Susan Steinbrecher, author of Kensho: A Modern Awakening
Every Monday here at Judy Martin’s WorkLifeNation.com I feature a guest post from a thought leader in the Work-Life Merge. Susan Steinbrecher is a corporate consultant and author of Kensho: A Modern Awakening, Instigating Change in an Era of Global Renewal. For the sake of transparency, Susan interviewed me for her book. I wanted to begin the year with her work, because it’s about taking charge of our lives and awakening to the larger picture of our individual role in raising consciousness in the world. It ends with an inspirational video to kick off 2012.
Awaken to the Possibilities…The times are strange and out of joint. It’s in the air. We can sense with disquiet that the balance of things is shifting. Even the weather seems disordered and in flux. The old order is faltering, and we look at the world around us with alarm and confusion. Many of us feel weary and overwhelmed, unsure of how to cope with everything that’s happening.
Often the path to positive change comes through a crisis. When our lives are spinning out of control, we finally pay attention. While no one wants to endure these hardships, if we use this time as one of learning and awaken to the clear realization of what’s truly important in life, maybe we can get back on track.
I believe that it’s critically important for us to change our perspective in order to see the world and ourselves in a new light. The practice of self-reflection allows us to gain insight into our own lives and enables us to lean into this time of upheaval. Some of us are even finding ways to embrace it. We’ve come to be grateful for the challenge, seeing it as an opportunity for growth, acquiring new skills and developing new talents. We’ve begun, in fact, to live life like it’s a momentous occasion of wonder.
Ask yourself this question: what do I believe? Have your beliefs allowed you to acquire a positive view of the world and your place in it? Or, are your beliefs rooted in negative thoughts that hold you back from real happiness? If the latter is true for you, you’re not alone.
Over a lifetime, we accumulate memories and experiences that can do one of two things. They can be a comfort to us and propel us on in this life with hope or they can hold us back and prevent us from achieving true contentment. It’s not easy to redefine what we believe. The very act brings into question all we think, feel, and are. But if we don’t pause and reflect on our beliefs at regular intervals throughout our lives, we can lose perspective—and peace of mind.
All it requires is a little time and the willingness to look at who we are, where we’ve come from, and how we wish to move forward. The secret is to believe in our potential, to be fearless about discarding the old, limiting beliefs that imprison our minds and to hang on to the beliefs that empower us and set us free.
When I work with clients, we uncover their particular belief systems. Our prevailing beliefs or what we refer to as “mental models” are there, waiting to have light shed upon them. Only by examining them, fully understanding their impact and becoming conscious of how our belief systems affect our behavior, do we have any real chance to change them. And yes, we can change them. Once we come to understand the impact of limiting beliefs, it is easier to change them – and be free to walk with buoyant steps as we proceed on our life’s journey.
Jennifer Sertl
The Climb
As you close the door to 2011 and open the door of 2012, I am hoping to enhance how you value both the tangible and intangible aspects of your life.
In the midst of so much complexity and the pace of information flow through social media, it is easy to get overwhelmed. I think Dante articulates what many of us are feeling: In the middle of the road of my life, I awoke in a dark wood, Where the true way was wholly lost.
There is a lovely talk given by David Whyte, a poet, author and organizational visionary, who has been a great inspiration to me.
The message here is simple, not easy. When you are lost ~ Stand Still. The idea here is that instead of you finding clarity, clarity will find you.
Right Here, Right Now
There is no way to get past the level of introspection this phase of our lives is requiring. Here is another means that I hope contributes to your sense of grounding in the mist of all this chaos. Many of us are trained to have goals, and be achievers. Often in pursuit ~ we minimize what we have truly accomplished and the view from “right here, right now.”
Check out Jennifer’s recent article on Transleadership at ElephantJournal.com
Jennifer Sertl is a thought leader in the emerging field of corporate consciousness – the convergence of Neuroscience and Existential Philosophy fostering inspiration and subsequently creating strategic advantage and enhancing value. Her book, Strategy, Leadership and the Soul is available on Amazon.com. Jennifer is currently Advisor, Strategic Development for the Center for Policy and Emerging Technologies (C-PET). She holds dual majors in English and philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a wife and mother of three children.
Glad you stopped by, every Monday I’m featuring a guest post from an expert on the work-life merge. Today we hear from Kathy Caprino MA – Women’s Career and Executive Coach, Speaker and Author of Breakdown, Breakthrough.
Kathy Caprino
Women are more stressed and strained than ever, as these economic times have hit families, workplaces and corporate America so very hard. If women’s plates were full before, now they’re piled sky-high, ready to crash to the ground.
Working with hundreds of professional women nationwide, I know that to achieve greater work-life balance or integration, we must transform on both the individual and organizational levels. Individually, women need to take greater responsibility to reclaim the direction of their lives.
Photo: Courtesy Flkr, alanclever_2000
Wall street volatility, an uncertain job market and a jittery economy fuels stress before you even walk in the door of the workplace. Now add the unique nature of the holidays. Unless you’re ready to take an early vacation, you’ll have to simply consume the chaos of this festive time of year.
A while ago I wrote a post: 5 Tips to Tackle Holiday Workplace Stress from the Inside Out. There are some good ideas written there, but my thoughts on this have evolved a bit based on the current challenges we face in our high-tech marketplace. So here’s my revised list.
Here are my 2011 Top 5 Tips to Tackle Holiday Workplace Stress:
Judy’s CD offers three breathing exercises to help consume the chaos of daily living, and use it as fuel for transformation in life and at work. The meditations are complimentary to any belief system. As conscious human beings we generally rise to the occasion in a time of chaos. Sometimes we just need a little nudge to remember the brilliance of who we are, and the strength and fortitude that we possess.