Marc’s MSLD Reflection Blog

Mindfulness has become a buzzword in recent years.  It almost seems that it is tossed around as if it were an elixir, capable of curing many of the modern ills.  Researchers have declared the benefits of mindfulness to be many and far reaching: reduced stress, reduced rumination, better emotional regulation, increased focus, increased drive, greater cognitive flexibility, improved memory, better relationships, and more (Davis & Hayes, 2012).  I believe these are potential benefits of mindfulness, but it is not an easily applied “take two and call me in the morning” prescription.  Mindfulness has to become a way of life.  “And mindfulness is not just a concept.  It's more like practice, you have to embody this mindful mode of being to have any benefits” (Jha, 2017, 12:33). So what exactly is meant by mindfulness?  Mindfulness has been defined as “the capacity to be fully aware of all that one experiences inside the self —body, mind, heart, spirit—and to pay full attention

2004 was a crushing disappointment for the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team.  The “Dream Team” ended up going 5-3 that year and taking home the bronze medal.  It was the first, and so far the only time, that the U.S. men’s basketball team did not win the gold medal.  The team’s roster was filled with names of superstars such as Allen Iverson, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Tim Duncan.  Despite the all-star roster, the U.S. team suffered their worst defeat in history; a 19 point loss against Puerto Rico (Maisonet, 2017). In contrast, the same year the U.S. women’s soccer team brought home the gold medal.  The team won five, lost none, and one match ended in a draw.  The 2004 women’s team was led by a veteran coach, April Heinrichs.  Heinrichs had been part of the team, either as a player or on the coaching staff, since 1986.  Additionally, several of the team members were veteran players, having competed together in previous Olympic games and other international

I began flying helicopters in the Gulf of Mexico in 2007.  I quickly realized that as a pilot I had lots of down time, between four and six hours each day.  My job was to transport government safety inspectors to the oil rigs located off the coast of Louisiana.  Each morning I would fly two or three inspectors to their destination platform and then wait for four to six hours for them to be done with their inspections before flying them back to the airport in Lake Charles.  I felt that I needed to do something productive with the free time I had each day, so I decided to work to complete my bachelor’s degree.  After I earned my bachelor’s degree in 2009 I knew I would eventually return to school to complete a master’s degree; it was a goal I had set for myself when I was young.  However, at the time I did not feel ready.  I wanted to take a break from school and recover from the education burnout I was experiencing.   I quickly learned to use my free time at work productively.  I