“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”

-ARISTOTLE

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING | IS TOO MUCH

We currently live in a distracting world and an over-active society, exposing us to more information than ever before. For some, this has created anxiety or even mental illnesses such as ADD or FOMO. We tend to believe that success requires us to multi-task and actively pursue something at all times. Having felt the effects of this pressure, I was eager to find relief.

I tend to be a ‘yes’ person. If you’re anything like me, you probably have the tendency to bite off more than you can chew. While being busy is great, I’ve found it’s equally important to build in periods of inactivity or stillness. In order to find balance in work we must have balance in life, otherwise we experience overload (aka overwhelm).

Although my personality allows me to successfully multi-task, I would often feel scattered or stressed. I began to wonder, how could one be fully aware if the mind is in two places at once? It became clear to me that in order to be present one must fully focus on the topic at hand.

This notion became clearer when I first met my favorite teacher at Chapman, Cory O’Connor. Cory provided the blueprint I needed to realize there might be a more effective way to work in today’s digital age. A believer in meditation, Cory brought the practice into the classroom. He was the only teacher I had that led group meditations before class. As a result, I began to experience class in a new way; I was focused and therefore enjoyed myself since I was sharp and present.

This opened my eyes to a new world of effectiveness, and I have applied his advice to all areas of life. As 2016 is already off to a busy start, I feel compelled to share with you some helpful habits to cultivate in order to stay focused and achieve your goals. The biggest message I hope you take away as I did with Cory is: tune in, listen and find balance. I promise, once you master this self-awareness you will find perfect alignment in any area of life you apply it to. Be sure to check back tomorrow for Part II when I’ll offer some tips for welcoming abundance and success this year!

In Memory of Cory O’Connor

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THE M A V E R I C K MUSE feat. TONI

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| PHOTOGRAPHY |

Puno