I'm going to make a big bold statement here and this is based on three things:
1) a long time path of personal development and growth
2) my work, over 12 years as a life, leadership & Meditation Coach
3) the emerging science around the the mind and meditation
Reason number 3 being the most compelling because for some reason we humans, myself included, love it when things are backed up by evidence. So here is the big bold statement, ready?
To make real change and progress in your life you need to get out of your mind ~ your busy analytical mind!
There you go, there's my big statement for the day and ended with an exclamation to maybe make the point. This is big and you might want to just settle back a bit and take a few slow exhalations through your mouth or nose and let that settle because right now your analytical mind is the one processing that statement and it might not be liking it, getting it, rationalizing the heck out of it, resisting it - all the things that the analytical mind is designed to do. You are also highly intelligent so you may already know this. But take some long slow breathes and really let the truth of it sink in...
To make real change and progress in my life, I need to get out of my mind, my analytical mind.
You see all these "nice concepts" that we read about in all the self help and leadership books:
Emotional intelligence
Resilience
Creativity
Focus
Clarity of purpose
Courage
Authenticity
To name just a few...all these concepts are all just concepts - skills that are incredibly valuable in life & leadership, but the gap is how do we actually build them so that they have the potential to change and enhance our lives - personally and professionally?
That is where meditation comes in! I know I am biased here as meditation is my area of focus and expertise, but remember my 3 reasons I listed at the beginning, the most compelling being the on going and emerging science and research of the mind on meditation.
Today there is so much science on the mind and meditation and how it builds life and leadership skills.
All the cool life and leadership skills you read about, meditation actually and tangibly builds. That is why I am so passionate about it and helping more people with it, especially people in workplaces. Teams, leaders and the people they serve. It's so inspiring that today more places of work are open to meditation, not simply as a nice little "stress management" one- off workshop, but rather as an experience for people to help them with their mind and mindset.
You improve and change your mind and mindset when you calm the brain and bypass the analytical mind, which is essential, but it's really more of an information processor.
To build actual life and leadership skills you have to bypass this level of mind and access the subconscious mind.
This is where the work needs to go down. For years I read about the power of the subconscious mind but access to it was elusive.
Meditation opens the subconscious mind - that is 90% of your mind!
Let's take an example like "Psychological Safety"~ a big buzz word, it seems, today because of what people are going through. Something I have been reading a lot about and it's fascinating. Because of what we are all going through globally it has never been more important for us to come together and support each other. It makes sense that in order for people to perform and be at their best, it serves a workplace or leader, as an example, to create a safe environment where this is possible.
Now while a leader and/organization can go about creating all sorts of "external" things to help people feel safer ~ safer to contribute, be courageous, show up, take risks, be innovative etc., the missing piece is to integrate a tool, like meditation and mindfulness, that helps people actively bypass the fear based analytical mind so that they feel safer within themselves. There has to be both an external and an internal focus - the internal being a tool that actively and effectively helps people with their mind.
It makes sense doesn't it? Safety begins within; a mindset where despite what is going on you know you will be okay, somehow. This is the work I am personally, actively doing and it is the only tangible thing that is working in these times, because what I know to be true is that everything begins with my mind and mindset.
Meditation gets you out of your Mind - the analytical mind - so you can do the work to elevate, train and condition a new mindset, one that will really serve and support you in these times...
So keep going meditators, you are in great company and for those that need help - I am here for you...
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