I initially wrote this column from Bethany Beach, Delaware, which has been our family escape for 17 years. As we were packing, I checked quite a few times to make sure we had our chargers, my laptop, and my iPad which I loaded with several business books to read.
Fast forward six days… I didn’t read one business book, and I responded to less than 10 emails. Instead, I picked up a captivating beach read that chronicled how the lives of three very different women intersected.
In hindsight, it’s so ironic to fixate about bringing the items that need charging and plugging, when our purpose for our escapes is often to unplug and disconnect.
One of my most important personal rituals is my daily meditation practice. Although I have created a tranquil, sacred space in my home for my practice, there is no other place like the ocean that restores me and clears my mental, emotional, and spiritual blocks. These cleared pathways are essential in our ability to succeed in all aspects of our lives, and in all relationships in our lives – with friends, family members, business colleagues, and with ourselves.
Many people struggle to see the link between meditation practice and business success. I am 100% certain I would not be nearly as successful if I did not meditate regularly.
I’m trusting the process here, and am going to try to show you the connection by sharing an excerpt of one of my favorite guided meditations from my long-time spiritual coach and friend, Richa Badami:
…. It is here that you open up your intellectual abilities and your emotional intelligence and create a possibility for yourself, for personal growth, and also an openness to the ideas of others.
You create a possibility to go deeper in your inner consciousness and state of being….. We create a possibility for seeing beyond what is right in front of us. Where am I on my path with regards to my higher purpose? Am I finding myself dis-empowered due to some reason, event, or people that are around me? Am I judging myself? What would I like to change about myself or my environment that can help me towards my higher purpose in this life?
What negative behaviors or patterns do I find in my life that create barriers on my path?
Am I willing to release feelings of inadequacy and am I willing to embrace that there is a higher purpose for me?
When we give ourselves permission to fully create health and balance, we intentionally release all procrastination and delay for our higher purpose to manifest…
So give yourself permission to recharge, and refresh, and rejuvenate, because in doing so, you discover the path that you’ve been waiting for.
These are just a few lines from one of my most meaningful guided meditations. I get lost in this particular meditation at least 4 times a week, during those weeks when I can meditate twice-daily. Setting aside 15-20 minutes a day to adapt a mindset of possibility, and setting aside space to become aware of your breath, your presence, and your impact on the world makes you stronger. It empowers you to see beyond what is right in front of you, to confine your limited thinking, and to understand your connection to a higher purpose.
In my CEO/executive coaching practice, I integrate mind-body wellness into our coaching, and hold my clients accountable for overall wellness. We can not compartmentalize peak performance. If we want to run on all cylinders in our business, then our mind and body must also be running well.
The “busiest” people find it most difficult to quiet the mind, and yet they are the ones that need it most. This article identifies the 7 major blocks that busy people face when trying to embrace meditation, and provides strategies for addressing them.
If you want to learn more about how to integrate meditation into your daily life so that you can achieve peak performance in mind, body, spirit AND business, please reach out to me. I can also share with you some upcoming conferences that specifically address mindful-based leadership.
Wishing all of you peace, tranquility, and restoration.
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected].
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
photo credit Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net
