinnamon, the glimpse of a smile, or the sound of a bird. These are the components of the present which, when fully experienced, bring more joy and gratitude for life.

Where is your mind right NOW?