Covering the 2008 National Democratic Convention as a tv reporter stays engraved in my mind for one reason, I knew history was being made and couldn’t help but wonder how Hillary Clinton was going to handle it.

Barack Obama was on track to be the first black democratic presidential candidate, but all eyes in the newsroom were glued to the screen when Clinton took the stage. She was gracious, even after failing to get the democratic nod. It was resiliency at work, manifest for the world to see.

Author Rebecca Shambaugh chronicles Clinton’s resiliency factor in her new book Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton (McGraw-Hill 2010). I’m currently reading the book and find it to be an incredible look back at history and in depth psychological profile of a woman who continually broke the glass ceiling, while taking plenty of hits along the way.

Here at WorkLife Nation, I often write about resilience in our new economy. We’re living in times that call for nothing less to be successful. Cultivating resilience is not an overnight process, it’s a journey of exploring who we are at our best when chaos slams us with curve balls. I’ve written about the Well of Resilience that we have to dip into when the going gets tough. Check out my post WorkLife Detox Helps to Cultivate Resilience.

Meantime, here’s a guest post from Rebecca Shambaugh where she focuses on the resilient nature of Hillary Clinton:

Are You As Resilient As Hillary Clinton?

We all get discouraged at some point in our lives. We reach a point when we wonder if it wouldn’t be easier to just give up. We begin to doubt our own abilities and lose faith in others. The “thrill of victory” is no longer so sweet, and the “agony of defeat” doesn’t seem so bad. Our energy is drained, and we’ve stopped having fun. This is when you need to dig deep inside yourself and find that well of determination and inner strength that will help you face your fears, counter the ensuing complacency, and keep you committed to reaching your goals.

Sheer Determination

Having this sheer determination is one of Hillary’s keys to success. Never being a quitter was wired into her DNA early on and was reinforced while she was still in college. When she first arrived at Wellesley, she struggled academically. She called her parents, hoping that they would tell her to come home. She told them that she didn’t feel that she was bright enough or up for the academic challenge. Dorothy Rodham, her mother, told her that she had not raised a quitter and that dropping out of Wellesley would be a catastrophic mistake. Hillary stayed in school and, with her incredible work ethic, keen organizational skills, and sheer determination, stayed on top of her grades. In fact, she gained enough confidence in her scholastic abilities to take on political leadership roles and was elected president of the Young Republicans. Pretty impressive for someone who wanted to drop out of school!

Sticking it out till the end

And if you followed the 2008 presidential campaign, you know that Hillary stayed in the race to the very end. And yet this particular defeat is perhaps the greatest example of her being resilient. While Hillary failed to get the nomination, she showed up at the 2008 Democratic National Convention with a sense of inner confidence and strength and gave an inspirational speech in which she declared her support for the nomination of Barack Obama. She said, “I am here as a proud mother, as a proud Democrat, a proud Senator, a proud American, and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.” She followed with, “Whether you voted for me or for Obama, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose.” Toward the end of her speech, she shared with the audience that even in the darkest moments, Americans are known for their ability to keep going. She said, “We’re Americans, we’re not big on quitting. . . . In America, there is no chasm too deep, no ceiling too high, for all who work hard, have faith in God and our country, and each other.”

Hillary’s Resiliency

Hillary’s resiliency — her unique ability to face adversity and bounce back, as she did in this recent presidential campaign — has won her the respect and admiration of people from all political parties in the United States. And her decision to continue to make a difference by taking on a global leadership role in lieu of being president has impressed people around the world. Truly there are many leadership lessons to be learned from this outstanding woman.

(McGraw Hill-2010).

Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano didn’t just erupt overnight (nor do our work life disturbances). On the other side of the planet, a bunch of earthquakes preceded the eruption over the last month or so (not to mention Taiwan last night). The earths plates have been rumbling and might have very well triggered the lava flow. It’s similar with the our never ending quest for work life balance. Many of us burn the midnight oil to keep the boss happy. The workload often flows into overtime or bringing work home. Challenges at the intersection of the work life merge can stump progress or even success.

We don’t just spiral into the abyss of chaos overnight. There are signals, and signs of impending difficulties. But most of the time we ignore them and keep chugging along. Solutions toward staving off imbalance are highly individual. But if we’re quiet and aware enough to listen to those distinct cries for help from the inner disturbances, we might be able to head off the eruption, before we start to spew the lava of disarray that comes from being thrown earthquakes of interruption. Here are some simple self assessment tools to get you going:

1. Pay attention to your physical health. Have you noticed a headache or pain that has increased in intensity? Do an overall body check. Think about the last time you went to the doctor. Small concerns could signal larger issues down the line. Stress can cause health risks.
2. Do a mental health check. Are you growing irritable at an increasingly rapid rate? Working to please your boss or colleagues can weigh heavy on your psychological health. Imbalances in this department impact productivity, creativity etc. Chat with a friend or professional if you feel you need help. Don’t ignore feelings of depression.
3. Avoid overbooking. We tend to want to get everything into one week. There is bound to be overflow. If you take a look at your schedule, you might find items that can be put off to the following week. This is not procrastination, but effective time management in a 24/7 world.
4. Give yourself permission to stop. I’ve gotten some push back on this topic because competition is hot in the job market, but I believe that we have to schedule the white space in the calendar to relax, review and recharge. For you this might mean exercise or meditation. This will allow you to make work and life decisions from a place of strength, not exhaustion.
5. Commission a second set of eyes and ears to assess your work life scenario. Grab an accountability buddy. Checking in with a friend or colleague to discuss work life challenges goes a long way toward addressing them. They might offer solutions that didn’t occur to you.

At about 10:30 last night after the Dow suffered its historic 777 point drop, I spoke with a friend who is a therapist. He was at the local high school track and intended to run off all the panic, anxiety, and fear that his clients had brought his way. Due to confidentiality, I can't mention his name, but he told me that he was fielding calls all day – many from workers in the financial sector. I said," Isn't is a bit late for such exercise?" He responded, "If I don't get rid of the stress, I'm going to blow from exhaustion." There's good reason for concern.

A survey Friday from the Association for Financial Professionals was a harbinger of even more uncertainty for the job market. Corporate finance executives said that short-term credit has tightened so much during the past two weeks, that their organizations are already reducing hiring and capital spending.

That's the kind of news that has all employees on the edge of their seat. But unfortunately, panic leads to a less attentive workforce. When employees are so concerned about whether they'll have a job next week, this is precisely the time to generate a sense of calm in the workplace.

Employers might not do this on their own, but as individuals we all have the capacity to cultivate our own resilience. That's a topic that comes up frequently here at the Work Life Monitor. Taking pause can help build up resilience. It calms the mind and scientifically can allow for that right brain creativity and perhaps better productivity to emerge. But it's a tough mission in a time like this and takes work on the part of employers and the worker.

Uncertainty breeds panic. Now is the time for complete transparency. I recently spoke with a videographer whose company laid off most of his department. He was unsure about whether he'd keep his job, let alone expand his career. After two weeks of feeling literally sick about it, burning himself out and trying to impress his boss, at my suggestion he finally had a frank chat with the upper management. The response was positive and frankly the managers had just assumed that it was clear he was the only guy they were keeping.

It's understandable that employees might not want to rock the boat, and asking for a frank chat might not yield the most positive news – but at least it might bring forth communication. (Check out Jon Gordon's blog post: Positive Ways to Deal with Uncertainty.)

The following posts might be helpful and for those who are looking for a quick relaxing fix, I'm offering a free download of a contemplative breathing exercise from my CD from JudyMartinSpeaks called  Practical Chaos: Reflections on Resilience. Just click here on The Breath of Awareness.

I'd also like to point to Tom Volkar's Delightful Work post, How to Beat the Work life Blues.

Staying Afloat in a Sea of Downsized Workers

Weighing on Credit Fears in the Workplace

Recession, Depression and their Impact in the Workplace

Office Face-time in Jittery Times

Quantifying Career Chaos in Recession

Work Life Detox Helps to Cultivate Resilience

Growing up in the world of media taught me a lot about being direct. Whether you're asking the questions - or the one in the hot seat being interviewed. Recently, Eileen Tanne of Women's Education Center ( a web portal for professional business women ) and I spoke about the importance of the typical elevator speech. It comes down to laser-sharp talking points. I wrote the following article which is running on her site this month.

Personal Branding: Aligning Talking Points with Your Purpose

In the throws of working with a client on her video project recently, it became quite evident that this woman was a walking encyclopedia on her craft. She had an answer for everything, and with ease took every topic that came her way to a deeper level of understanding in her field of work. Because she had such an enormous bank of knowledge however, her core message would often get lost in the rhetoric of management academia when it came down to dishing out the seventeen second sound bite.

It wasn’t that she didn’t have all her ducks in a row. Her message is incredibly strong and she is highly accomplished. The change needed – was for her was to embolden the way she delivered that message by infusing it with the essence of her passion and core values. Without tapping that inner resource of her individual meaning and purpose, she was delivering the same information that many in her field were already pushing. It's about articulating successfully, with serenity and significance. Again, tapping that inner warehouse of resilience and brilliance to allow creativity to emerge.

YOUR Individual Message

There is a depth to your message as an expert which no one else on this planet offers. That’s because you are delivering it through your lens of awareness – in your voice. Deliberate talking points will be heard above the rest no matter what kind of work you do, and in fact are a part of your personal branding power.

Another client recently contacted me about her desire to hone in on one message. The problem was that she was so good at so many things, and delivered in three completely unrelated fields of work, that she wasn’t sure which area to focus on. This dilemma was causing a disconnect in the structure of her business and in fact – she was in the midst of an identity crisis from a business perspective – although she was highly skilled.

After a few hours of working together it became evident that she was actually a one stop shop for marketing, branding, and interior design. Instead of highlighting one particular skill – she merged them. She gave them all a voice in an integrated way and now has more business than she knows what to do with.

An Integrated Approach to Your Message

It’s that integrated approach that we have shunned in the past because traditionally we were taught to concentrate on that one Big corporate career which would drive our pension and lead us into retirement. That’s not the case anymore. We are a multi-tasking, multi-skilled society in a 24/7 global marketplace. We can work from anywhere in the world. But so can everyone else which means that the internet, media, advertising and marketing venues are being flooded with information.

Scores of professionals in your field are all vying for attention. One of the best ways to attract clients and/or the attention of your boss is to emphasize your unique qualities and gifts. For many, that means digging into the real meaning of your passion behind your work, and bringing that passion to the surface by articulating it through a more integral approach. It’s also about finding your story – a unique narrative. Exploring the nuggets of specialty that only you can offer will help you to stand out above the rest. Also keep in mind that depending on your audience, you might accentuate certain skills above others.

We all want to share our message infused with meaning, passion and purpose. But delivering your distinct vision in a succinct way is an art form that warrants careful consideration and planning. Producing “talking points” is not an overnight process, but here are a few pointers to get you started:

1. Ask yourself, “Who am I, and what is the unique message I have to offer?” Your personal brand and/or identity is your calling card. If you are a therapist – what is your specialty? What education, experience, background makes you uniquely qualified to comment as an expert in your field? Is your message different from others in your niche?
2. Who is your audience? If your specialty is indoor air quality – who needs to hear your message? Perhaps learning institutions, large corporations, parents with children suffering with allergies. Cull anecdotes from your client work. Know the latest trends, statistical information and          studies associated with your field.
3. Write down the top ten points most important to you. Have a discussion with a friend (not another expert) about these ten items. Ask them to share the top three points that would make them want to hear more about your topic.
4. Choose talking points that you can associate with a visual image. Descriptive language which creates a picture is more interesting to listen to, than random facts.
5. Be open to using your personal story as a talking point. I know a man who decided to go to massage school after years of unrelenting back pain. He had tried all other approaches including surgery and finally realized that certain massage techniques helped him alleviate the pain. He uses his story to help and teach others. Why have you chosen your line of work and why are you passionate about it?
6. Look out for storylines related to your field that the media harps on. Often, you’ll see the same story in a different version continuously popping up in your community or on a national level. Keep up-to-date on current affairs in your niche. Begin to develop your own marketing talking points or comments on these issues.

Be aware of the needs of the media. While TV and radio call for quick sound bites. If you are being interviewed for a blog or magazine, you might have more of an opportunity to get your message across. You should have tighter talking points for broadcast media.

On my business trip to Boston this week, I’ve been keenly aware of the transportation choices. Driving, biking, the “T”, and the Trolley. But battling 90 plus temperatures is almost enough to make me drive (with air conditioning blasting) to Harvard Square – almost. Yesterday, a colleague and I compromised. We drove to the “T” and took the train into Harvard. We figured we’d save some gas, along with having a taste of air conditioning which was all but brief – and didn’t make up for the mental stress that ensued.

We weren’t in the car more than a few seconds when we immediately looked at the gas gauge which read – less than a quarter of a tank. It was off to the gas station and the four-bucks-plus a gallon prices which triggered an immediate spiral of dialogue into, “This is just ridiculous, maybe we should have taken the trolley to the train,” I said exasperated, to which my colleauge responded,”Maybe we should have just stayed home.”

The conversation then dipped into talk of recession, food prices, credit card overload, and the miniscule amount of money left in our retirement funds. It was depressing, and quite frankly gave me a head ache which lasted well into the evening. Then I saw a new poll just released by The Associated Press and AOL which reinforced my diagnosis of my head ache – I was suffering with a bout of “debt stress” which was not helping in my quest for worklife balance.

The health report claims that due to rising debt, from 10 to 16 million people are suffering with physical ailments such as digestion problems, ulcers, anxiety, depression and stress. In fact, in an index linked to this poll, claims debt stress is on the rise -  14% higher than it was in 2004.

The findings of “debt stress” are not surprising. And arguably, high gas prices is just part of the current economic chaos. But it’s precisely that, which reminds me of the need for a different kind of fuel. Our inner fuel tank which needs a shot of resilience, stamina, and stillness. Whether in the workplace or in business, we’re all seeking inner calm that allows us to respond the the tumult around us, without reacting in a negative way or allowing our bodies to take the brunt of the stress. But that requires patience, tolerance, and a new way of doing things.

We spend so much time, with good reason, worrying about our bills and how we are going to pay for the gas to fuel our cars –  that we neglect our own bodies and minds. Whether it’s exercise, meditating, knitting or just finding an enjoyable hobby – creating our own fuel of stamina and resilience might make the gas lines a bit easier to bare. Anyone for a walk?

After a whirlwind of travel for nearly two weeks, designed to help me build my "inner warehouse of stillness,"  on my elusive quest for worklife balance - I have landed at a colleague's home in Boston. At AM this morning in a deep silent contemplative state, I thought about the last two weeks of quiet time and the  "detoxification program" that I had undergone. That was until my friends radio alarm went off screeching the following missive: "A bomb went off in Islamabad, Pakistan this morning." Being my nosy self, I suggested she awake to some soft music or ocean sounds instead of the news. She just laughed. It might be jarring and in contrast to any anti-stress methods – but it gets her out of bed.

Shocked back into the reality of our times, I realized how important the last two weeks have been for my worklife constitution or profile. I had allowed myself a huge block of silent time. I chose to abstain from the longing need to answer every call, return every e-mail and read every headline. It was a purposeful, carefully planned time to turn off from the world - and cultivate resilience. I also went on a doctor supervised detoxification program to prepare my body and mind for the load of work in the pipeline.

We participate in spring cleaning, and we often kick-start diets to prepare for the summer bathing suit weather, but how many of us detoxify our worklife constitution? How often do we evaluate the conditions under which we work? Here are five steps toward detoxifying your worklife constitution:

1. Choose to Detox your WorkLife Constitution:Start with dead silence, no expectations, and no attachments. During my detox it occurred to me that some of my working methods needed to change. So I went into a dead silent phase during the detox. What emerged was fascinating. It wasn't that I needed to organize more, but instead, to spend more time in silence – just listening to my inner wisdom. It's a more difficult approach than pushing our will. It's certainly not for the "Ye of little faith," nor is it for those who fear they'll miss the boat if a colleague gets to the finish line before they do. What is your gut trying to tell you that needs to be changed about your worklife experience?
2. Detoxing the intersection of your working and living experience:From the moment that alarm goes off, to the moment you walk out the door or head to your home office what is the typical routine? Get out paper and pen and write down the general scenario. (ie. I wake up, brush my teeth, meditate, get the kids up, make breakfast, turn on the tv..etc) How you prepare for your day will impact your mood for the rest of the day.  Be circumspect of your language and behavior prior to work. What tone are you setting out of the gate? What behaviors no longer serve your quest for better worklife integration?
3. Detoxify by avoiding burnout and embracing worklife flexibility options:Whether you work from a home office or an outside workplace, there are always new strategies, tools and techniques to help you create more worklife flex. The idea of more flexibility or balance in corporate America, once derided, is now a perfectly acceptable conversational item. When evaluating your worklife constitution be sure to investigate. Don't just settle for a quick HR conversation. Often the answers will not be in a book, but instead need to be negotiated with your direct supervisor. Have some concrete reasons for the need to make changes - and some concrete suggested solutions.
4. Detoxifying workplace & business relationships:  Bottom-line is that it's nearly impossible to be liked by all your colleagues equally. Furthermore, as long as you act with integrity, aligned with your morals and values you should be able to ride the wave of egos that come your way – or that trigger your own insecurities. It's your reaction to those tough relationships that help you to detoxify them. One colleague once told me that she purposely keeps her toughest competitors and enemies close, to keep an eye on what they are doing, so they wouldn't get ahead of her. I personally think this is the same kind of manipulation that feeds surface and unhealthy relationships. There is a difference between healthy competition and fear-based or back-stabbing behavior. The later lacks integrity. Moral of the story – be honest. If there is room for discussion after a conflict or difficult competitive moment, try to embrace it with compassion. If not – be on your way steering clear of gossip.
5. Detox your daily Information Intake:It's time to start journaling. For a few days keep track of the types of information that come your way daily. You'll find this a nearly impossible task. Your workday is replete with news, e-mails, and phone calls of every kind. Make a list of the most frequent info-intake portals and then re-evaluate the need for these items. Depending on the work you do – you might find that you only need to read the New York Times a few times a week and concentrate more on the Wall Street Journal. Perhaps daily news is not main needed info-portal? Trade journals might be more helpful to you. We've all heard about managing e-mail. Take the time to design a system or purchase a program that will help you better to organize the incoming and rid yourself of useless information.

Here are a few articles to help you along your path of detoxifying your worklife constitution and cultivating resilience:

Taking an Office Break to Meditate

24/7 Stress: It's not just a Blogger's World

Work/Life Nation: Right Livelihood with Rick Jarow

Work/Life Balance: Can we have a moment of silence?

Black Berry Overload

Exercise at Work: A Mood Booster

WorkLife Balance and Serenity: Peace in Perseverance

Job security isn’t just a walk on the beach. I received a phone call yesterday from a dear friend who with shallow breath immediately began to review a dream from the night before. It was one that put thoughts of job security on the front burner.

“So, here I was clothing shopping in Bloomingdales and right in the adjacent department was my boss in the shoe section. I quickly hid behind a rack of clothing, but he saw me,” she told me in a stressful tone. My friend went on to tell me that she tried to explain to her boss that she had the day off and that it was Saturday, but he still ridiculed her telling her she should be working weekends – if she wanted to keep her job.

Only a dream? Maybe for now – but it’s one that I bet a load of Americans are having these days. Here’s the deal, everyone I know is concerned about impressing the upper brass. There’s good reason:

• March numbers mark a three-month run on employers slashing jobs.
• Unemployment is at 5.1% . While historically low it’s still worst than analyst expectations.
• Bellwether Citibank just posted a $5.1 Billion loss and expects to lay off another 9,000 people

The real news here isn’t news at all. Groceries are more expensive, it costs more to fill up your tank, and the job market is in the dumper. Sitting tight waiting for the “R” word to be revealed through the lips of Fed Chair Ben Bernanke isn’t going to change a thing. It’s time to hunker down and cultivate some work/life resilience to battle the stress build-up. Exercise, meditation and a walk in the woods will help calm the mind and body, but a switch in perception will help you from moment to moment in the workplace.

Here are Judy’s 7 Laws of Work/Life Evolution:

1. Change is the only constant. In our 24/7 world there is a consistent flow of unprecedented dramatic shifts in the way we do business and the people we encounter. Accept it.
2. Positive intent drives evolution. Coming into work with a smile – even if you have to use crazy glue to make it happen is a good start. Flip your perception. How do you show up at work? What is your general disposition?
3. Out of silence comes creativity and vitality. Take even five minutes out of your workday to slow the wheels of the mind. From that small break might come a great idea or just a quick nap which is recharging.
4. What we resist, persists. Go through the stack of papers that you are least attracted to. It’s a heavy weight on the eyes and more work to avoid it every day. Plus it just gets bigger.
5. Intent with integrity. We all want to impress the top brass, but working well with your colleagues and giving someone else a pat on the back will raise the level of kindness and consciousness in the workplace.
6. Be present and aware of those you work with. As Herman Melville once said, “We cannot live for ourselves alone. Out lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers our actions run as causes, and return to us as results.”
7. When we transcend and include we elevate the workplace. Be conscious about your actions in the workplace. Are there behaviors you can demonstrate that you can embrace to create better worklife balance ? It might be as simple as getting a few colleagues to go for a walk at lunch. That kind of behavior catches on and by osmosis, others will follow your lead.

For more tips on Work/Life Resilience head to JudyMartinSpeaks.com and check out the Work/Life Minute, and Work/Life Daybreak. Today’s picture courtesy Kim Weiss.

The truth is that no one can really take your power, it is yours to give or hold onto. It’s an important component of keeping a handle on our worklife balance situations. That’s why I felt it important to respond when David Bohl at Slow Down Fast (check out his post he has a hilarious video there)tagged me on an original question posed by Donna Karlin at Better Perspective. At her OnGrowing Weekly Challenge she asks…

"Who are you giving your personal power away to and how are you going to take it back?"

That which we give attention to will thrive whether it be a negative or positive trait within ourselves. This rule also applies to the way we either harness our own personal power or allow it to be taken away or dwindle. Whether at home, in the workplace or our careers, we are creatures of habit. So developing better practices of how we use our energy and who we choose to have relationships with directly corresponds to the richness of our own personal power and personal development.

Leadership consultant Stuart Levine writes about ones approach to "investing in relationships" in his book the Six Fundamentals of Success: The Rules for Getting it Right for Yourself and Your Organization. Here’s what he says about "seeking out the energy generators."

"Surrounding yourself with energy generators is the highest form of self respect. More than any other change you can make on your own, this will transform your work life."

In answer to the original question, I think it’s worth checking in with ones self on a weekly basis to contemplate where your energy is going and whether it is being put to good use. Second, examining personal relationships. If someone is draining, I would give that relationship a second thought. I don’t however believe that ridding ourselves of the relationship is always the key. It’s worth looking at your role in the experience and whether you can change your approach, position or attitude toward that person. No need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

That’s where I’d head back to David Bohl’s original post on this question. He said his mantra is to "empower others." When you do that unconditionally, without expectation, you have nothing to lose. You have only given away the gift of your acceptance. My mother has always told me,"As we elevate others, we elevate ourselves." That means rising above in all situations, and giving freely from the heart, without draining the soul. Holding a person in your awareness without judgment frees you from the binds of negative energetic attachments.

As for reclaiming energy, my opinion is that since your gave it away in the first place it is yours to take back. But to sustain that means personal cultivation of resilience on an inner level. If we don’t consistently work on building that inner stillness, it’s harder to stand our ground. And as we build that stillness within – we will attract and share that calm with others who cross our path – while being compassionate to those who might benefit from our energy.

As Eckhart Tolle said in his book (p.94), Stillness Speaks:

" No relationship can thrive without the sense of spaciousness that comes with stillness. If spacious stillness is missing, the relationship will be dominated by the mind and can easily be taken over by problems and conflict. If stillness is there, it can contain anything."

For related posts on this topic check out the following:

Using a Practical Approach to Cultivate Resilience

WorkLife Monitor Podcast: Happiness at Work

WorkLife Balance: Can We have a Moment of Silence?

Meditation as a Tool for Success

Wheat from the Chaff & Relationships

Taking an Office Break to Meditate

The holiday season is billed a joyful time by a lot of what we see and hear around us. The decorations, cheerful music, gift giving etc. It’s the fun kind of sensory stimulation that takes our minds off the daily workload – even for a little bit.

But in our 24/7 world, we are still bombarded with sensory overload which impacts our minds, hearts and bodies. That’s why it’s a good time to cultivate resilience techniques to release what needs to go from 2007  – and recharge for next year to set the stage for a successful career.

Today I wanted to share insights from the lessons on my CD – PRACTICAL CHAOS: Reflections on Resilience, which takes the listener through three breathing exercises to conquer chaos and cultivate an inner warehouse of stillness. The program tracks can be used as simple breathing techniques, guided meditation or as contemplative exercises. Whatever works for you.

The ultimate message is that the most effective way to conquer chaos is to face it – and use it as fuel for transformation. It’s possible to engage moments of discomfort in your business day a positive way without letting them eat you up and cause you to react inappropriately.

The workplace is one of the greatest culprits triggering emotional responses during the holiday season when images, past experiences, and expectations ring in our minds. For me personally, I work in a newsroom. So, I’m not only triggered by the news around me, but how I personally respond to it emotionally.

It’s nearly impossible to control anything outside of your brain, the good news is that we have choice in how we are going to respond in a moment to another’s chaos or a conflict outside of ourselves. Here are three basic lessons which are explored on the CD.

1. Awareness of the Breath: This exercise takes you on a journey of using the breath to calm your mind and body. With the breath you can harness awareness in every moment at home and at work. It’s about being fully present and making use of the creativity that is available to you.The breath can ground you in the world while connecting you to your highest potential and drawing upon your intuitive intelligence. You use the breath to nurture yourself.
2. Compassionate Detachment: This breath nurtures an ability to stay focused and compassionate in the world without being attached. You can be detached from the heart without being indifferent to the person or circumstances around you. By suspending judgment, you are not attached to the pain of the drama around you. This breathing exercise helps you to make decisions from a place of clarity for the higher good without burning out.
3. Burning Chaos as Fuel: In this meditation you will burn everything that you don’t need. Anything that keeps you from being your authentic self, anything that gets in your way is burned as fuel for personal transformation. In this process you take an active role to relieve stress from work, family, anxiety or concerns about the future.

To listen to podcasts that can help you in the elusive quest for worklife balance check out the WorkLife Monitor Podcasts or JudyMartinSpeaks.com.

Using Meditation as a Tool for Success

It’s no secret that alone-time might yield a more productive worklife. When you make time to recharge, you are bound to have more energy and clarity in your workday. I post a lot about meditation on this blog and the topic has taken more of a foothold recently in some mainstream boardrooms, and certainly in the media.

A time few days ago CNN and Fortune featured the practical benefits of meditation in a segment called Mind Over Business. To the left is a very good friend of mine, Jaya Devi who runs Kashi Atlanta, voted the No.1 yoga studio in Atlanta. She was interviewed for the segment as she’s been teaching the art in its various forms for well over 15 years.

TV is designed for our soundbite nation, so I wanted to offer a little more info on the topic which many are turning to in an effort to bring a little worklife balance into the workplace.

According to Jaya Devi, about half of her classes which offer yoga and meditation are filled with those in the professional set who work in a typical business office environment. Meditating is not just for those who have a spiritual practice. In fact, most courses that are given in the corporate arena tend to take a more secular approach. Here are links to two of my recent posts on the topic:

Taking an Office Break to Meditate

Exploring Spirituality in the Workplace

I’d like to hear your thoughts on meditating in the workplace. What works? What doesn’t? Is breathwork a better word for it? Meantime, please check out my CD which features breathing exercises to break the mind and bring about clarity. Click the link for further information.

PRACTICAL CHAOS: Reflections on Resilience

For more information on my work head to JudyMartinSpeaks.com