The Present.: A Mindfulness Handbook for the Everyday Guru

By Jason Paul Jelicich

When is the last time that you did nothing for 10mins? Not reading…not watching TV…not even thinking?

For many this seems an impossible feat. Life is just too busy. We have become so consumed by our work, smartphones and gossip that we have lost touch with our natural selves. This disconnection is the root cause of much of the pain we suffer, a pain that arises from our resistance to what is.

You likely have been thinking about ‘doing something about this’ for a while now, knowing that your current trajectory leaves little left in the tank for self-care. Like most of us, you have experienced that feeling of restlessness that keeps your mind whirring, even in moments of repose. The world just keeps on getting faster, and you find yourself struggling to keep pace, to stay on top of things, to stay centred.

The Present is written for people just like you. It is a laypersons guide to mindfulness, offering insights and practices on how to be less tangled up in your thoughts about the past and/or future – and become more present. After all, when you are present you are happy, in fact, it’s impossible to be happy and not to be present!

You’re bound to get at least one idea that resonates with you and sets you on a path towards more peace and contentment in your life. Perhaps the best news of all is that it can happen right here, right now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Dec 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504305082

Jason Paul Jelicich

Jason Jelicich was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1970 and moved to Auckland at the age of three after his parents separated. He started selling newspapers in the city from the age of 10, and by the age of 12, he was working part time in his father’s hospitality businesses. He continued to work for his father while studying languages at Auckland University before moving to Sydney to further his career in hospitality. Jason found a passion for mastery of his craft and quickly gained notoriety as an accomplished bartender and industry trainer. In 1997, he opened a bartender training school in Sydney and in 2000 published his first book ‘The Modern Bartender’. Over the past 15 years, Jason has travelled the world as a consultant to bars and restaurants. His work has taken him to Istanbul, Oslo, Johannesburg, Miami, San Francisco, New York, LA and Washington DC. The focus of his work is to create healthy environments, where both the staff and customers can connect, celebrate life and be present. Jason currently lives in Port Macquarie, Australia, with this wife, Jade, and daughter, Elodie. He is also a proud father of three sons who live in Sydney. For enquiries and questions, please contact Jason at [e-mail].

Book preview

THE PRESENT.

A MINDFULNESS HANDBOOK FOR THE EVERYDAY GURU

JASON PAUL JELICICH

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Copyright © 2016 Jason P. Jelicich.

Edited by Kris Albertson and Ravindra Banthia

Illustrations by Damir Kundalic

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The information, ideas, and suggestions in this book are not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Before following any suggestions contained in this book, you should consult your personal physician. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a consequence of your use or application of any information or suggestions in this book.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0507-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0508-2 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 11/15/2022

This is The Present.

Welcome.

Warning:

The contents of this book may cause you to think.

If this happens to you, please take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

Hopefully, it won’t last long.

For Tyson, Hunter, Cormac & Elodie

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‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.’

~ Marianne Williamson

Table of Contents

Foreword.

Acknowledgments.

My Journey.

Who Is This Book For?

How to Use this Book.

PART 1: BE PRESENT

Where Are You?

The Gift of the Present.

The Only Dance There Is.

Your Gut Brain.

The Vagus Nerve.

PART 2: THE STATE WE’RE IN

The State We’re In.

The Mind at Large.

Mind-Time.

Prisoner of Time.

Pain & Gain.

Effort & Struggle.

The Having World.

Having vs. Being.

PART 3: PRESENT PRINCIPLES

Shield Your State.

Stop Overthinking.

Lead with Intention.

Simplify.

Challenge the Story.

Let Go.

Love Yourself.

Be Quiet.

Take Action.

Come Home.

Choose It.

Find Your Flow.

Evolve.

Serve.

Look for the Like.

Feel it.

Lose the Ego.

Shed the Armour.

See the Everyday Gurus.

PART 4: PRESENT PRACTICES

Practice Guide.

MAINTENANCE PRACTICES

Just Breathe.

Notice the Moment.

Rush of Appreciation (ROA).

Sit Straight, Walk Tall.

Line up, Cool down.

Follow Your Bliss.

CORRECTIVE PRACTICES

Be in the Conversation.

Gratitude List.

Empowering Affirmations.

Come to Your Senses.

Body Scan.

Vocal Cleansing.

I.C.O.E PRACTICES (IN CASE OF EMERGENCY)

Control the Controllable.

Let It Go.

Change the Script.

Counting Breaths.

Me-Time.

Digital Detox.

NOTES & INSPIRATIONS

The Next Step…

Book Inspirations

About the Author

Foreword.

It gives me great joy to write the foreword for this wonderful book.

When it comes to improving our own quality of life, there are few more powerful things we can do than to be focused in the present moment; that’s why this book is so important for our time. In a world that is getting ever faster and increasingly busy, we can lose ourselves in the traumatic experiences of the past or the anxieties of the future. This book, however, will help bring you back to what’s truly important in life and to live from the only time that truly exists – the present moment.

With his background in hospitality, Jason has interacted with all types of individuals and groups, giving him unique insights on the commonality and universality of where we can get off track and unknowingly sabotage our own happiness. Combining this with his high-level credentials as a motivational speaker and self-development expert, as well as a personal passion to help others, he is the perfect person to write this book.

Perhaps, what I most like about this book is the way it is structured in practical, bite-sized nuggets of wisdom that can be easily digested and implemented anywhere, anytime. It has not been written from some hard to grasp ‘mystical’ standpoint, but from a real-world, put-it-to-work-now kind of way, making it accessible to the most pragmatic of us.

I believe this book represents a great gift, or ‘present’, that you can give to yourself – and to others – each day. I congratulate Jason on putting it together in such a beautiful, practical and concise way that may help many millions enjoy a healthier, happier life by learning to get back to, and enjoy, the present more and more.

I’m sure you will get what you need from this book, as I’m sure Jason did in putting it together for you.

Yours in great health,

Mark Bunn – International Health Speaker and Bestselling author of Ancient Wisdom for Modern Health

Acknowledgments.

Everyone supposedly has a ‘book inside them’, but it sometimes takes a small army of people to yank it out of us and turn it into something tangible.

The genesis of this book, and in fact, much of my interest in this subject, began with a book my mother gave me many moons ago, Be Here Now by Baba Ram Dass. His talks, writings and - even well into his 80s - his twitter feed, have helped me keep in touch with most important thing that I can control over in this world: my own state of being.

For as long as I can remember, my mother has piped these sorts of books through to me – perhaps sensing that I needed all the help I could get! Her personal inscriptions penned in books such Richard Bach’s Illusions, Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now and A New Earth, echo both her own interests and her loving support of my own evolution. Thanks, Mum.

My father also provided interest and encouragement here, sending me Ram Dass cassette tapes and transcripts of his talks, as well as introducing me to Eric Fromm’s To Have or to Be and Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception. While long separated, and with vastly different lifestyles, my parents came together around the notion that being is more important than having, and both are represented in the pages and intent of this book.

Then there’s my editor, Kris Albertson, who had the unenviable task of taking my random collection of ideas and awkward grammar, and guiding it to towards a finished product. Thanks for suffering through those first drafts and being available for a Skype chat at the wrong end of your own time zone. Without your practical and insightful contributions, I would not be writing this section today.

The many illustrations are also an integral part of this book; I had the idea very early on to include simple line drawings that would capture and illuminate the ideas in each chapter. Through an outsourcing site, I was connected with Croatian artist Damir Kundalic. His ability to take a very rough idea or sketch and transform it into something simple, fun, and memorable is remarkable. Thanks, Damir, you have a real gift there.

Finally, I want to thank everyone else who has helped me along my journey towards presence, including my partners, children, friends and colleagues. Every relationship - no matter how blissful or fraught - has taught me something about myself. Without you, I would not have become the person I am today. I love you all.

My Journey.

The Present is not a manual on how to be more successful or achieve more prosperity – there are enough of those out there already. The Present is written as a practical guide to help those searching for a way to experience more depth, meaning and connection in their lives. It is written to not only increase my own understanding and strengthen my own practice, but also as a vehicle to share insights and practices with those like me.

For many years, I was driven by the need to compete, to prove myself, to win – even when winning meant that I was left broken and empty. The urge to succeed seemed to eclipse all else, including my capacity to truly feel, to love or to simply be content with my life as it stood. This hunger for what I believed to be completeness, affected not only my state of mind, but also my physical health and my family.

I would watch on enviously as others delighted in the moment, laughing deeply or just smiling and giving thanks to another beautiful day unfolding. What was wrong with me? Why was it so hard for me to savour this, the simplest of life’s true pleasures?

To cope with my disconnection, I attempted to fill the void with work, alcohol, TV and obsessive thinking. These poor substitutes afforded me the occasional reprieve from my island of separateness, but when the distractions faded and I came back down to earth, I was still here. In the end they only