I took a break. A long break from posting. I was faithfully posting every Monday through March. 

Then it was April. There are four months of the year where I am insanely busy: January, April, July and October. It corresponds with the time when the catalogs roll-over and my customers get a brand new fresh catalog. In that catalog are all the changes that will be in place for the following three months. It's my job to discover what is new and what has changed so that my customers get all the savings to which they are entitled. It takes a toll on my energy. Today starts a new quarter. I'm rested but still feel anxious about what I cannot control. Which is stupid, really. I acknowledge it and intend to watch out for the anxious feelings arising. I have your name Anxiety. You will be named. I am acknowledging feelings in the moment.

So during April, I was teaching Meditation on Fridays; a requirement for one of the three programs I was enrolled in. Two programs finished this quarter and I...

One of my meditation colleagues sent me an article on listening that was published in the New York Times this week. The link is below and well worth the read. As I read it, I thought about the discussion I had with my son (33- a nursing executive) explaining personal presence. He said, “Mom is that even a thing?” I google personal presence and sent him a definition. (Old Mawm can still teach you something.)

 My definition of personal presence is how you show up in the world. Someone can tell if you aren’t paying attention to them or are distracted. Personal presence is a state of mindful awareness of everything that is important and allows you to focus on what matters. 

Most meditators have a crisis of confidence and lament, “Am I even doing this right or am I wasting my time?” It’s easy to understand that feeling. If you can concentrate you can meditate and with practice, selective attention begins insidiously to creep into your awareness. Listening to your inner self is great train...