Hi this is Kira Leskew of The Eagle Institute. Mindfulness and its related concepts have
much to aid us in a successful and satisfying work life. Which makes it no surprise that
mindfulness concepts are being practiced, studied and explored in many work-related
applications.
This video is an overview of a series that I am doing on many of these concepts, so stay tuned,
and I'l give you an introduction.
I just went into a large-format bookstore to see what was new in the business section,
I didn't even make it to look at business books because the front entry was dominated with
a massive display on Mindfulness, Surrender and Happiness. That got my attention.
Getting these topics published was very forward-thinking even 5 years ago, yet today they are mainstream
and worthy of the most prominent display in a large bookstore. I know they don't get there
unless they are popular, and they sell well. Mindfulness, surrender and happiness, in that
order. Guess what, they are related, and each of them is very important for business success.
As I said, I am going to do a series on multiple aspects of these topics, so here's a very
brief overview. And stay tuned for future videos, where I cover bit-sized pieces of
each topic. We will put in the playlist in the cards for this video, so make sure you check it out.
Let's start with Mindfulness. What is it? Being present. Sounds easy, but what is that?
Being exactly where you are with your attention, not in the past, not in the future, not imagining
a scenario that is not happening right now. It is what is real. The past
is gone, the future not yet born, and anything else we think of is a mental concoction.
So this should be easy, right? Be where you are.
Well, it's not easy! In fact when you start practicing, it is likely that you will only be able to
do it for short periods of time. But don't give up on practicing to the best of your
ability because neuroscience is showing us (and business performance studies as well)
that being mindful has many benefits, besides the obvious of fully showing up and being in your life.
Being present encompasses the many parts of us: our thoughts, our emotions and our bodies,
and each one of these is a practice in its own right. There are techniques to become more
proficient at being present in each of the different capacities, with the ultimate goal
of being fully present to it all at the same time (and make no mistake, that's a lofty goal, it's like winning
a world championship). And, like being world class at anything, it takes practice, drills
and feedback to become good at it. Even if you don't achieve being fully present, there
are many benefits to practicing being present in increasing capacities, just like there is in fitness or in mental skills.
Which brings us to Surrender. I don't mean what we traditionally think of as surrender
here (losing to somebody or something). I do mean, letting go of the past, the future,
and any other things that we are done with in our lives (and in our businesses).
I recently did a really long video on Letting Go and why is it so crucial for business success,
so go check that one out, it's also in the link to the cards, it is especially important to
master as we move through rapid structural changes in society over the next few years
and possibly longer. Everything is up for change right now, and the concept of surrender
will help us move through those changes in the best possible ways, with the best possible
outcomes and results.
In the mindfulness context, surrender means letting go, the past, the future, and more.
But business is about creation, creation of products, creation of services, creation of
experience... So how can surrender possibly be a good thing for business?
Well, surrender and creation are actually part of the same thing: in order to have the new, you need to let go of the
past for sure, and possibly many things in your present as well. We will cover aspects
of this in future videos so watch for them.
Happiness: this has been a topic of growing interest over the past few years. What is it?
How can we get it? Or more of it? What things bring happiness? Or a better question,
what things allow for happiness to happen?
Happiness can be cultivated as a habit, and many of the same skills are utilized for both
mindfulness and happiness. In addition, letting go is also a key component of happiness. Making
3 concepts: Mindfulness, Surrender and Happiness all intertwined.
In business, we know that happiness sells to customers, and we are starting to see studies
that happiness (or at least positive feelings) increase business performance as well. A key
component of happiness is what we are paying attention to, which brings us right back to
mindfulness.
So, in future videos we will be covering these topics and many other related ones, so stay tuned.
And if you have any questions, or things that you would like to see covered, make sure that
you leave comments.
And don't forget to check us out at theeagleinstitute.com, we have many other valuable resources there
to help you be more mindful in business and in life.