Voice Dialogue is a great tool for assisting us to bring balance and peace to our lives. View this clip in order to get a picture of what can happen in a session. It’s truly worth a thousand words!
Voice Dialogue Session
March 10th, 2010Being True to Yourself Pays Off
February 25th, 2010A video that went viral – so perhaps you’ve already seen it – was passed along to me. Through the story of a service dog we get to see the value of following your heart to be who you are meant to be. What an inspiration!
Meditation Class: Week 5
February 22nd, 2010This week I was more astonished than ever before by the power and determination of my mind to keep me from showing up in the present moment –moment by moment. Part of me has deep respect for this determination, and wishes that I could exhibit similar conscientiousness to other activities in my life –like exercising, or writing. Another part of me wants to know when I’m going to get my mind under control so we can get some real mindfulness going. And still another part of me interjects with the conversation to remember not to judge myself about how my thoughts can easily whisk me away from my focus of attention, and that’s normal, natural, and to be expected.
I’m still waiting for the practice to become more appealing. I’m being diligent, and hopeful.
Tonight will be the last class in this series. I’m leaving for Mexico tomorrow, and will be gone for eleven days. I probably won’t post again until I return. That’s okay, though. I’ll tell you then how the last night of class was, how I made out with practicing while on vacation, and what’s next for me regarding meditation.
The Importance of Caring & Connection
February 18th, 2010I’m shouting out about the new reality show that airs on Sunday nights called Undercover Boss. The purpose of the show, other than to get high ratings, seems to be to improve working conditions in Corporate America even while our economy demands more and more cost efficiency.
Here’s how it works: CEOs and COOs of major corporations, interested in increasing cost-effectiveness (Waste Management, and Hooters so far, and next week 7-Eleven), go undercover by becoming aliases. They take off their CEO hats and don the hats of lower ranking employees throughout their companies. They become recruits doing the jobs believed to be critical to operations of the company. These jobs – ranging from dishwasher and garbage collector to middle management – often have low visibility which make them, and the folks who perform them, easy targets for management neglect.
After a week in the field these CEOs have learned more than a thing or two regarding what the lower level jobs are about and, perhaps more importantly, how it feels to hold these lower level positions. The outcomes prove to be beneficial for the employees, resulting in better conditions, more caring management, and very importantly, the feeling amongst employees that they’ve been heard and someone really cares.
That impact is palpable as, on camera, the employees involved in the show are individually interviewed by the Execs who tell them the truth about what they were up to the week before, and why. We are informed of company changes being made, employees’ rights being honored, and we witness the expression of gratitude for sharing.
As viewers, in case we forgot, we cannot help but be reminded of the meaning and importance of human connection and caring.
Meditation Class: Week 4
February 15th, 2010Metta, or Loving-kindness meditation was introduced into our practice last Monday. It’s about developing compassion, which is meant to bring balance to being mindful (aware). During my half hour of practice each day there’s no doubt that the time I spend with the Metta is my favorite. I like it because my mind gets to focus on words that have meaning instead of me just focusing on the rise and fall of my belly. Also, there’s the fact that compassion is a quality of life that brings me more in touch with my humanity and the humanness of others; I have room for more of that, for sure.
The best thing I can say about the rest of my practice time is that I’m able to relax, observe, and allow; these are the three parts of the intention I set each day before I begin. The allow part is my greatest accomplishment to date. I no longer beat myself up for not meditating right, or yap about how ineffective I think I‘m being.
As of now, I don’t look forward to meditating for any reason other than it’s on my checklist as something I’ve committed to, and it must be done. The good news is I have less doubt than before that a time will come when I look forward to meditation for the insight and peace it brings me.
Meditation Class: Week 3
February 8th, 2010Busy Mind versus Quiet Mind
Voice Dialogue has taught me that there are many parts of myself (I refer to them as Selves) –most on a continuum of opposites. Up until the middle of last week, part of my preparation for meditation practice was to reason with the Self I call Busy Mind – the part of me that thinks, thinks, thinks, and has no idea about what is the here and now. I asked it to give me just a half hour to spend with Quiet Mind; I promised Busy Mind that I would not forget it, and would give it the rest of the day. But Busy Mind – being afraid to give up its control – was having none of it. As a result, the five hindrances to being mindful (desire, aversion, boredom, restlessness, and doubt) reigned supreme most of my practice time.
Late in the week I had a session with my Voice Dialogue facilitator to get better acquainted with my Busy Mind. In that visit I learned that my Busy Mind does not exist apart from the many Selves that use it. My Creative Self, Planner Self, Problem Solver, Worrier, and Reminiscing Self are just some of the parts of me that need Busy Mind to exist. When I’m thinking, it’s for sure that one of these parts of me is thinking. Now I have the ability to converse with which ever Self that’s active at the time, “What do you need from me? Can it wait until after this practice session? I promise to give you time then.”
It’s only been a few days since my Voice Dialogue session, and I’m feeling excited and happier than before. Letting these parts (especially Creative Self) express themselves afforded me a lot of clarity that I know will prove to be valuable in my meditation practice, and my whole life. It’s always so fascinating to me how one process begets another as I, and all of us seeking more clarity, journey through life.
The Blame Game
February 2nd, 2010I spent some time yesterday speaking to a potential client about the value of forgiveness in our lives. After we hung up he sent me a link to an article about the consequences and contagiousness of blaming others. No doubt the article has meaning for everyone. I especially like the idea presented at the end about throwing ‘failure parties’ so folks can gather together, discuss their mistakes, and learn from them. Read the article, and then share it with managers and leaders in your work place.
Meditation Class: Week 2
February 1st, 2010By the end of last Monday night’s class I was in full appreciation of my teacher’s ability to express himself about awareness. I was impressed enough to compliment him when we were through. He suggested we read Experience of Insight 
We were told that meditation involves three things: relax, observe, allow. Nice! In my personal life it is rare that I experience these three states of being all at one time. I set that intention each time I begin to practice (well almost each time 
).
I had two homework assignments: 1) add another activity to be mindful about (now I’m focusing on every detail of brushing my teeth and using the water pick; and 2) spend the week emphasizing a relaxed body and mind.
Practice was challenging for me this week; maybe more so than last. At this point I notice how far away from mindful I am because of my very full mind. I’m still determined to practice each day though, and do keep in mind that even those who are regulars at this still call it ‘practice’.
Haitian Disaster: Lemons or Lemonade?
January 28th, 2010A fellow Radical Forgiveness Coach Carol Creel wrote an article about the recent Haitian disaster. It’s about our first and most common perception of disaster and a way to view a situation through different lenses in order to make lemons into lemonade. Read it to make sense of why seemingly bad things happen to all people. Then let’s discuss it…
Vulnerability: Strength or Weakness?
January 27th, 2010Today I heard myself explaining to a client that vulnerability is not synonymous with weakness. That it takes great strength to be vulnerable. Those who are weak dare not drop the suit of armor they wear, the wall they keep around themselves as they live their lives. Being vulnerable requires courage, being authentic, daring to risk, being completely approachable; there’s no weakness involved in any of these. Being vulnerable is the ability to give your heart away, and receive back in kind.
