Spirituality as a Motivator

 

I was… lost. OK, as a teenager, I guess that’s part of the profile - but I was in a worse situation than many of my friends.

What helped me find my own path? Spirituality.

That’s why I feel that being spiritual is not a passive thing. It’s motivational and dynamic; it’s transformational.

For me, spirituality gives me a reason to get up every day and a sense of comfort when I go to sleep at night. It reminds me that everything I create has a purpose - it might nourish someone, bring hope, or spark energy in others, without boundaries or restrictions.

Whenever I work, it’s not just for me or for the money; it’s for the universe. It’s about offering a little hope or a meaningful experience, even if only for a moment. Whenever I connect with someone, it’s an opportunity to send good wishes - and to receive the best they have to offer in return.

Spirituality motivates me because it lifts me out of the chaos and noise, bringing me into that wonderful calm within, from which I can move forward.

But is it always motivational? Not always.

Sometimes, you and I need to pause and reflect - to stop reality for a while. Spirituality offers many tools to do exactly that, and in those moments, it may not feel motivational. It’s more like an interval in a game: necessary and revitalizing. Yet, just like in a game, the coach becomes the motivator. During these spiritual pauses, there’s often a temptation not to return to the noise. That’s when an external agent - a wife, a brother, a boss, or a friend - might step in to remind us to go back to the field of action.

Try it out. If you ever feel hopeless or unmotivated, go within. Meditate, reflect, contemplate, pray. Let yourself experience that shower of energy - and then go back to action. You’ll feel the difference.

 

This is a post in a series about motivation - starting from within.

Solitude… the power of being by yourself

What is that thing, which is so good and yet, it causes so much sorrow?

 

I am an introvert and so, to be by myself looks quite good, actually. But I am not a perfect introvert… Many years ago, I was about to have my first Christmas by myself and it really touched me in a bad way that I didn’t have anyone else around me at that time of the year.

I was living in Santiago, Chile, and most of the people I knew, travelled. I was just there by myself.

Alone.

Almost lonely; I worked until a few days before, so I was still surrounded by other people. In that situation, I decided to call a few people I’ve met as a yoga teacher and I invited them for lunch, after my holidays started. It was wonderful, a really beautiful experience and I never forget it!

 

Solitude.

 

To be alone is not a bad thing in itself, but it can be according to the circumstances and situations.

After that Christmas, I did spend next Christmas by myself and it was OK, because I didn’t feel lonely.

It was then that the idea emerged: there is a difference between being lonely and being in solitude.

To not have people to whom to talk, to feel their presence and to share accomplishments… that is loneliness. It is considered by many as the door to several illnesses, besides I think we all agree it is not good…

To not have people to whom to talk, to feel their presence and to share accomplishments because you chose that moment to be by yourself is called solitude. It is considered by many as the door to healing the self.

Solitude brings about inner powers, so that we can sort things out, solve situations or accept whatever is taking place in our lives. Solitude is the perfect environment for meditation, personal growth and contemplation.

Next time you are by yourself and loneliness is filling your mind with too many thoughts, change your attitude, meditate and transform being lonely into the gift of solitude.

The role of God in the TikTok era

Well, if you look for GOD and add TikTok, you will find a whooping 235 million results… But, of course, the results are of all kinds because to try to use such a high element of spirituality comprised in the shortest video possible, it is quite difficult.

My experience of God is a life-long one and it goes beyond reading or studying, suffering or joy, understanding or believing. Although those short videos can be helpful, they cannot convey the greatness that God has.

He is known at the Brahma Kumaris, an organization to which I have been affiliated for forty years, as the Ocean of all Virtues, because that is what He is: an Ocean that comprehends all that is good and powerful.

And yet, He is also known as being just a point of light… An extremely concentrated form of energy. The words in other languages are sindhu for ocean and bindhu for point, rhyming an experience, like a living song.

We are similar to Him, but so different. We are different than Him, but so similar.

Experience God through meditation, contemplation or prayer; let that experience fill your mind and actions.

Also, enjoy those short videos, without depending on them to decide what God really is for you.

Quicksand and slow-sand

I was “playing” with the idea of a quicksand… OK, maybe it is not a nice image as per the general perception, if someone steps on a quicksand, they are swallowed by earth! That’s why the first rule is CHECK THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE STEPPING.

However, if you do step on a quicksand, slow movements will help and the best you stay quiet, the hardest will be for the quicksand to take you in. Your chances of survival will increase by doing that.

Now, if we think about SITUATIONS as quicksand, we can extract a few lessons and turn it into a slow-sand, a process in which you are changing the pace of life and going deep.

• Always be cautious. If you can foresee a bad situation coming, don’t step into it just like that; wait a bit, reflect, contemplate and meditate… If it is a quicksand – something that will swallow your energy, your potential, or your wealth – don’t step into it. Look for alternatives instead.
• If you are feeling situations are already taking too much from you, slow your movements, that is, be more reflexive and contemplative. Take your time whenever you can and talk with someone you trust about what you are living. Don’t let yourself be dragged by circumstances.
• Silence does three things when situations are like quicksand: 1) silence empowers and so your resilience increases; 2) silence clarifies what you are going through and, in this way, you are not afraid, and 3) silence heals since many times this type of environment may hurt you.

So, are you ready to convert the quicksand of your life into a slow-sand?

Being wise instead of knowledgeable

We live in a society that is hungry for knowledge and learning. It has been a beautiful dream of a long time for many people and it is no small wonder to see even the simplest people accessing technology that was available only for high class or academics in a very recent past. However…

There is a cost for life in this knowledge-centered society: knowledge cannot solve all problems. This impossibility generates frustration and even feelings of depression. A high number of articles on topics like 5 Common Mistakes Smart People Make shows this reality. But why knowledge is not enough? That is when wisdom comes in…

After all, besides solving math problems and design complex strategies, a leader or any person also needs to solve relationship issues or to face health problems, for which that person’s knowledge won’t be necessarily useful. But wisdom will be!

It has a variety of meanings, but I would indicate a few levels of wisdom that can be applied to resolve different circumstances in life.

1. A knowledge-based wisdom. I think the first level is pretty simple: just apply knowledge! For instance, you can research about courses that will help you to improve your relationship or heal your health.
2. Intuition. Although some affirm it is restricted to a particular gender, it is not my experience. Basically, it means to listen to the non-logical part, a side of our brain or perception that is able to “catch” signs our conscious self didn’t, and it is not conditioned by gender, age, race, religion or any label. It will guide you in giving a special gift to that special person or talking to a different doctor who would have an unorthodox solution for your problem.
3. Contemplation. There is a point your wisdom comes from a deep contemplation. A few years ago, I tried to discern the difference between contemplation, reflection and meditation; when you reflect, you speak to yourself, while when you contemplate, you let your own self to speak to you… (meditation unites both in one practice). To be wise at this level means you don’t take decisions in a rush; you rather take your time, check between several possibilities and then you take a decision. Therefore, you won’t rush into a solution for a relationship or health, but you will think it deeply and the solution will come to you.
4. A master. It is not the final level, but you can call it a final stage of the path of wisdom. You start sharing and teaching others, and they are able to learn and follow a similar path. Success is measured here not for the master’s achievements – which are still important as they show their own wisdom, – but for their followers’. A master will teach about relationship and health, and their disciples will find solutions.

In which level of wisdom are you?

Helping the self

It is a new concept for some, but self-care is IN… Hopefully it is not a fashion and people from next generations will be taking care of themselves more and more.

But self-care does not mean only something physical, there are many dimensions to be taken care including emotions, mental welfare and spirituality.

It means to book some time out of a busy schedule to give the self and so many people could think this is so selfish…

I have learnt many years ago, when I started my spiritual path – which has its origin in India – that the only way to help others is to help first the self, and the example of old sages who used to go to the forest and stay there for years absorbed in deep meditation or contemplation, and then they could go and help other people to overcome their own weaknesses.

You are the most important person and you should be very well. Take your time and learn how to take care of yourself.

When you accomplish that task, many people will be grateful.

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)

Solving very complex situations

Analysis and synthesis. Creativity and organization. Reflection and contemplation. Action and more action…

There are so many ways to solve situations that emerge, however as time go by, these are becoming more and more complex, and the used and overused old formula does not work at all times.

These new circumstances require a new approach. One possibility is to explore a spiritual perspective and here are some ways:

• Experiencing a stage of detached observer. Connecting to the self helps into watching whatever is happening with detachment, as if it is someone else doing. The easiest way is just to be aware of the present environment a person is for one minute, focusing on the present.
• Meditation, contemplation or reflection. Focusing the mind into something that is beyond the physical helps get in touch with spirituality and, eventually, to find solutions for very complex situations. There are many ways to use any of these tactics, but you may want to check the Brahma Kumaris' way, which is my own method of meditating.
• Yoga and deep focus. No need to forget about all that is around, but by doing yoga or simply focusing deeply into something else, different than the circumstances, it helps the self to find a deep solution, reaching into the roots and seeds.
• Prayer from the heart. When prayer comes from within, the mind gets clear and it is possible to take hard decisions. It is important to not recite old prayers learnt by heart or, if it is so, feel them.

The communication power: your words

In many articles you will find this famous research about how words just mean around 7% of the whole communication. In other words, if you speak 20 minutes to one person, he will assimilate only 1 min and a half approximately.

However, thinking of your own experience, how much a few words were able to change your whole life. Just remember:

• That phrase said by a forgotten teacher that made you chose your present career.
• An expression you heard whilst commuting to your work that made you decide on your spiritual life.
• A word spoken by a good friend that gave you back enthusiasm and energy.
• And, well, the many words you have heard that made you think twice before doing something that you knew it was good - words are that powerful...

So, when we communicate with others, we should check about the words we use - and now that many communicate mostly via written text that is much more important. Take this in account:

• Before writing or speaking anything, go into the depth of yourself and reflect or contemplate on it. Feel your own self and your energy as that is what you are going to give others.
• Look for meaningful words, not necessarily complicated expressions, but something that gives others a sense of understanding.
• During your speech or when you are writing something, check and recheck your words. Try to fit into the ears or eyes of others and think how they will act or react to that.
• Don't "unsay" something; if you do say something wrong, just move on and let your heart teaches you on how to go over it.
• After speaking anything, pack it up! Don't keep those words in your heart or mind; just let them go out of you.

By doing so, you will be experiencing more than communication, you will experience its power changing and shaping reality.

I was thinking…

One of the things that touched me about 30 years ago was to find out how thoughts are processed and lived.

I am not talking here about a scientific point of view, but from a humanist and spiritual point of view. It was so impressive that a consultant friend of mine during many years used to give that information to his clients.

It should be obvious that by understanding how the thinking process works, we could have innumerable benefits, such as: better decision-making, enhancing the leadership capacity, innovation, etc.

However, we don’t hear about people looking into that so much. Last time I heard a leader talking on the need of thinking (reflecting, contemplating), it was just before Obama was elected for the first time, during a talk with the French president of that time.

Our society as a whole acknowledges actions and results, instead of reflection and contemplation. Children receive marks when they are right, not when they are still thinking… And just try to tell your boss you are thinking of what to do about that project, in which you are delayed!

And that is really a mistake. Perhaps by jumping into action and solving things In a Ramboish style we have got many results, but as Peter Senge said in his first book, The Fifth Discipline: problems of today are yesterday’s solutions. By not giving time to human reflection, we were unable to prevent deterioration or the misuse of ideas.

If you really want to be a leader and provide long-term solutions, just do one thing: THINK!

The general process

Every human being has three main functions, in relation to the thinking process:

·         Archive. We store all experiences we have in our lives. These experiences will help us to make decisions when the same situations or similar ones come in front of us.

·         Mind. It is the “screen” where our thoughts and feelings are projected. It is the area of thoughts and emotions. When we say I am thinking, it means our minds are working on something.

·         Intellect. It decides what our next action. It takes into account whatever the mind has, your present state of awareness and your knowledge.

The internal process is easy to understand:

1.       An input comes from outside, sometimes unknowingly.

2.       This awakes an old experience, stored in the archive.

3.       That experience is taken by the mind; in relation to the present circumstances and consciousness, thoughts and emotions are generated.

4.       Whatever the mind has is given to the intellect, which has to make a decision in terms of a response to the input.

5.       The response is acted out. That turns into another input and is archived along with the experience for future references.

Our archive

It is easy to realize the archive is out of our hands. It stores what we experience and that is it.

But we can conduct our experience in a better way. For instance, we can learn from a bad experience, turning it into a good one and the opposite is also true, as due to a bad day we can make our experience going back home as bad as possible.

The trick is in one point specifically: to manage better our intellect.

The effect of making a conscious effort in terms of which experiences I really want to store is impressive:

A bad project can be the birth of a wonderful business. That is the case of Post-It, a glue that didn’t work.

Bad marks in school can generate a genius. Einstein, anyone?

A divorce can give you your best friend back. Look at your neighbor!

When the experience is polished, next time the same situation emerges, no need of thinking of a response, as it will be stored in the self already.

Controlling your mind

At a time where distraction is omnipresent, controlling the mind can be an advantage in pursuing success in life, and it doesn’t require much.

First of all, it is important to understand that at the extent we can control our mind, we can control our thoughts and their quality. Better thoughts create better words and actions. If we don’t control our mind, it will weaver according to the circumstances, giving happiness and sorrow despite what you desire.

The higher the quality of thoughts we want, more control we need to exercise.

·         Relaxation. It is the basic point in terms of controlling our mind. An easy trick is to create a nice physical environment, with some soft music playing, and thoughts will go towards it.

·         Reflection. The art of thinking purposely. Take a good thought, a book or even a quote and let your mind work on that, analyzing, synthetizing of just experiencing in the laboratory of your mind.

·         Contemplation. It means silence, in its deepest sense. Although it requires discipline, it works as a balsam for the mind, cleaning it of unnecessary and sometimes hurtful thoughts and emotions.

·         Meditation. Making your mind creative is very useful, and that is one of the roles of meditation. It helps to create a flow of positive thoughts and generate an impact in our inner archive.

·         Yoga. It means concentration and focus. Although it requires as much discipline as contemplation, it is extremely useful as it helps to change your inner archive. In a stage of yoga, you have total control on your thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Focusing your intellect

The intellect is probably the most important faculty we have.

First of all, it manages our consciousness, which means it manages our own experience. It is the intellect that really creates our archive and helps us in our future experiences.

But consciousness comes as a fruit of knowledge and experience, and that is the key to focus your intellect and generate better decisions, and so better files in our archive.

·         The knowledge that comes to the intellect is not so much the literal knowledge of letters and numbers, but the deduction and inference that come from it. So, it does not work to know something by heart… It has to touch your heart.

·         Many times we assimilate a knowledge that is incoherent. For instance, your mother can tell you it is bad to tell lies, but she seems satisfied when you lie by telling her friend she is not at home. That creates a form of corruption, and so via reflection, it is very important to clean it up.

·         It is common we have an interesting experience we fully don’t understand. By going after a knowledge that explains that experience in a coherent way, we help our intellect to strengthen or even create another stage of consciousness.

·         Sometimes we have experiences that go against our common knowledge. That may happen with the knowledge we receive from our relatives or religion when we go for work. Reflection and contemplation can help to conciliate experience and knowledge, giving a sense of confidence.

Thoughts of a leader

·         They are based on reflection.

·         A leader’s response is not emotional, but it comes from the depth of their heart.

·         All experiences are good, either because they create pleasure or they teach the leader something different.

·         Every day the leader works on cleaning his or her mind, polishing thoughts and emotions.

·         Whatever the situation is, the leader’s intellect is making the best decisions possible as her or his consciousness is in a very high position.

·         Because the leader’s response is the best, his or her archive also is in optimum state, helping to solve critical scenes in life.

Spiritual conversations

From time to time, it is very healthy to come out of your routine and dedicate yourself to something different than what you normally do. Play, watch, dance, and go for a trip...

What happens with our brain? It seems it overloads pretty fast and by "unplugging" it, we can refresh and recharge again.

The problem is that most of our solutions are external. They require we miss days at work or be far from our family, and isolation is not always an option in this busy life...

What about spiritual practices? They have the advantage of not needing to leave anywhere and they also give our brain the time it deserves to recover from a project or a major decision.

The easiest way to work on that is by reflecting. Reflection is easy because everyone does at some point in their lives. It is like putting a mirror just in front and you start to look at it. Of course, it is your image you see, but reflecting means you feel detached from yourself and you can ask yourself questions you normally wouldn't do. You can clarify your life and understand your reality from a detached observer's point of view.

Contemplating requires discipline, silence and time. It requires from you that you stop doing whatever you are doing - even reading this post - and merge into yourself. And just see. Just watch. Just listen. What? Whatever silence brings you, whatever is your aim... You can contemplate on your existence, your marriage, work or God. Here, you are more than just a detached observer; you are just a watcher and you get into the depth of the power of your own silence. In silence, you will find your answers.

Meditation and yoga are advanced steps. That does not mean they are difficult; it just means you really have to stop and make up some time off your busy schedule. Although yoga is normally associated with exercises, that is not true. Yoga means communion and it refers to the ability we have to connect ourselves with someone or something and merge with that, feeling as if we are one. Meditation is creating a link with yourself and managing your thoughts and emotions. And if you don't know, it is part of yoga; for the practice of raja yoga, what is what I do, I meditate first and then focus on that link I create and experience it. Focus on what? Again, there are multiple choices. I personally just remember I am a spiritual being; I focus on a Supreme Source and experience that relationship. It empowers me and gives me an incredible feeling of accomplishment.

Anyway, spirituality has much to offer for those who have their brains at the boiling point... Try it.

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:

• 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.

The four functions we all have to perform

About 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to write and publish a book. It is still my only published material, in Spanish (El Camino hacia el Autoliderazgo) and Portuguese (Vencendo Limites).

Apart from the amazing experience of writing a book, what I enjoyed mostly was the possibility of understanding my life and processing whatever I have got in all these years. It was the chance I was wanted to really comprehend myself, my environment and the people linked to me.

Out of that came the idea of the four functions. In my mind, every person has four functions in life to be fulfilled and the perfect balance is when all that happens fully. Imbalance comes when I focus too much in one of the functions and avoid, or I am incapable of performing the remaining ones.

A week ago, I've posted a practical application for that, but here is the theory behind it:

• Production. This is the function we value more than any other. We are measured and valued by our productivity in life, which can be at work or by being a good mother. It is using this function that we measure our success in life and although it is really an important one, it is not the only one.
• Processing. After the production, it is good to make time for processing that. That means reflect, contemplate or meditate upon whatever has happened. Perhaps it is about your meeting with your doctor or your new chosen spiritual path. Processing helps people to identify patterns and to extract the best from their experiences. It also helps when bad things happen, enabling the individual to put a full stop to the situation and move on.
• Awareness Expansion. Then it comes this incredible talent we all have. It is basically to experience what we did not experience. Yes, that is it! For instance, through processing you could realize that if you shout at your boss, he can stop helping you in your tasks. But, what would be the best way to treat him? Using reflection, contemplation or meditation, you make your awareness to expand and you realize how much tolerance you have - and that is exactly what your boss needs at this point!
• Sharing. It is the golden moment, when you are able to transform your production, which is normally identified as the life people acknowledge you live, into something useful for others. Sharing is a smile or hug, words of wisdom and advises. Sometimes, sharing means to let others be; other times, it means to correct them. No matter what, it comes from inside, as a direct fruit of an awareness that was expanded.

I find this a very powerful idea as it makes even the most ordinary moments, extraordinary.

It changes your life and makes you live a life that is beyond whatever you produce.

How to talk to yourself and how THAT is a the key of being a powerful leader?

If you see someone talking to himself or herself, you probably will give him or her a wide berth. Crazy, right?

Maybe not. Maybe she or he just wants to be a good leader. More precisely, a POWERFUL leader.

Yes, you need skills and training. An MBA won't hurt and if you have the support of your family and friends, that will be so helpful. However, a real and powerful leader requires more than that. Much more.

How much more? In fact, only the leader can know that, and for it, the leader requires sometime inside his own heart and head to understand the self.

If you are that leader, you can use many methodologies, according to the need and to your own personality:

• Time of solitude. For some people, that is enough. Just sometime alone and he or she is able to figure out many of the questions popping into the mind, or finding those slippery solutions. It is important to tell everyone who needs to know that you will be performing this exercise; if you feel shy to say that you just want sometime alone, just go somewhere else. Ah, don't forget to switch off all gadgets!
• Writing is understanding. Some people like to write. Peter Senge said at some point just allow the pen to flow on the paper. If you are high-tech, the equivalent will be to allow your fingers fly over the keyboard; anyway, writing clears the mind and allows many realizations to emerge. Merging solitude and writing can work most of the time, otherwise just be aware to write at a place that people will respect your time to do it.
• Talking to yourself. If you have the time and space, hearing your own voice can help you to understand your attitude and mental patterns. Perhaps, you can find a good listener who is able to nod to you from time to time, but allow you to do all the talk. No need to say to avoid public spaces using this technique...
• Contemplating. If you can, chose a beautiful natural spot, or just the view from your window. And stare at it. Allow your mind to flow freely, with no guide or schedule, and merge into the landscape you are watching. Background music can be useful, but again, tell others about what you are doing, otherwise they will wonder what is going on with you. Sometimes, during contemplation, you will have excellent ideas. Try to not write them, but use other skills like drawing, as that will help the idea to emerge in a more powerful way.
• Meditating. Meditation is a powerful tool - it is my favorite way to talk to myself. Check a further post on Meditation for leaders.

After this exercise, share. Share with some friend, people who collaborates with you or some colleagues. Enjoy the feedback and feel the power in your leadership.

Real meaning of all

Following up with time management, I would like to tell you that recently, we at last bought a plasma TV.  It's shockingly slim, really, very flat and elegant  And I feel most of our present life is a bit like that: slim (life, not body!), elegant and... flat. At some point I have heard that the present society is a few inches thick and deep.

And the tendency is that things will go even flatter. Well, no problem with THINGS, but what about us? What about me?

I did try to watch House of Lies. As a business consultant, I should feel insulted by the few clips I've watched, but no, I think that is just a reflection of all that is going on around us.

And let's not talk about news in paper, TV, radio, INTERNET...!

So, what about this line of thought: if what all of us do is to spend more and more time, struggling to keep with the pace of situations, and if all situations are lacking of depth, why not associate these two things? Or: if I go deeper and deeper, perhaps I will spend less time and I will struggle less.

That's the essence of living spiritually in today's world. Although some people chose to isolate themselves, most of spiritual people nowadays live a normal life: they have to work hard, they have families to sustain, they reach success and they enjoy material things. Main difference is found in the attitude, as when a person is not working with his or her own spirituality they will do the same, but they will always want more and more. A spiritual person knows limits very well and at the same time, is not limited by anything except that she or he chooses.

Hummm... last phrase turned to be a little zen. Listen, I have been working out my spiritual muscles for 30 years, and I can feel the differences between people with a spiritual approach and people with a non-spiritual approach, and it is not so much visible. It is something invisible that is there, hidden in their eyes and their outlook. It is not their faith, or lack of faith, but it is merged in their actions, you can just feel!

Still zen? Anyway, when you start to realize the meaning of all (and I mean all: job, family, body, habits, desires, etc.), then you will start naturally to manage your time in a different way. It will be natural as you will know the importance of each thing and how much energy you can dedicate to that.

There are several tools for that and you can use them all at the same time, if you need it:

• Talk to someone wiser than you. Part of the path to manage your time includes of acknowledging others' wisdom. Have a nice dialogue with another person, check with him or her, their opinion about you and the way you spend your time. Listen deeply.
• Read books wisely. Most books in my life have taught something because I went after it, even very shallow stories. There is always something to learn if you are wise enough to learn from it.
• Contemplate. There are few experiences in life more gratifying than contemplative moments. And it is so easy, just stare at something and let your mind do the job, detaching you from the present situation and allowing you to merge in that you are looking at (or visualizing), and understanding its depth and significance.
• Meditate. Probably this is a few notches higher than contemplation as it is a deeper experience. Think of contemplation as watching a swimming pool and touching into it with the mind; meditation is jumping on that swimming pool fully with the mind.

Hope that works for you as it works for me. Take care!