If you are wishing to experience new levels of health or healing, you need to meditate.
If you are a leader, you need to meditate.
If you desire to build any life skill like focus, creativity, emotional resilience, self-awareness, visualization, you need to meditate.
If you no longer wish to live in fear and instead live your life with peace, passion and love, you need to meditate.
If you are up to new levels greatness, you need to meditate...
Okay so maybe that's a bit in your face, but I believe it with all my heart and soul. After 10 years of coaching people on all aspects of life & leadership, what I know for sure, today, is that meditation positively impacts every single aspect of your life and your leadership. I remember coaching a leader of a large organization to 1) build the habit and then 2) use the power of it in everyday life. During one particular time period, his organization was going through massive change and upheaval (welcome to life!) and when I asked him how he was able to show up for all of it, he responded that, in the past, he would have been a mess and reacted negatively to everything and everyone and what he was noticing, instead, was that in everyday life and his leadership, he was calmer through it all, less reactive & more empathetic - he just felt better! I asked if he attributed this directly to his meditation practice and he said, for sure, no doubt in his mind.
Then there are the vast majority of leaders and organizations who see this is as fluffy stuff. perhaps something for a stress management "one off" workshop or for another time when they are not so busy. Like when does that happen in today's world and how's that working so far? So yes, I sound a little judgemental but I hear it so often that it's become quite fascinating - is it not in times of great challenge and change that this little habit would serve us most? Is it not in times of difficulty that it serves us to calm our mind and centre ourselves so that we can show up, at our best, for the ride called life? It's foundational to do so and why so many leadership and business periodicals now site meditation as one of the top habits for today's leader and entrepreneur. Can tell I'm on fire about it...
So why? Why does meditation have such a positive impact on our life? Why is the science proving that meditation improves focus, builds emotional resilience and intelligence, builds our creative muscles, improves relationships because now we have access to empathy and the capacity to listen better? Why is it proving that new levels of health and healing are actually possible when we add meditation to our daily health habits? Drum roll please....because every single life & leadership skill that you wish to cultivate, in your life, begins with the brain & the mind - it begins with a calm brain and mind. Your brain and your mind are the CEO of your life and when you intentionally shift them from busy to "all is well", which is what meditation does - well then anything and everything is possible. Doesn't that just make sense and don't you kind of feel that you already know that?
You see when your brain and mind are in their usual "busy - going a hundred miles an hour" mode - which for most of us starts as soon as we roll out of our beds each morning - you physically, mentally, emotionally, neurologically & even spiritually are not in creation mode. Whatever it is you wish to expand in your life or cultivate is possible when you calm that gorgeous brain and mind of yours. Isn't this exciting?
Now just in case you are sitting there shaking your head and thinking "fine for you to say but there is no way I can shut this baby down - it's just too busy!" Well of course it is and it will be busy till it's not so busy and the point of meditation is not to shut off or empty the brain and mind- so don't worry your pretty head. As well, even a few minutes of meditation, done consistently, each day, begins to have a ripple effect on your day and your life and yes even on the days that you meditate and your mind has a difficult time calming down (I still have those days!) you are still calming your brain waves and you are still gaining awesome benefits!
So what are you waiting for? Just decide and just meditate - if you need help, I'm here...
As well, if you are a bit of a science geek, like me, here are a few cool studies you can check out:
Focus:
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797612459659
Relationship skills like mood, compassion and empathy:
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797612459659
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/52853b8ae4b0a6c35d3f8e9d/t/528d263ce4b04aa0e2083b1e/1384982076484/meditation-increases-compassionate-responses-to-suffering.pdf
Creativity:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12671-014-0352-9
Emotional intelligence:
http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-01983-016