“We are at a time in humanity when we have incredible technologies – and we are being asked to marry these with an equivalent transformation of heart.” – – Jack Kornfield at Wisdom 2.0
“When you want to make the other person happy, you want to give him or her something. You might want to cook something good and give it to him or her. But the most precious thing you can give is not something you can mine from the bucket. It’s your true presence. We have some much worry, fear and anger. We are not happy and that is why the practice is to bring more space. A person cannot be a happy person unless she has freedom and some space. If you don’t have space in you, how can you offer space to your beloved?”
Renowned zen master Thich Nhat Hanh delivered this message at Google during a half-day meditation workshop for employees. Participants practiced mindful walking and mindful eating in silence to help create space for happiness and true presence. In Silicon Valley (and beyond) meditation is no fad. It could make your career.
Meditation for the working man and woman centers around the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI). As you may have read, emotional intelligence helps you to understand your colleagues’ motivations. The focus on awareness and what’s “you/not you” that meditation breeds can boost your trajectory: in a place like Google, having a high intelligence quotient isn’t a differentiating factor, but having high emotional intelligence is.
Chade-Meng Tan, the drive behind the wildly popular Search Inside Yourself class and book, had been trying to pitch meditation to his fellow Googlers for years, but he didn’t see interest jump until he framed his pitch around emotional intelligence–a sign of the workplace value of mindfulness. “Everybody knows this EI thing is good for their career,” Meng tellsWired. “And every company knows that if their people have EI, they’re gonna make a shitload of money.” Watch these videos and you’ll also learn how EI helps you be happier in your chosen career.
In today’s world of multi-media, multi-tasking and rising demands from our careers and home life (honey, did you remember to…?) we are constantly bombarded with things that require our attention. How do we make space, stay mindful, and be resilient in the wake of life’s stressors?
Let’s remember to check in and see if our own cup is full. Building resilience means making sure your energy reserves are stocked up – your basic needs are met: hunger, thirst, sleep, sex, exercise, nature time, alone time, play time. It includes things you’d be grumpy without. What’s on your list? If you’re feeling a lack of resilience, check in. Is something missing?
So, there you have it: how mindful meditation can create space for happiness, sex, and money. Get started on Mondays at 5pm for group meditation at Root Whole Body. Or book a consultation with Kat Lui to see if private meditation therapy will help you reach your goals.