Remember just one thing – Frank Liddy
Remember just one thing
“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” ― Henry Miller
Amazing words, yet true. Mindfulness practice offers us the gifts of touch, taste, smell, sound and vision when it comes to taking time to do just one thing.
When asked what his favourite painting was, the Pablo Picasso replied none as yet, as I’m just learning to paint. He described how every time he took his brush to canvas, it was for the first time. He said that all the previous attempts were lessons for this time and that his art was ‘practice, practice, practice’.
I find the words of Picasso inspiring as I engage with daily tasks. Whether it’s work, gardening, cooking, engaging with others – I find myself giving one hundred per cent, knowing that this will be the best so far. Give your best and see how our attitudes change to the task in hand.
No matter what it is you are doing right now, STOP. Check in with your senses, ask yourself; what do you see, smell, touch and taste right now? Take time to breathe, feel your breath enter and leave your body. Immerse yourself in this moment and give yourself permission to shift from doing mode to being mode. Be present in this moment which has never happened before.
Like Pablo Picasso, ‘practice, practice, practice’ – to the canvas of your life.
Frank Liddy, Lead Mindfulness Practitioner for Inspire Professional Services | B.A, A.Dip.
About Frank Liddy
Frank has worked in the community care voluntary mental health sector for over twenty-five years and currently delivers Mindfulness Programmes for Inspire.
He is the founding Director of the Belfast Mindfulness Centre, co-founder of Compassion City Belfast and Northern Ireland’s representative for The Mindfulness Initiative.
Frank studied mindfulness at the University of Wales and is a qualified integrative humanistic Counsellor and holds certificate of registration for NI social care Council.
As well as teaching mindfulness compassion through the life-long learning programme at Queen’s University Belfast, he has also successfully delivered experiential and practice-based training programmes to mental health and allied professionals working in psychiatry, nursing, social work and the criminal justice system.
Inspire Wellbeing is an all-island charity and social enterprise and their aim is Wellbeing for all. They work together with people living with mental ill health, intellectual disability, autism and addictions to ensure they live with dignity and realise their full potential.