I recently came across this wonderful poem by Rumi, the 13th-century poet, who so beautifully captures the essence central to so many spiritual traditions.

It is probably one of the most frequently recited poems you will hear in mindfulness teachings and retreats around the world. I love it because it is such a simple, but powerful teaching.

Mindfulness means different things to different people. To some it may seem a little mystical, unfamiliar or perhaps even a little abstract. Or, dare I say it, too woo woo.

Mindfulness is nothing more than a way of being. It's not an object or thing you try to obtain. It is just the non-judgemental awareness of what is happening in the present moment.

For the longest time I was too paralysed by fear to do anything. My website was never good enough, my blog posts not tweaked enough. My... I could go on and on.

So I never launched. I never wrote that book, I never built that course. I spent all of my time doing research, buying courses, improving my skills. Sound familiar?

Everyone just wants to be deeply heard.

When you're listening to someone, are you really listening? Or are you thinking about what you're going to say next? Are you waiting for that gap when you can jump in with what you want to say?