Welcome to Awake Exec!
To kick things off, we’ll be covering the fundamentals of mindfulness: What it is and, more importantly, how this 2,600-year-old practice can help you lead better right now.
As we begin, please note your top priority for today is simply to observe your thinking.
This witnessing process is extremely valuable because - if done properly - it will alert you to unserving thoughts, thereby creating a space where you can choose how to respond - or even whether to respond at all.
Owning this space is key to your mindfulness practice.
And speaking of unserving, did you know that, on average, you have about 65,000 thoughts per day - jumping to as high as 250,000 when you’re under stress?
Also, scientists are discovering that up to 90% of our thoughts are repetitive, meaning we tend to worry or fret about something, forget about it temporarily, and then pick right back up were we left off worrying or fretting.
This is why awareness is so important because, without it, we fall into these and other disruptive “thought loops” that keep us stuck and easily triggered.
However, with a consistent mindfulness practice you can literally rewire your brain to be more calm, leading to better decision-making and enhanced leadership presence.
So let’s get started.
In our video training for today, you will learn:
• How mindfulness can override triggered reactions, allowing you to respond to any challenge with more ease and grace.
• How the brain attempts to distract you from anything perceived as difficult, and how to bring your focus back to the task at hand.
• The many tangible benefits of a sustained practice over time.
Since meditation is a core component of mindfulness, today we will also begin with the basic practice of counting breaths. Whether you use the guided meditations included with this course or not, please spend at least 5 minutes each morning in stillness, connecting to your breath.
Also, if you’re resistant to the idea of meditation, think of it this way: An athlete has to practice for hours off the field to be competent on the field, right? Same thing with you, only your sport is stillness and your field is life.
In other words, you cannot expect to handle a challenge with composure around others if you haven’t been actively cultivating composure on your own.
Reflection Questions for Video One:
1. On a scale of 1-5 with 1 = excellent and 5 = poor, how would you rate your personal self-awareness? In other words, how would you rate your ability to “catch” yourself in unhelpful thought patterns and respond with composure versus heightened emotion?
2. On a scale of 1-5 with 1 = excellent and 5 = poor, how would you rate your capacity to handle stress? Hint: For deeper research, ask your partner, children, and / or coworkers for their honest opinion but, obviously, avoid getting defensive if they tell you something you didn’t want or expect to hear. (We are practicing composure after all.)
That’s it for now! Please be on the lookout for our Video Two training on the Four Questions for Wise Decision-Making. This is one of my all-time favorite mindfulness tools and you won’t want to miss it.
Xo -
Emily
Негізгі бет Awake Exec Video 1: Introduction To Mindfulness
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