Mindfulness

'Every single person, from Prime Ministers and Presidents to ordinary men and women would benefit from practising mindfulness and stillness in their lives. This wisdom has been known for thousands of years (in Eastern/Buddhist meditative practice) and now the science has caught up with it.'  -    Anthony Seldon, Headmaster of Wellington College  

The lady buddha photo I took at one of my favourite places in the world where my mindfulness journey began............

For the past month I have been taking a course on Mindfulness at the wonderful Grace in Belgravia. As you know I have been a fan of practising Mindfulness for a while and this course has made my belief in the benefits even stronger.

According to Professor Mark Williams (please see my recommended books) Mindfulness is a translation of a word that simply means 'awareness'. By noticing our thoughts, we become aware. By becoming aware we can change the way we 'do' things. By changing the way we 'do' things, we can 'be' different.

Buddhist techniques of mindfulness can be of enormous benefit to our health, relationships and peace of mind in this disconnected, stressed-out age. Mindfulness allows us to ease the speed and anxiety of modern life by altering our habits of mind. By realising that your thoughts create your life so practising mindfulness on a daily basis by being consciously aware of your thoughts, words and actions through mind, body and spirit.

There is growing evidence that a well rounded education should now include an understanding of mindfulness and what is known as the inner life and teaching mindfulness to young people can give them advanced training in the art of living. This is now why more schools, governments and corporates - Apple, Google, Facebook, Yahoo etc - are practising mindfulness on a daily basis and the momentum of this is growing. Huffington Post wrote recently about "Why 2014 will be the year of Mindful Living".

It's being aware of your breathing. It's being still and in the moment. It's taking time to discover touch, taste and feel of daily rituals like eating, drinking, brushing your teeth etc. It's being aware of non-judging, giving time to listen to what your body is telling you. It's learning how to do a 3-step 'thinking, doing, being' breathing practice. It's understanding the important link between mindfulness, the heart and the imagination through the Arts. Poetry can help bring us into awareness too. Practising 'patience' and 'letting  go' and 'acceptance' are all part of the process which I found very soothing. There is much more to learn too which I can't squeeze into a blog but I'm already benefiting and I can highly recommend the course (www.mindfulnessat work.com). 10 minutes practice a day is all that is needed and well worth the time! Please try it.

Thank you for reading my blog this year. Have a wonderful 'mindful' Christmas and here's to a fantastic 2014!!

xxxx

'We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already'  -   J K Rowling

Creativity and Education

I heard Sir Ken Robinson talk on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs recently and I'm such a fan as you know. He believes, as I do, that a learning revolution is needed to "transform the culture of education and organizations with a richer conception of human creativity and intelligence". Please listen to him if you didn't hear him earlier this month. I'm backing his mission.

My Leadership Speech

'Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself'  -  Leo Tolstoy This is part of the transcript speech I gave at a Leadership masterclass last week:

When John F Kennedy said in 1961 at his presidential inaugural address - "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Those words are as relevant now as they were then. They sum up my leadership speech tonight, because if each and every one of us can lead our lives in a productive, healthy, whole, cohesive way - miracles can happen - this will help the world become a better place for us all to live. I believe this is where true leadership begins with ourselves and how we live our lives.

When Merry asked me to talk to you today - it got me thinking about what got me here speaking on this subject. I believe that one of life's risks is never daring to risk, which is why I'm standing in front of you now.

I am a TV Producer by craft and have worked in the marketing/advertising industry for 30 years running my own business for 17 of those years. I began to realise gradually I wanted to listen to that inner voice of mine and not roughshod over who I was and my values. I began to realize I wasn't aligned to my spiritual purpose and I didn't want to bury that inner voice that told me 'time to change course....' Have you ever felt that the voice on the inside was not aligned to the words on the outside?! I believe if you listen to your inner voice it will guide you. Don't get me wrong - I loved producing - but it was time for change.

A life review led me to finding my spiritual path. I believe when the student is ready - the teacher appears and thus I met Merry Graham. She listened to me, she heard me. Thank you Merry for the quality of your compassion and your non-judgement in helping me to seek out my spiritual journey. Spending time becoming more aware of my values and how to honour them was key to my whole person nourishment. This created a paradigm shift in my life. There is no going back once you get this. Looking after myself physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally and understanding that these are all integrated was key. We are all born with this knowledge but this gets dusted over in our current education system and way of living and much has to be 'unlearnt' at some point. If only this could be taught in more schools. Anthony Seldon, enlightened headmaster of Wellington College introduced 'happiness and well being' classes for pupils and parents in 2006 and now more schools are following this example by also introducing mindfulness classes too. So change is afoot.

I'd always looked after myself physically and mentally - exercise, good diet and nutrition, rest and good sleep, setting boundaries - listening to what my body was telling me and being self aware. However the emotional and spiritual - could do better - so I began to fill myself up with understanding and nourishment. We need to give time to being human. We need to understand how our thoughts can affect our behaviour and ultimately our health. We need to understand how our emotions work and how repressed emotions can create serious illness in our bodies. We need to appreciate how our values and beliefs can directly affect our everyday health.

Understanding how the world works helps. We live in a world with a thought system based on fear not love. So judgement is the cornerstone of the thought system of the world. Love and forgiveness are not. We still put competition above collaboration although this is beginning to change. One in 4 people suffer from mental illness. So being self aware, is key to becoming the master and not the slave of your mind. This fast moving over technicalized world we live in marginalizes the soul, it marginalizes the spirit - so don't allow yourself to be run by technology and only use it to your advantage. Also stop the toxic TV and toxic newspapers! If I pick up some newspapers now I find they crackle in my hands from the sheer toxicity! Everything in the external world is basically a reflection of the internal world. So we're in a mess. Many people are so disconnected and numbed by the routine of life that they don't even have an opportunity to stop and know what they're feeling. They don't seek out deeper meaning in their lives because they're not aware they need to. If they lived healthier, whole person lives they would be more self aware and become seekers. It's being open and centred to the universe and saying 'I am open and ready to receive.' When you say this to the universe - it will rise up to meet you. All you need to do is ask and all sorts of spiritual guidance will appear; from books to people to life lessons etc.

I find giving time to all the things that are important to me and nourish me are key. Starting the day early and enjoying the silence that brings, to plan the day ahead. Honouring small rituals like making some lovely tea in a bone china cup. Connecting with nature and nurturing the earth matter to me. I exercise for 30 minutes in the park daily - not only for my physical body but my mental equanimity too. Being with people I love, pets/animals and the arts are all nourishing. Letting go of pettiness, negative thoughts and selfishness; doing everything with love - with everyone and everything, not only with those you like. Realizing that your thoughts create your life - so practising mindfulness on a daily basis. Having a purpose greater than yourself - and serving others and the earth - is an act of love. Finding a larger context in your life with a connectedness to family, community and environment - to bring meaning, purpose and ultimately happiness and health to our lives is key. Understanding that what happens to one directly - affects us all indirectly.

Everything that has ever happened to you in your life can be used as spiritual nourishment. So recognise the possibility of every moment because being in the moment is where joy resides. The task in life is to face sacred moments. You're going to miss this moment some day - so be here - it's all about the journey - not the destination. Once you are on that spiritual path you know what you have to do. There is no choice. Everyone of us is a teacher, a minister or a leader. So let's all lead by example.

Self responsibility and accountability are key to future happiness. Have a vision and communicate that vision. I wanted my work to have meaning. I wanted to inspire others to heal and align themselves to their spiritual path and to help them dig deep into their authentic selves and activate their true drivers and passions. And remember a life lived without spirituality needs more and more of the material life to keep the sense of emptiness at bay!!

So let's not lose this moment in history when people are open to change. We can all be teachers and leaders to inspire other people, other generations, to achieve greater focused leadership in their own lives. We can exemplify, empower and transform stuck places and change our world for the better! This new era needs to be about co-opetition not competition. The common purpose is to lead healthier lives and look after ourselves. As Maya Angelou says, "When you learn - teach. When you get - give." You don't need a title to be a leader.

And remember the more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate!

As Bill Gates said: "As we look ahead into the 21st century - leaders will be those who empower others." 

NAMASTE

(PS - As the Bafta voting season is well underway I went to see the film 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' last Friday evening. To be released 3rd January 2014. It is a wonderful movie with Idris Elba and Naomie Harris and does great justice to the great man. Please see it!)

Empathy and Leadership in the 21st century

'If we choose to be bound by the past we will never move forward.......'   -  Barack Obama  

I have been asked to make a speech next week about Leadership in the 21st century and how we can make the world a better place. So it got me researching and thinking about all the great qualities the leaders of today require because they are very different requirements from the leaders of the 20th century.

Easy access to information through the internet has made it much harder to conceal selfish, unacceptable behaviour. So leaders of today need to have integrity, humility and wisdom and be authentic and courageous. They need to exemplify, empower and transform by being a mentor, guide and role model; be resilient, act effectively, contribute uniqueness, embrace change and stay grounded. With all of these qualities they are going to have to have a great sense of humour too because they're going to need it!!

However, I believe in a rapidly changing world; in a globalizing world; in a multicultural world, there is more and more uncertainty; less hierarchy and more interdependence in finding a common purpose. I believe that the truly great leaders in this era all have one attribute in common and that is empathy. If you can master this intangible, often overlooked skill that allows you to connect with and relate to others - you'll go far in your community, relationships and business. Great leaders relate to the people they serve. Business success depends on empathetic leaders who are able to adapt, build on the strengths around them and relate to their environment. Empathy is the driving force behind all great leaders communication. A critical part of developing empathy is learning to understand, respect and implement another person's point of view rather than forcing your own. It's keeping working on a solution until we hear each other, which can take time and doesn't fit in the fast moving demands of the 21st century - however it is so worth the time and effort and I believe all great leaders understand this!

Whilst I was researching this I came across a wonderful You Tube conversation with Hillary Rodham Clinton (below) having been presented with the Chatham House Prize 2013 last week in London. Please listen to her in conversation as she exemplifies a true leader with empathy and the importance of trust in establishing long term relationships.  I believe she's inspirational for the next generation of 21st century leaders.

Inspirational eh? However, the foundation for relationships is the relationship we have with ourselves - self-awareness and being in the moment and aligning to our core values - this is what my leadership speech and next blog will be based upon.......... Have a good week!

'When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace'  -   Jimi Hendrix

Your thoughts create your life

'If you know what you want - if you can state it, the universe will move in your direction."  -  Goethe There is an invisible energy force around every one of us and it's full of infinite possibilities - you just have to believe it is there, tap into it and make your life work for you by consciously creating what you want. This belief is very empowering because it puts you in control of your own life so you won't be buffeted about by life circumstances. What you believe will come true for you because that is the energy you give out and attract. So make sure you give out positive energy and expect the best. When you harness the power of a positive perspective in your own life, you get to make every day a great one!

I believe your everyday approach to life can move you to a higher level of consciousness. You can do this through visualization, affirmations, finding stillness and peace with meditation and spiritual study; with gratitude and forgiveness and letting go of unexamined perceptions because what you do on a daily basis creates your life and your future. I find also being with people I love; exercising in nature and the arts in whatever form brings me great joy and enriches my day and nourishes my soul which helps me maintain a positive perspective.

Paul McKenna believes that you can choose to actively reprogram your mind with a positive perspective - like an owner's manual for your brain. He believes that the next great stage in human development will be a move out of the information age (please read my blog: 'Meaning is the new money') and into a new time where people will begin to develop their inner resources.' He calls this time 'the age of psycho-technology - a time when we will begin to unleash the amazing powers and inner abilities that we are all born with but get covered over as we go through life. That's why children get it. As I also mentioned in a previous blog - 'Do you like what you do each day?' - I believe the new celebrities are the one's who will inspire, who know how to link the inner world with the outer world and who will make our lives richer in the deepest sense of the word.

You create your own reality by the thoughts you think and the words you speak, so make sure you consciously create what you want! You have to be clear about what you want (see Jim Carey - Oprah Winfrey show on visualization) and then be pro-active by working towards your goals.

What you think about you bring about. In the process believe that it has already happened - so you are living your dream. I have thought like this naturally most of my life so I can tell you it works!

'All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.'  -  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Conscious Business

'The secret of a good life is that you have to put yourself on the list of the people you most admire'  -  Socrates - 2,000 years ago!  

A few years ago I believed that it was not possible to integrate the values closest to my heart with business. The material and spiritual way did not mix - it was a choice of one or the other. Well my revelation happened when I read and heard Fred Kofman speak about his book 'Conscious Business: How to build value through values'. It changed how I thought about business in a profound way - how often can you say that!

Fred proves that you can act in business in total alignment with your values and this is why he wrote the book 'Conscious Business'. Fred believes that the way to build value in any business is to come from your heart - you do not have to sell your soul. The way you engage with the world becomes the vehicle for you to express what is truly dear to your heart. So you can be fulfilled in your spirit and soul in business and life. How do you bring this into practice? It is through 'consciousness' and how to build value through your values. You don't have to sell-out to be successful. You can engage with the world from the perspective of your values and not sell-out. Think of what you want to do with your life? What qualities do you admire in other people? Write it down - you can create your values from this exercise. There is no trade-off. You need to see business as an area of expression. It is not a life/work balance. It is both together. The values you practice in life and business become the vehicle that is truly dear and important to you.

This book is so profound and touches on such an important and fundamental issue and yet still not enough business leaders practice this method of working. Yes - there is a lot of philanthropic work going on and that is terrific - but we have seen in the last few years in the city and banking no values to speak of and a lack of empathy too i.e.,'I win, you whatever.'

Consciousness - is taking a stance in the world - having values and living by them in your everyday personal and working life. Fred Kofman's teaching is the concept that conscious actions and communications are a central component of a successful business and a happy working enviroment. I think this fundamental practice is the way to get out of any financial crisis and the way forward for business in the 21st century!

I realised that I was here to help spread the message about integrating values into working life - so no-one has to sell out - to make the world a better place to live and work - the two are intertwined.

'Connect with the music you have in your heart' - Fred Kofman