Mindfulness in a nutshell

What does it mean to be mindful? How does one achieve mindfulness? It's a term that will be a cornerstone of World Peace through Personal Peace and we hear it often when discussing meditation and inner peace but what does it actually mean? Michael Webb describes it as follows:

"Have you ever suddenly become aware of a background noise that had been going on for some time unnoticed? Or have you ever woken up just moments before your alarm clock went off, as if an inner force had lifted you from slumber? That was mindfulness."

If you'd like to learn more, read his article entitled Mindfulness in a nutshell where he not only explains what it is but also little ways in which we can work towards it.