By Dr. Ron Passfield
Amanda Sinclair, in her book Leading Mindfully, cautions against the endless chase of authenticity or of the holy grail of authentic leadership. In the first place, Amanda notes that “authenticity” is not a personal attribute or characteristic; it is an attribution by others. People may deem you to be an authentic leader by your words … Continue reading “Leading Mindfully: Stop Chasing Authenticity”
In his presentation for the Mindfulness & Meditation Summit, Dan Harris discussed Tackling the Myths, Misconceptions, and Self-Deceptions That Stop You from Meditating. Dan is the author of 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Really Works – A True Story. He wrote this book after … Continue reading “What’s Stopping You from Meditating?”
Albert Flynn DeSilver has written a book titled, Awakening through Writing: The Space Between the Words, as a wake-up call to the power of writing as a means for exploring our inner landscape. In an interview with Tami Simon, Albert identified some of the key messages in his book and I want to reflect on … Continue reading “Writing: A Pathway to Mindfulness”
Chade-Meng Tan gave a presentation on mindfulness and happiness at an international conference on technology. Meng (as he is called affectionately and respectfully by friends, colleagues and associates) painted a picture, through a series of metaphors, of progression in happiness as we grow in mindfulness. Attention training and emotional control At the earliest stage … Continue reading “Why Happiness Grows with Mindful Practice”
Recent neuroscience confirms that mindfulness develops clarity of mind. This is reinforced by the experience of Chade-Meng Tan through the Search Inside Yourself mindfulness program conducted at Google over the past ten years. We are able to see things more clearly because our mind is uncluttered by constant, random thoughts or overcome with emotions such … Continue reading “Clarity through Mindfulness”
Self-management relies very heavily on self-awareness. If we are not conscious of what we are thinking, saying and doing – and the impact of our thoughts, words and actions – we are incapable of managing ourselves. Self-management, according to the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, is “the process of managing one’s internal states, impulses and … Continue reading “Mindful Leadership: Self-Management”
In my previous post, I discussed mountains and rivers as a source of meditation and their predominance in Chinese landscape art. I also focused on the Shan shui tradition of landscape painting where the artists expressed their thoughts and emotions about a physical landscape in their painting. In this way, they revealed something of their … Continue reading “From Outer Landscape to Inner Landscape: The Growth of Awareness”
So often we become anxious about something that is about to happen and yet our worst fear is never realised. The problem is that our brains tend towards the negative as a means of self-defence. The amygdala, that part of our brain that perceives threat, sets us up for a fight or flight response. We … Continue reading “When We Fear the Worst”
As you develop your appreciation of the power of mindfulness to make a difference, you become increasingly aware of the potential of the present moment. In the present moment lies creativity, gratitude, zest for life, happiness and the capacity to love. The famous Irish novelist, Cecilia Ahern, has her central character, Christine, describe the potential … Continue reading “The Potential of the Present Moment”
