Curious about women and courage, everyday courage or how to apply courageous leadership--this is the blog for you. No sensational stories, heroism or drama, just the understanding of how to apply courage at work or in your personal life. There is a direct correlation between your success quotient and your courage quotient. What would you do right now if you had "unlimited courage?" Do you have courage?
The Glory in Slowing to Gain Psychological Freedom
Valuing your spirit requires you to connect to your spiritual journey and recognize the element of time. Specifically, you will need to rethink your approach to time in the context of how you care for yourself and how you manifest your spirituality at work.
While facing mental suffering, learning how to slow the mind and letting go of the ego’s inclination to force the issue create an invitation to shift perspectives. Moments of inactivity (almost boredom) help you recharge and determine if you are staying aligned with your true, courageous intention. This type of contemplative practice is very different from inertia. Inertia can keep you stuck in your “B-movie” script until you actually become the shallow, melodramatic character of a scripted role—the false Self.
For our culture, learning to go slowly is one of the greatest acts of courage; paradoxically, going slowly allows you to accomplish more. Open your heart, listen in silence and work from your center to gain psychological freedom from the ego’s false self and its accompanying desires, drives and distractions. Then ask yourself, “What one word best describes me?”
This spiritual revival in the workplace goes beyond discovering your true essence. It is also about working on fulfillment. This is absolutely not about becoming “holy,” being “religious” or proselytizing at work. However, a spiritually-centered person may have already learned how to avoid many of the hurdles encountered at work demonstrating high Spiritual Intelligence (SQ).
Knowing that you are responsible for your actions, you learn that conscious presence requires committing to some form of slowing down, some sort of contemplative practice that fosters internal development. Finding a meditation that fits your heart’s intention allows you to connect more deeply with yourself and, eventually, with others. Going back to your center (heart and spirit) teaches you to focus on the present rather than the past or the future. The benefits range from reducing the force of the ego to lowering stress and boosting the immune system.
The juggling acts that society tells us are necessary in today’s chaotic world can make it hard to find your courage signposts. Becoming very still allows you to listen to your inner voice so you can extricate your true Self from the false self. Meditation is a great step to slowing because, by the sheer practice, you bring to life your innate capacity for connecting your inner and outer work. After committing to meditation, women have shared: “When I come home from work I am less annoyed at my children,” “My boss doesn’t get to me as much,” or “I have more patience.” Knowing what meditative technique is right for you is a process that requires investigative action and then learning the practice. Embracing the glory in slowing allows you to observe more wholly how to advance your career.
Sandra Ford Walston is known as The Courage Expert and innovator of StuckThinking™. She is an organizational effectiveness consultant, speaker, trainer and courage coach. She is the internationally published author of bestseller COURAGE The Heart and Spirit of Every Woman (2001), the follow-up book STUCK 12 Steps Up the Leadership Ladder (2010) and the recently released FACE IT! 12 Obstacles that Hold You Back on the Job (2011). She is certified in the Enneagram and MBTI®. Please visit www.sandrawalston.com.
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