The 15-minute meditation.

You and I both have important people in our lives. People who stand out from the rest and hold a special place in our hearts and minds.

How do you honor them?

I've gotten into the practice of mentally running through a list of those people on an ongoing and continual basis. It's a great meditative practice as I conjure up an individual's image and dive deep into the crevices of my mind to remember how we met, what I know about that person's story, and why they are important to me. This little action not only serves to center me but also brings up enormous feelings of gratitude as I silently thank them for being in my life.

It's a unique way to honor and appreciate the people who are special to me. Something that is done in the privacy of my alone time. Yet this simple action seems to create a Ripple out there in the universe somehow. I'll think of a particular person and maybe the next day, or certainly within the next week, we'll bump into each other, exchange a Tweet or an Email or an opportunity will present itself that suggests I reach out to that person. It's as if the simple act of focusing on that important person actually sets something else in motion. Something deeper and more meaningful which always leads to opportunities to further grow and expand the relationship.

This simply little meditative practice not only brings me enormous pleasure at the moment. But seemingly sets something else in motion. It's a mystery I am still trying to understand myself but with so many positive Ripples coming from it. It just seemed silly not to share. I wonder if this is my own unique anomaly or if others would experience it too. Perhaps I've found an even more effective way to start the process of Rippling, one which I never knew existed. So, perhaps you will try this and let me know if you experience it too?

So here's what I do:

• Dedicate 15 minutes to this practice.

• Sit silently and try to clear all the noise and clutter from your mind. Close your eyes or focus on something that inspires you like a plant or piece of art.

• Focus on your breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Long, deep breaths.

• Bring up the person you want to focus on in your mind's eye.

• Walk through a mental checklist of all that you know about them - where you first met, what makes them unique to you, what's their favorite sports team, and what else you want to know about them.

• Allow memories to come from previous encounters. Let your mind flow freely as you let it retell the tale of why this person entered your life. Let it share why they've become so important to you.

• Finish with five minutes of gratitude by silently thanking this person for being in your life.

Does it sound too woo-woo for you? Sort of felt that way to me too (I am not a woo woo kind of guy mind you)... Until I tried it and the Ripples of this exercise just kept flowing back to me over and over again. Each and every time I do it, something positive seems to come from it and the Ripples which inevitably come back to me are like unexpected gifts.

At a minimum, this exercise will help center you and remind you how important the important people are to you in your life. Just sit still for a few minutes to mentally review who is important to you. That action alone will have a positive Ripple Effect in ways that will surprise you. You might surprise yourself if you simply tried a 15-minute meditation.

Ripple On!!!

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