The probem with our automatic minds is that we take everything for granted - from the way we brush our teeth, to how we drive our car, from the routine of everyday, to who we think we are. We need to recapture that wondrous state of mind that captivated our attention as children.

So, take a few moments to wonder at something that's sitting before your very eyes. The concept and design of your 'phone; the intricate weave of cloth in your clothes; the texture of a sheet of paper; the multitude of processes taking place every time you take a breath.

Life is full of wonder and the most wonderful thing of all is, if you spot it, you might start living it.

I spent all last week working from home - working on a new initiative that, no doubt, you'll hear about in April. But, having spent the week at home, I have no idea why I should have waited, like everyone else, to go to the supermarket on Saturday morning. The logic was all over the place - but the entertainment was worth it.

For a start, we couldn't get into the carpark - a long line of cars was backed up whilst, as we soon discovered, four cars were fighting over two parking spots. And I mean fighting - drivers out of cars shouting at each other, passengers out of cars, directing drivers, throwing their bodies selflessly in front of those who would take their space. The funny thing was, though, that there were about forty free spaces in the next row of the carpark!

As if that excitement wasn't enough, as we approached the checkout, there was an arguement over who was first in a line of five shoppers - you know the kind of thing... trollies at dawn! We simply excused our way through the fracas to the next checkout... where there was nobody waiting.

I had the pleasure of doing a "masterclass" for the Association for Coaching a couple of months ago. I hasten to add, that's what they called it! The day I've managed to master my own mind is that day I might consider calling it that myself. I made the point to them - and I've often made the point to business leaders - that they are in a position where they can change people's lives. I also pointed out, however, that, unless you're in the right state of mind, you change people's lives for the worse - from a boss who's a bully, to the professional who trots out mindless advice, from the loving parent who unwittingly puts down their child's efforts, to something as simple as the daily rudeness one sees on city streets and on public transport.

If we have the power to change people's lives, we had better use it first to get a handle on our own lives - to paraphrase Gandhi, if you want to see change, change yourself. If, for example, you know that, by taking a little time each day, you can cumulatively develop your ability to be mindful and focused, then that is what you should do. Anything that falls short of that is, on the one hand, a disservice to yourself, on the other, a deliberate, albeit automatic, slap in the face for everyone else.

Every week in this Ezine, we talk about how to be more focused, how to be more mindful - the key ingredients of happiness and success. We explore how focus and mindfulness develops purpose, how it transforms managers into visionary leaders - how it enables us live our ordinary lives extraordinarily. I know that many of us strive, through regular exercise, reading, practice, reflection... you name it, to become more and more focused, tuned it and turned on.

But the morning that we don't do it, the day that we waste through lack of focus, the hurt that we cause others through mindless behaviour, the missed opportunity that we couldn't see for looking in the opposite direction - these are the things that should cause us to be ashamed of ourselves. Then again, where would shame get us? It's as useless an exercise as feeling guilty. If we slip, it is what it is - there's always now to start over.