By Dr. Ron Passfield
Norman Doidge, in his book The Brain That Changes Itself, explained that early brain researchers discovered what became known as “neuroplasticity”: They showed that the brain changed its very structure with each activity it performed, perfecting its circuits so it was better suited to the task at hand. If certain “parts” failed, then other parts … Continue reading “Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity”
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”
People who experience loneliness as a constant state are prone to all kinds of issues such as disinterest, disengagement and depression as well as physical illness. The feeling of loneliness is a serious issue today, not only for older people but also the young, including school children. People can feel lonely even in a crowd … Continue reading “Savor The Space Of Being Alone”
Recently, I was watching some video presentations and podcasts on mindfulness, including a number available on YouTube. I passed over a number of offerings for one reason or another. However, in a conversation with myself about overlooking one presentation, I was suprised to realise that my decision was impacted by my unconscious bias. I was ashamed … Continue reading “Conversations with Ourselves Can Remove Blockages to Learning and Performance”
Jon Kabat-Zinn maintains that we spend so much time removed from ourselves through thinking, that we need to “dial up ourselves” occasionally. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche suggests that the art of conversation begins with having an honest conversation with ourselves on a regular basis. Sakyong is the author of a number of books, including, The Lost Art of Conversation: … Continue reading “Conversation with Ourselves”
In her presentation for the Mindfulness & Meditation Summit, Kelly McGonigal discussed The Neuroscience of Compassion. Kelly is the author of The Science of Compassion and The Upside of Stress. Kelly maintains that for compassion to be realised and sustained, the following six conditions must be present: awareness and recognition of suffering feeling of concern for, … Continue reading “Compassion and Neuroscience”
In sharing her life story in abbreviated form at a technology conference, Goldie Hawn manifested what we have described as mindful leadership. Goldie was participating in the final day of the conference which was devoted to how mindfulness practices can develop a person’s potential. She certainly epitomised what can happen when we grow in mindfulness. … Continue reading “Mindful Leadership: Goldie Hawn”
What do you think it would be like to follow a mindful leader, someone with advanced emotional intelligence skills? As we have discussed, mindful leadership entails self-awareness, self-management, motivation, empathy and social skills (compassion and communicating with insight). The mindful leader attracts and inspires followers because of these characteristics. They have a highly developed level of … Continue reading “Mindful Leadership: Inspiring Followers”
In a previous post, we discussed how mindfulness helps us to increase our sense of control over our internal environment and responses to external stimuli. However, there are times when we have to give up control over our external environment to enable others to gain a sense of control over their work or environment. A … Continue reading “Grow Your Influence by Letting Go”
Our family has had a long-standing tradition of solving a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle whenever we go away on holidays for more than a week. The collaborative endeavour of solving the jigsaw puzzle has a relaxing effect, builds relationships and facilitates conversation. Recently, my wife and I went on a holiday and in line with our family … Continue reading “Reflection and the Art of Solving Jigsaw Puzzles”
