George Mumford works with professional athletes—including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal—on their mindfulness. 

When a journalist from ABC News interviewed him, one of the outstanding things he said was, “…You can slow time down when you create space between stimulus and response—[then] three seconds is an eternity.”

Practicing creating this space is incredibly valuable. Taking a deep breath in, and one out, and allowing yourself to be present. It makes the difference between a knee-jerk reaction that you may end up regretting, or responding in a more intentional way.