Before we turn to the topic at hand, I am proud to announce that this is my 150th blog post. I started in January of 2018 and have tried to cover a wide range of topics of interest to leaders at all levels in their organizations. I am sure that few if any readers have managed to read every one. Should you be cruious about previous posts, I have tried to provide several quick and effective ways of finding the topics which might interest you most.
At the right of this and each blog post is an browsing index by topic of all the posts. Within each topic, the titles are listed from oldest to newest. Click and you will be taken to the post of your choice. If a particular keyword interests you, go to the search bar at the bottom of the page and you will find all posts which contain your chosen word.
My only regret is that nobody has taken the opportunity to post a comment directly to one of the posts. I regularly get comments addressed to me via email, which I appreciate very much. But a comment posted in the provided block below each blog post might trigger reactions from other readers and start a dialog.
Finally, let me just say thank you to everyone who reads this blog.
When I mention the concept of mindfulness, I find a substantial number of leaders looking for the exit. But there is a group that are highly energized by the concept. Regardless of which group you are in, I ask you to bear with me for an exploration of what mindfulness is.
First a definition, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Mindfulness is the psychological process of purposely bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment, which one develops through the practice of meditation and through other training. Mindfulness derives from sati, a significant element of Buddhist traditions, and based on Zen, Vipassanā, and Tibetan meditation techniques. Though definitions and techniques of mindfulness are wide-ranging, Buddhist traditions explain what constitutes mindfulness such as how past, present and future moments arise and cease as momentary sense impressions and mental phenomena. Individuals who have contributed to the popularity of mindfulness in the modern Western context include Thích Nhất Hạnh (1926– ), Herbert Benson (1935– ), Jon Kabat-Zinn (1944– ), and Richard J. Davidson (1951– ).
You might find it useful to watch this video:
If you prefer listening to a person rather than cartoon characters, look here:
Daniel Goleman tells us that the first step in developing emotional intelligence is to be self-aware. He is talking about developing the same skills.
I think we all can benefit from being in touch with our feelings. Whether you use structured meditation, engage in techniques to increase biofeedback like the techniques developed at HeartMath or simply develop the technique of stopping to reflect on what is happening inside you, you are practicing a form of mindfulness.
Herb