Janice Marturano's Blog, page 3

The Most Precious Gift: Cultivating the Ability to Lead and Live With Excellence

This post is part of a series on Cultivating Leadership Presence through Mindfulness. The series will culminate in a four-day mindful leadership retreat in New York in October 2013. While the October Mindful Leadership Retreat is now filled, we are happy to announce the opening of registration for the early April, New York-based Mindful Leadership Retreat. For details, visit http://www.mindfulleadership.com/.





In the past year, I have been interviewed many times about the relationship between mindfulness and leadership. Why do we want to explore this training of the mind in the development of excellence? Is it to become better at our chosen career? It has the potential to do so. But is there, in fact, something more that is drawing us to explore this relationship?



In my experience, first as a corporate officer and now as the Executive Director of the Institute for Mindful Leadership, the answers to those questions can be found at the very fundamental level of what it means to be a part of the human family.



The very best leaders are passionate about making a difference. This is true whether they are leading a global organization, a small business, a team or a family. They are looking for innovative ways to meet what is here, and they often feel as though something is missing. They are people with bright minds and warm hearts. And when they, on occasion, stop long enough to listen to their own wisdom, they see, or perhaps feel, that what is missing is more of who they really are.



The 'more' is the part of us that is often lost when we are living our overscheduled lives on 'autopilot.' It is the part of us that is hiding in our 'success,' all the while knowing that no matter how much money and recognition we receive, it will not be the way to let our full and true selves shine. And it is the part of us that knows we need to be connected to ourselves, those around us and our community to feel fulfilled.



But, how do we begin to find the 'more'?



The good news is that the journey begins by rediscovering the mind's innate capacity to be present for our lives. It is not an outside tool or skill. We are born with the capacity to be present. When we train this capacity of the mind, we are learning to cultivate the space we need to make conscious decisions about how we spend our time. It is in this space that we can bring all of our experiences, education and inner wisdom to the moment. It is in this space that we begin to reveal our humanity and embody our passion to make a difference, to lead with excellence.



We learn that our pursuit of money and titles and recognition will never be enough to make us feel whole. And we learn that the most precious gift, the one that can transform our lives from autopilot to fulfilling is, in fact, right here, right now.



Janice L. Marturano is the author of the upcoming book 'Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership' to be published January, 2014

Mindfulness and Nature's Purposeful Pause

It seems as though spring is testing our patience this year, at least in many parts of the U.S.. I, for one, am more than ready for the world to 'green up' and to feel the warmth of the sun unfiltered by 3 layers of clothing or panes of glass, and to hear the wonderful sounds of leaves rustling and morning birds greeting the day. In my practice, I have often found time in nature replenishing, and experiencing nature filled with lessons and analogies.



The snow, for example, is a beautiful, although at times frustrating, example of nature's Purposeful Pause. It allows the trees and bushes and flowers to rest for a while, and replenish themselves so that, when the temperatures rise, the plants spring forth with vibrant color and once more provide shelter and nourishment for the birds, insects and animals, and beauty for us all to notice and to enjoy. What a lovely reminder to find the pauses in our own lives. Those moments that allow us to renew ourselves so we can live the life we choose to live.



We have at our fingertips, right here, right now, the ability to give ourselves a gift, the gift of being fully awake and at ease with our lives. And sometimes taking a walk in nature is the perfect reminder to unwrap the gift.



What lessons do you find in nature?



Be well,

Janice Marturano

Executive Director

Institute for Mindful Leadership

www.InstituteforMindfulLeadership.org



Author of 'Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership' to be published by Bloomsbury Press, January 2014

The Wisdom of Eagles: Mindfulness Lessons for Leadership and Life

Did you know that Minnesota has one of the highest concentrations of eagles in the country? A few years ago, I had a chance to visit the National Eagle Center which is just south of Red Wing, Minn., and saw up close a few eagles that had been rescued by the Center and were being cared for in habitats without cages. I also had the opportunity there to observe a number of incredible eagles in the wild. The eagles migrate to an area directly across from the Center each year and can be seen clearly from the observation deck.



For many cultures and many individuals, there is a special attraction to this particular bird. And after spending an afternoon watching them and learning about them, it is easy to understand why this is so. Large, majestic beings, earthy-colored bodies, heads adorned with the whiteness of experience, they seem to possess an inherent wisdom and a knowing gaze. And, I learned that spending an afternoon observing them in flight is a great way to share in their wisdom.



Here are a few of the lessons I learned that afternoon -- lessons for leadership and lessons for life:



Eagle Wisdom



If you wish to see an eagle in flight, you must take the time to be thorough and look far beyond the places you might expect to see a bird in the sky. Eagles often soar at amazing altitudes and may even seem to disappear behind the highest clouds from time to time. So, lesson number one:



Sit, be patient and be open to exploring new heights.



When you find an eagle in flight, you quickly notice that eagles are masters of energy conservation. By completely spreading its wings and by paying careful attention to balance, it uses only a minimal expenditure of energy to remain aloft, moving at great speeds, buoyed by the natural currents of air, and trusting that the wind will carry it precisely where it needs to be. So, lesson number two: Stretch out fully, find your balance and let it unfold.





Finally, when you dedicate an afternoon to being with the eagles, you are likely to witness an eagle at play. Somehow even amidst the work to thrive in the wild, an eagle values play. Without warning, it will sometimes break from the expected trajectory of its flight path and cartwheel through the air, seemingly for no reason other than because it can. So, the final lesson of the day: Make time to be playful



Does the eagle's wisdom resonate with you?