This is the second part of an article intended to help understanding the phenomenon of spiritual groups, something that is increasing its influence in the world today. Next week, the last post.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
The struggle between Spirituality and Religion I
This is an article intended to help understanding the phenomenon of spiritual groups, something that is increasing its influence in the world today. It will be posted in three different weeks.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
The skills of the self
An old book talked about the sixteen celestial arts, a series of skills the self needs to be happy in life. It included things like the art of developing, friendship, thinking and even the art of remaining happy and content.
Not, it is obvious nobody will put this into his or her curriculum... And no sensible company would hire someone because she masters the art of "concealing and revealing" or he is an expert in the art of "refreshing".
However, when people are working in a day-to-day basis, these arts turn to be the key for a person who wants to grow in the company because even though companies value techniques, knowledge and skills, the skills of the self are the ones which will help you to move forward. Even though you are in a company, you're still human.
The skills of the self are those virtues, values or qualities in general, plus those abilities that allow people to live with people, enabling them to overcome obstacles and to face the challenges that come on their way with victory.
Although some would have that naturally, developing those skills are not that different than any other skill. You will need for that:
Even though you won't be able to mention these skills to your future client, I tell you one thing: many times, that is the real reason they are hiring you.
Not, it is obvious nobody will put this into his or her curriculum... And no sensible company would hire someone because she masters the art of "concealing and revealing" or he is an expert in the art of "refreshing".
However, when people are working in a day-to-day basis, these arts turn to be the key for a person who wants to grow in the company because even though companies value techniques, knowledge and skills, the skills of the self are the ones which will help you to move forward. Even though you are in a company, you're still human.
The skills of the self are those virtues, values or qualities in general, plus those abilities that allow people to live with people, enabling them to overcome obstacles and to face the challenges that come on their way with victory.
Although some would have that naturally, developing those skills are not that different than any other skill. You will need for that:
- Knowledge. You really need to understand what patience means to develop it. Study and research are key.
- Attitude. A skill is nothing without a proper attitude to back it up. If you, for instance, want to develop patience, you need an attitude of understanding, perspective and maturity.
- Practice. A big part of any skill to be developed is to rehearse it. When you think of patience, you probably acknowledge there are situations which are easier for you to be patient with, and other situations that are much more difficult; practicing means trying first with those situations that are easy for you and then, gradually, trying the more difficult ones.
Even though you won't be able to mention these skills to your future client, I tell you one thing: many times, that is the real reason they are hiring you.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Learning wisdom
You can learn knowledge in many places using different methods. Especially during certain times of our economic cycle or our own lives, the knowledge we have is measured and taken in consideration. You can earn more or less according to how much you know, and not only money: that can help you in relationships, your health or spiritual choices.
But there is a moment when knowledge is not enough. If two tech guys apply for a job, yes, their knowledge will be taken in consideration, but sometimes their experiences are more valuable. So, at some points, knowledge becomes less important than skills. In normal life, it is that moment when your son does not believe in what you say but in what you do...
Then, later, success starts to be important and that is a very crucial point in anyone's lives, when that really starts to matter. So, it is not only knowledge - now at the bottom of priorities - but your experience will be considered according to how much success you have experienced, and not only that: success that matters for the company in case. It is when your son does not believe in your actions anymore, except when they give good results.
Again, there is a subtle point in life when success is not that crucial. Maybe because people tend to be surrounded by peers and one successful person among many others does not count so much. It is in that point your wisdom starts to be valued.
In our world, as I said, there are so many places to learn knowledge and many different methodologies. The same applies to skills and there are easy tactics to get experience and to reach success. What about wisdom?
That is probably the last place in a person's timeline. It is that point when the person feels completely assured by whatever he or she does. She does not bother so much with others' opinion and he has a wise smile in his face all the time.
The question is: how to learn or attain wisdom? There is no school for that and no management tool to help you get it. And as it is the end of our success pathway, it is good if we can really work on that. I have a few suggestions, and I hope they are useful for you:
And much more... If there would be a university with a Wisdom course, that would take a couple of years, and it would be different for each person. My feeling is that when you start to awaken your own wisdom - which is how we learn it - then success becomes easier too.
But there is a moment when knowledge is not enough. If two tech guys apply for a job, yes, their knowledge will be taken in consideration, but sometimes their experiences are more valuable. So, at some points, knowledge becomes less important than skills. In normal life, it is that moment when your son does not believe in what you say but in what you do...
Then, later, success starts to be important and that is a very crucial point in anyone's lives, when that really starts to matter. So, it is not only knowledge - now at the bottom of priorities - but your experience will be considered according to how much success you have experienced, and not only that: success that matters for the company in case. It is when your son does not believe in your actions anymore, except when they give good results.
Again, there is a subtle point in life when success is not that crucial. Maybe because people tend to be surrounded by peers and one successful person among many others does not count so much. It is in that point your wisdom starts to be valued.
In our world, as I said, there are so many places to learn knowledge and many different methodologies. The same applies to skills and there are easy tactics to get experience and to reach success. What about wisdom?
That is probably the last place in a person's timeline. It is that point when the person feels completely assured by whatever he or she does. She does not bother so much with others' opinion and he has a wise smile in his face all the time.
The question is: how to learn or attain wisdom? There is no school for that and no management tool to help you get it. And as it is the end of our success pathway, it is good if we can really work on that. I have a few suggestions, and I hope they are useful for you:
- Reflect about your path. Take out some moments of your busy schedule to just figure what happened in your life up to this moment.
- Be holistic about your life. Although we tend to compartmentalize, it is important to know life is just one... look at it as a whole thing avoiding focusing more on your work area than your relationships, for instance.
- Contemplate about your future. Planning is good, but for wisdom, contemplation is much more valued, which means take some time looking into the horizon of your life with your intuition or your spiritual awareness, accepting what is coming and embracing it.
- Meditate daily. Meditation awakens certain parts of the self that helps wisdom to come faster and faster.
- Before making any decision, stop even for a minute and talk to yourself. It does not matter if it is a big or small decision, stop and reflect on that.
- When in doubt, talk to a wiser person. Not Google; ok, "talk" to Google, but then go and talk to a wiser person about the issue in your mind.
- Value silence more than sound. An easy way to recognize someone wise is his or her silence, which is deep and powerful.
- Enjoy life as a child. Wise people are like children, they are able to play, sing and dance, and enjoy good and innocent fun.
- Don't think too much. A common mistake is to feel wise people think a lot; that is not true, their time is more in contemplation, reflection and meditation, states of mind when thoughts are fewer.
- Speak what is necessary. To know exactly what to speak is an art a wise person masters.
- Act as if everyone is looking at you. A wise person always acts as if she or he is giving examples at every step.
- Act as if nobody is looking. A wise person does not act according to others' opinion.
- Treasure the contradictions in life. For an ordinary person, contradictions are synonym for confusion, while for a wise person it means an efficient way to generate a powerful thinking.
And much more... If there would be a university with a Wisdom course, that would take a couple of years, and it would be different for each person. My feeling is that when you start to awaken your own wisdom - which is how we learn it - then success becomes easier too.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Moments of leadership
Is it possible to be a leader sometimes?
We hear here and there about acts of leadership - a hero here, a boss who has an incredible insight there, a mother whose children are brought up to be leaders or a young woman who challenges the status quo. And, yes, these people are expressing some of the most precious and natural qualities of a leader.
However, to be a leader is something much deeper, because when you are a leader you ARE. Just as you cannot say you are a man six hours a day and the rest of the time you are a woman, the same thing happens with leaders as they are the embodiment of many qualities which are present at all times.
When you look at those people whose acts of leadership came into a newspaper, you will see that was just a moment; after that, they went back to their position as followers.
The reason behind is that EVERYONE HAS THE QUALITIES TO BE A LEADER. More than a decade ago, when I have started to work on leadership, I have realized from my own experience initially and observing others later, that all have the potential to be leaders.
Some people they use those qualities to perform some tasks, but they do not develop their own leadership. Others just ignore them...
If you are one of these people and you can see yourself as a leader at some points of your life, just know that you have those qualities. It depends on your own endeavor to become the leader you can be.
We hear here and there about acts of leadership - a hero here, a boss who has an incredible insight there, a mother whose children are brought up to be leaders or a young woman who challenges the status quo. And, yes, these people are expressing some of the most precious and natural qualities of a leader.
However, to be a leader is something much deeper, because when you are a leader you ARE. Just as you cannot say you are a man six hours a day and the rest of the time you are a woman, the same thing happens with leaders as they are the embodiment of many qualities which are present at all times.
When you look at those people whose acts of leadership came into a newspaper, you will see that was just a moment; after that, they went back to their position as followers.
The reason behind is that EVERYONE HAS THE QUALITIES TO BE A LEADER. More than a decade ago, when I have started to work on leadership, I have realized from my own experience initially and observing others later, that all have the potential to be leaders.
Some people they use those qualities to perform some tasks, but they do not develop their own leadership. Others just ignore them...
If you are one of these people and you can see yourself as a leader at some points of your life, just know that you have those qualities. It depends on your own endeavor to become the leader you can be.
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