Summary: A few nights ago, I was sitting on the couch with my wife, Missy, when our four children slowly made their way into the living room. <br> Our lives are so busy with three teenage girls and an eleven-year-old boy that we rarely find time to all be together these days. Emily, our oldest, came and sat on the floor so she could get “mommy scratches” while she played on her iPhone. Mattie, our second oldest, was across the room. She had placed her laptop on the piano bench with a video of dancers from the musical Beauty and the Beast, and she danced along practicing moves.<br> Katie, our third girl, was on the opposite couch with her guitar. She was playing a version of Hello from the Other Side while Emily was humming harmonies along with her. And then there was Jack with a snack of cheese crackers on the table. With a cracker in his mouth, he was everywhere: sometimes carrying his basketball, moving it between his legs or bouncing it. Or he’d sit on the couch and hum along with the music and then jump back up for another cracker.<br> Somehow each one of them was in his or her solitary world while sharing the same moment. I just sat back, holding Missy’s hand, soaking in the moment, and feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude. <br> Older parents tell me to savor these times because they won’t last for long.<br> The Power of Mindfulness<br> Later as I thought about this sweet moment, I was reminded of a recent conversation I heard between Tim Elmore and Britt Andreatta on <a href="https://growingleaders.com/blog/three-phases-make-learning-stick-podcast-45/" target="_blank">The Growing Leaders Podcast</a>. Dr. Andreatta is the author of <a href="http://www.brittandreatta.com/wired-to-grow/">Wired to Grow</a> as well as her newest book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Resist-Science-Driving-Success/dp/0997354739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491272540&sr=8-1&keywords=wired+to+resist" target="_blank">Wired to Resist</a>, which was just published.<br> Her first book explores the ways learners thrive when adopting patterns that encourage brain engagement. But her second book looks at the instinctive resistance that happens in our brains when confronted with change. In her interview, she explained how organizations that implement change face pressures and difficulties that come with any change initiative. Her research has shown ways leaders can help their teams through change by the following practices: <br> 1. Acknowledging that change is disruptive<br><br> 2. Nurturing by dialing up self-care<br><br> 3. Creating a team experience for change<br><br> 4. Practicing mindfulness<br> I just ordered Dr. Andreatta’s new book so I’m looking forward to exploring each of those takeaways. But I was especially intrigued by her comments on mindfulness. She explained that mindfulness helps you keep perspective and maintain a positive outlook. As a result of her own research, she has begun mindfulness practices (like meditation) that have changed her own outlook on change.<br> Mindfulness is a common topic in the psychology of human development. The dictionary defines it like this:<br> mind·ful·ness<br><br> ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/<br><br> noun<br><br> 1.<br><br> the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.<br><br> 2.<br><br> a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.<br> In a 2015 Psychology Today article, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge/201502/what-is-mindfulness-and-how-does-it-work" target="_blank">What Is Mindfulness and How Does It Work?</a> Dr. Gregg Henriques, says, “It is readily arguable that the single most significant development in mental health practice since the turn of the millennium has been the widespread emergence of mindfulness-based approa...
