A Guide to Conscious Business - Living Consciously

Living consciously and being conscious in home business means existing in a state of grace. It's when you start to see the magic in the mundane.

When you can see the scared in the ordinary and become fully a part of the present moment, you understand that every day life, especially your business life, is a joy and an adventure.

When you're dashing through life as if it was a race to the finish line, only to realise that you'll never actually arrive, you're not living authentically.

If you're depressed, frazzled and worn out by the endless pursuit of something, but you're not even sure what that something is, then you're like millions of others who aren't living consciously.

How can you be joyful for your son's victory in the football match, when you're worrying about a client, or thinking about the work you could be doing instead? It's impossible.

The best you can do is to be in the moment at any given time and give that moment you full and complete attention. Be conscious in the moment and see what a difference it makes to your day.

Endless distractions and busy-ness leads to a scattering of consciousness that leads to frustration and unhappiness. Sometimes it seems easier just to deal with whatever comes up during the day - emails, phone calls, bills, kids, your daily round, rather than create the space necessary to start living with purpose and passion.

So, how do you begin to live more consciously?

By carving out precious time alone to listen to the voice within.

By making meditation and prayer a part of your daily life.

By fully participating in the present moment as many times a day as you can.

By training yourself to become acutely aware of your sense perceptions. What can you see, hear, smell, touch and taste at any given point during the day?

As a parent, think of how your toddler sees the world. Children can often teach us great lessons in this regard. Each and every day is an adventure, almost as if they're experiencing everything for the first time and marvelling at its brilliance. Wouldn't it be awesome to live in the same way?

I am constantly inspired to do this by my young daughter. She has been blessed with a fantastic sense of humour and passionately goes forth every day looking for opportunities for fun and laughter. While I am changing her clothes in the morning, she laughs and throws her arms around my neck, trying to stop me from pulling a shirt over her head. To her it's a wonderful game. Some days when I'm in a rush, I find myself becoming annoyed and just wishing she would give it up and let me dress her in the fastest time possible. But then I stop and realise what a joy these moments could be, if I allowed them to be. By simply changing my perception, and joining in her game, or creating a new one where we play peekaboo as the shirt goes over her head brings us both greater joy. What's more, it probably only adds no more than one minute to the entire process, but we're both laughing hard at the end and feeling happy.

Take a moment in everything you do to be aware of it - to be conscious of it. Create that moment of space where you're not thinking about the future or the past, but are committed to the present. It's as simple as noticing the breath going in and out of your lungs, or feeling the muscles in your legs working as you take a step, or how something really tastes as you eat it. Eating consciously is an excellent way to lose weight. When you're really in the present when you eat, your body will tell you when it has had enough. If you eat in front of the television, or while doing something else, you're not conscious of what is going into your mouth, how it really tastes or how it makes your body feel.

Heightened sensory perception helps explain why going on a holiday or trip to a foreign place can make you feel alive, passionate, energised and interested. When you're in unfamiliar surroundings, you're taking it all in. You're seeing, smelling, hearing, touching and tasting everything for the first time. Not only does it make you feel alive but it can relax and recharge. Imagine if you could carry this holiday way of being into your daily life. It's not difficult.

Being in the present is the first step in a process that will create a new way of being. Living consciously will gradually erode your old conditioned negative thought processes. You will find you worry less and experience more - more joy, happiness and abundance.

You are perfect and whole in this instant. Go into the world with a new mindset, live consciously and see the beauty in everything.

c 2010 Home Biz Chicks

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Sue Papadoulis empowers and inspires women (and enlightened men), to live the life of their dreams by starting and growing successful home businesses. She is the founder of Home Biz Chicks, which provides step-by-step advice on getting started, marketing, PR, finances, best mindset, and juggling work vs. home. Access Sue's special video (valued at $279) How to Generate Free Publicity for Your Business free at http://www.diyprkit.com. Get Sue's $79 audio CD Secrets to Home Biz Success free at [http://www.HomeBizChickscd.com].