Linda – your mindfulness training was a great hit! Congratulations, it was greatly appreciated by all of the CEO’s I discussed this with, and I could well imagine will have a lasting impact. It was a brave move by you, and paid off – good job!
~ World Bank ~
An intrapersonal relationship is something I never cultivated before. Since the introduction of the awareness practices, I became more aware of the importance of a relationship with myself. By cultivating this relationship with myself, I found it easier to create new interpersonal relationships with others.
My ability to listen to my staff has improved drastically. Via the awareness practices, I became aware of the fact that there is an underlying message in a lot of the communications happening. I used to miss out on a lot of communications due to my inability to listen. Now being aware of my own feelings and emotions, I realized that everyone has emotions and feelings of their own, and by not listening to them, I missed out on the bulk of all communications.
Lastly, and surely the most significant impact on my leadership style, is the leadership example set by myself. As a bit of background, I used to be fairly aggressive, stressful and impulsive, and overall not a fun person to have as a manager. I am in the process of rectifying this situation by means of being more stress tolerant; to control my impulses, improve my ability to timeously identify problems, to generate effective solutions opposed to allegations, to remain objective and flexible.
I now tend to be more attentive, to understand and to appreciate the circumstances, environment and feelings of my staff prior to decision-making.
As every individual’s background is different I found that applying a certain level of empathy to decision making was not only to the benefit of the company but almost always also to the benefit of the individual.
The impact on my home life was less significant than the impact on my professional life. However, to mention a few highlights, my entire outlook on life has changed; I am not taking myself so serious anymore. My general mood, which always used to be fed by stress, had an up-swing. Since I am more aware of my own feelings and also those of others, I tend to feel a bit more satisfied with my own life, which results in me being much more fun to have around the house.
I have again realized the importance of intimacy and on the giving and receiving of affection in my personal relationships.
~ Anonymous ~
A very big thank you from me. I too found the two days worthwhile. It certainly is useful to be able to use the practices to FOCUS and I now know I don’t have to go to India to find peace… I took some time last night to have a personal conclusion of the last two days. This reflection was very useful for me because I realised I am the tool! Certainly, it will take some time to go beyond the familiar and habitual ways of sometimes doing without being present, but I am committing myself to practice, practice, and practice! In addition, hopefully the simplicity of these tools will allow me to make small changes and use simple acts with hopefully far greater outcomes in my response and interaction with colleagues.
Hi Linda, I hope you are well and warm. I am a firm believer that words only have meaning if we breathe life into it, and if these words are as meaningful to you as it is to me, it is taking a journey beyond me. The two days with you all was a soulful experience and I do feel so much richer on a personal level. Thank you muchly again.