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Massage tables are difficult to climb onto, aren’t they?

I made myself comfortable on the shaky bed, and waited restlessly for the massage to begin.

As the masseuse rustled around softly, I smelled the heady aroma of essential oils.

This is going to be good, I thought. I need this. It’s been  tough few months and I’m so stressed. That issue with my client left me depleted. The disconnect between ….

And so off my mind went, visiting all the stresses and problems, turning them over, analysing, obsessing and resolving.

The masseuse did her job very well. I think.

I did not do mine so well.

Later, when I looked back on the experience, (analysing once more!) I realised that I was not present in that massage. I was not focussing on the physical sensations. I was not allowing the experience to infuse my senses.

You may be asking, what does this have to do with fulfilment?

The ONLY way to experience fulfilment is to be present in the moment – good or bad.

Let’s take your work for example.

Lack of fulfilment comes from lack of presence at work, not the work itself.

Your mind makes a judgement about how your work should be.

Your work is not how you believe it should be. Your mind resists your work because it does not fit in with your belief about work.

You start fantasizing about another job. You focus on what your job lacks, and how you hate it.

You are not present to your task. You experience feelings of lack, unhappiness and resentment.

These feelings are the consequences of your belief.

Become present to the task, even if you don’t like it and your feelings will hover around peace and contentment. Focus 100% in the task at hand. Give your best to what you are doing in the present moment.

This is the ONLY way to fulfilment.

Don’t focus on your opinion of the task you are doing. Rather focus on the task itself.

The more you do this, the more often you will experience a state of fulfilment.

My opinion was that I needed that massage. I focussed on why I needed that massage and off my mind went. I missed the massage.

I am having another massage today. I have no intention of missing this one.

Do this: Choose one task every day that you will focus on 100% and put everything you’ve got into that task. Record your feelings and experiences in your journal every day. The following week, focus 100% on two tasks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Share your experiences here in the comments or email Kirsten@coach4life.co.za.

 It  is not in the pursuit of happiness that we find fulfilment,

it is in the  happiness of pursuit.

Denis Waitley

Picture From Flickr