Masterful Mindsets ~ Reminders from Camp Jackson

“When you are here and now, sitting totally, not jumping ahead, the miracle has happened. To be in the moment is the miracle.” ~ Osho

This past week marked the end of another era in my family’s lives. My youngest daughter’s middle school years officially came to an end and now my husband and I find ourselves as parents of two high school students! I can hardly believe that our girls have grown up so fast but here we are, with a senior and a freshman. It seems like just yesterday I was chaperoning the 5^th grade class on an overnight camping trip to mark the end the elementary years and transition into middle school.

I was actually blessed with the honor of chaperoning both girls on their school trip to Camp Jackson. It’s a beautiful location in the mountains of Colorado that has been holding camps for close to 100 years. I can still remember it like it was yesterday… It’s always such a wonderful experience. When you take the time to be present and in the moment among nature, it’s amazing. Everywhere you look, you can see beautiful miracles all around.

The students are taught about survival skills, animal habitats, forest ecology and team building. They also get the opportunity to do archery, take on leadership roles and be of service. But there were a couple of camp guidelines (aka rules) that they were taught upon arriving at the camp that stuck with me the most. And I think the reason I found these life lessons most profound was because they are reminders that all of us, including adults, need almost daily. So, as I reminisce about those times, in honor of another closed chapter in my family’s lives, I wanted to share them with you today…

1. For every “put down” you must give three “put ups”. – What this basically means is that if you say something negative about yourself, another person or a situation, then you must say three positive things about it too. Can you imagine if we used this general rule in our everyday lives? How much would your outlook on life change? And how quick would any habits of negativity be replaced with a more positive and productive demeanor?

2. Be in the NOW! – The students were not allowed to ask about anything in the future. For example, “What are we going to do next?” “When are we going to eat lunch?” “What time is it?” Every time a question was asked that took them out of the “now”, they were always met with answers that would bring their focus back to the present moment. It was amazing to see how much we have become a society that is always looking for what’s next instead of fully showing up and being at peace in the present moment. The students were frustrated at first but eventually got used to it and would remind each other to stay in the now.

Think about this… How would your life be different if you only focused on the positive? How would your life be different if you stayed in the NOW and showed up fully in the present moment?

I want to challenge you to put the above “rules” into place in your own life. Fully commit to them this week. Be aware of what you are saying and correct every negative thought or comment with a positive one. Be aware of how often you let your mind go to the future (or the past) instead of staying in the moment. Bring yourself back each time and be very present in the now. Then at the end of the week, think about any differences you noticed. Did anything change throughout the week? What did you observe about yourself? Was it hard? Were you happier? Did you notice any small miracles by being present? Were you more peaceful? Come back at the end of the week and share your experience of how implementing these two concepts affected your week. Then just imagine… if you stick with them, how they’ll affect your life.

***I want to hear from you… Share your thoughts about this week’s topic below!

***Join me for more on this subject during my Wednesday Wisdom, Facebook Live at 2:00pm Mountain (1:00pm PT, 3:00pm CT, 4:00pm ET) on my Facebook Biz Page:  Coach Michelle Weimer