Mental Wellbeing - Mindful living. Happy life.

Mental  Wellbeing - Mindful living.  Happy life.

1. Mental hygiene: Positive mental attitude / avoiding self defeating thoughts
2. Mental focus: Meditation for Mindfulness
3. Mental stimulation and growth: Lifelong learning

Since our physical health is intimately connected with our mental health, we explore next the concept of Mental Wellbeing.  First, let me clear on what we mean by Mental Wellbeing.  Mental Wellbeing cultivates a sense of joy and contentment in the simple pleasures of every day life.  Mindful living, which leads to a deeper sense of Mental Wellbeing, is not meant to be a replacement for quality mental healthcare.  However, practices associated with mindful living are certainly related to your mental health and they can be a powerful complement with what you may already be doing for your psychological health.

So, how does Leadership for Life help you to maintain and grow in your Mental Wellbeing?  We focus on three primary areas: mental hygiene, mental focus, and mental stimulation and growth.

First, we help you to begin (or continue with) a process of mental hygiene.  This is a kind of “audit” of your everyday thoughts.  Too many of us have patterns of thinking that are self defeating.  Awareness of these patterns is the first step to reversing them, so we can stop being our own worst enemy.  The work of Martin Seligman in Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and the practices of cognitive therapy are two key resources in this area.

Second, we introduce you to various practices of meditation which increase mindfulness in daily life and tend to promote a deeper sense of gratitude and clarity of purpose.  Some of you may already have a regular and vibrant practice of meditation, so we will work with you on your own personal practices and introduce you to new ways of meditating.  For newcomers or those of you who are not as familiar with meditation practices, we offer you a variety of meditation techniques that you can try until you find one that works for you.  Essentially, our meditation practices are offered to assist you in living more fully in the present moment.

Finally, we strongly encourage you to explore making a commitment to some form of lifelong learning in whatever field you find most interesting or compelling for you at this time in your life.  As Steven Covey professes in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, spending time regularly on personal development is crucial for growth and vibrancy in our lives, particularly in the life of the mind.  We provide suggestions and resources for how you can integrate such practices into your everyday life.

In Costa Rica, there are so many breathtakingly beautiful sights, from the beaches to the rainforest, to the natural parks and preserves.  We believe that beauty inspires us to look deeper at reality and our lives, so that we may consider how we perceive the world around us and how we can best live our lives in harmony with that world.  Come join us and see for yourself!