For peace to be possible, ambition and greed must be greatly restrained. A peaceful frame of mind arises most easily when we can afford a certain leisurely pace, when we have time to reflect and absorb the beauty of nature. The workday must give way, at least for a little while, to walking in the grass and listening to the wind. Mindfulness is a great prize worth fighting for. It’s interesting we need to work so hard to carve out time for what is natural and healing. Take that time, and don’t be concerned about what others think. You can be effective while taking care of yourself.

Try this every day for a week:

TAKE 30 MINUTES today to go for a walk, or just sit outside. In the long run, you will be more helpful to others if you maintain your physical and mental health.

Green-time (time spent outdoors) promotes long-term gains in attention and impulse control — domains which largely shape how well our brain functions, and therefore how well we function in school, work, relationships, and health. Green-time is a truly solid investment in mental wealth. —Victoria L. Dunckley, child and adult psychiatrist

How did this meditation go for you? Share your experience with your fellow North Shore Bank employees at shorelines@northshorebank.com and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana.

If you’d like a daily email reminder to practice one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject “Mindfulness reminder.”