In order to be successful, people often think they have to constantly be achieving constantly going from one thing to the next crossing things off of their to do list. But as a consequence, they're not in the present moment. And their productivity would be so much greater if they stayed present, as well as their performance on their tasks. What's more, is that their relationships would improve drastically. 

So what research on charisma shows is that highly charismatic people are people who are able to be so fully present with other people. And that's what leads to that incredible connection and that influence that they have. 

Research shows that our mind actually wanders about 50% of the time. And research also shows that when our mind is wandering, we are never as happy as when our mind is in the present moment. So if your mind is in the future, worrying about something that's going to happen, or in the past, because you're regretting something, or angry at somebody, you're more likely to feel more negative emotions. 

But when you're in the present moment, even if you're doing a task you don't particularly like, you'll actually feel happier. But also, what we know is that you'll be able to be more productive when you're in that state, because you're going to naturally be focused. One way that you can start to bring your mind back into the present, given its tendency to wander, is through breathing exercises and relaxation exercises. 

So if you relax your body, your mind will naturally start to settle down. And breathing is a very effective way to do that. And very quickly, some meditation practices can really help you observe your mind, become aware of its tendencies. For example, its tendency to wander, and help you through that awareness. Shift your attention back into the present moment. Meditation is an exercise in which you are engaging fully with the present moment. 

So it's a fantastic way to train your mind to be more present with what is going on right now. We currently are in a time and age where multitasking has just become the norm. We're constantly being pinged by our devices, we're constantly receiving emails, and all day long, it's as if we were being interrupted from our stream stream of thought, what's more, is that we interrupt ourselves.

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