Silence is precious - Reason 27

Silence solicits varied responses.  For some people it represents the ideal moment to go within, to relax and to have new ideas.  Others think of it as a punishment, a signal of isolation and something to avoid.

For a leader, silence is a beautiful experience he or she is eager to have.  It is a creative laboratory that enables the connection with the world outside to be broken so that she or he is able to tap into their inner creative energy without any external distractions.  It does not represent an escape from others or situations, on the contrary it is a chance to understand them and to pave the way for better relationships and a better handling of circumstances.

A leader may do that using meditation, reflection, a yoga practice or contemplation.  Whatever method it is, it will give the leader much more than relaxation – silence is an unforgettable experience that transforms old habits of perception.

For a leader, the conscious practice of silence can emerge all the abilities and qualities she or he keeps inside, stimulating creativity and giving the leader a powerful edge at the time of solving problems.

(Excerpt from the book 82 Reasons to be a Leader)

Your main wealth is your wisdom - Reason 26

Information comes every day.  It flows from the pores of our civilisation, from gadgets we create and maintain with the hope of improving our lives.  Go and talk to an illiterate person whose children or grand-children were able to go to university, the temple of information, and you will listen to the changes in their lives that go beyond physical: attitude is affected, perspective becomes different and lifestyle turns into a new direction.

Information that is relevant may be called knowledge and you cannot deny its impact at present.  However, if you talk to someone who graduated from college and has been hired by a company, you may find that not everything they studied has proved useful.

Some people are able to discern all the bits and bytes of information that are unnecessary or excessive, avoiding them, and turn what is necessary into a transformational knowledge.  A leader is able to take one step further and convert it into wisdom.

Wisdom comes from knowledge that is well applied, modified by lessons, experiences and experiments, by becoming part of the way the person reflects, thinks, talks and acts.  If information is like molecules, we could say knowledge is like coal and wisdom is a diamond.

Wisdom will guide the leader, by helping him or her to guide others, sharing that diamond.

(Excerpt from the book 82 Reasons to be a Leader)

You often think outside the box and manage great projects - Reason 25

People have a tendency to put themselves in a box, that is, an invisible and intangible box made up of beliefs and knowledge, perceived capacities and fears.  This box then creates self-fulfilling limitations, preventing the individual to do things according to their potential.

Some people are able to come out of those restrictions and we call them leaders.  The practical reason is the fact their tasks are often beyond their present capacity to perform them.

By being a leader, you have a constant need to challenge and to be creative, because what others see as impossible it becomes possible by you.  For a leader, ethics are the only restriction as they work as a compass signalling the path to be followed.

This perspective extends to life in general: every problem and bad situation inspires a leader to find a solution, beyond limitations and restrictions.  Beyond impossible.

(Excerpt from the book 82 Reasons to be a Leader)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: the year of 8

Life is a miracle. From the biological point of view, statistics show that a new life is an almost impossible feat, and yet every day there is a birth… RIGHT NOW, a baby is being born, a mother wolf is licking its new cub and a new whale is starting to swim in the oceans of the world.

Celebrating a birthday is not a small thing. It means a reverence to that miracle and at the same time, a commitment to help life to continue.

On January 12^th, I have the honor to celebrate mine. I feel humbled by the thought I was given a chance to live in this wonderful world.

However, it is not a single birthday; I celebrate two birthdays on the same day. How? Besides my birth, on that same date, in 1983, I got in touch with the subtle part of me, the soul that I am. It was and it is still is an incredible experience.

Every year I do something different and special for that celebration. For this double birthday, I would like to play with the number 8. After all…

• ·        2018 ends in 8…
• ·        My physical age is 53 and when you sum the numbers… yes, right, you get 8! Wait a second… my SPIRITUAL age is 35 and guess the result of summing its numbers…
• ·        And summing both ages, I get 88 – so, DOUBLE EIGHT!

There are eight affirmations I feel that have helped me to live spiritually in a very non-spiritual world. Each of these is associated with a spiritual power, which you can check on my blog about it.

I hope they will work as a gift from me to you. After all, a birthday means gift…

EIGHT AFIRMATIONS

THAT ENABLE ME TO LIVE AS A SPIRITUAL BEING IN A VERY MATERIAL WORLD

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