Although there is alot to love about Donald Altman’s latest book entitled One minute Mindfulness: 50 simple ways to find peace, clarity, and new possibilities in a stressed-out world, my favorite portion opens the door for what follows: “If there is a single secret to one-minute mindfulness, it is this: live the next sixty seconds as if your whole life depended on them, with a sense of urgency and excitement, or as if you had just arrived in a foreign land where there is nothing expected, hackneyed or taken for granted.” Hmmm….I mused after reading this passage a few times and felt a sense of determination to do just that, to enter into the next moment, without expectation, but with anticipation that something wondrous could occur.
As a consummate recovering type A, I appreciate that this book is a user friendly guide, as it lays out, step by step ideas for enjoying each precious moment, enhancing relationships, finding rewarding right livelihood work, improving eating habits, thus re-establishing wellness, immersing in life more fully and completely.
Anecdotes that put these concepts into practice, wisdom quotes, portable life skill exercises are a hallmark of the book. Altman encourages readers to ‘create an island of peace’, ‘gaze at the sky and the moon’, ‘leave work behind’, ‘find pleasantness’, ‘be at peace with desire’ and learn ‘lessons from the Earth’ and elaborates on them chapter by chapter.
The rewards of doing these practices are enumerable and priceless. Imagine having more peace, a sense of equanimity with whatever shows up in your life, getting the most out of each precious moment. One minute Mindfulness is the reminder to live both mind-fully and heart-fully.
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