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Volume 8                                                                                                               December, 2014

I hope you are well and that 2014 has been a satisfying and rewarding year.

As the year comes to a close it is a wonderful opportunity to take stock and assess what went well and what you may wish to alter in the year ahead.  To live a Mindful life, is to live one's life "on purpose".  In order to do that, one first needs to have an overall Vision for one's life.  

I discuss at length in Mindful Leadership, how to "Discover Your Life Purpose".  A key component of your life purpose is the creation of a Vision.  This Vision for your life then becomes a guiding force in everything you do, from what assignments to accept, what projects to embark on, to what relationships to cultivate and which to let go. 

As a way of creating plans and resolutions for the New Year, filtering them through the lens of the Vision for your life can be very useful.  That way you know that you are only engaging with circumstances, situations and people that help that Vision move forward and become a reality.

One aspect of my Vision is to spread Mindfulness globally, and to that end, this year I created the Mindful Leadership App.  It includes over 70 Guided Meditations in 12 Categories.  The Categories include, Managing Stress, Managing Migraines,  Micro-Meditations & Mindfulness in Action Strategies, Mindful Music, Mindful Golf, among others.  My aspiration is to help anyone (both new and experienced meditators) who wishes to practice, to have the opportunity to be guided under any life circumstance.  

The Mindful Leadership App has been highly successful, with people from around the world downloading it. Mindful Leadership: The 9 Ways to Self-Awareness, Transforming Yourself and Inspiring Others, continues to sell extremely well with most of the sales coming from the United States.  It has been translated into Thai and Swedish.  I had the pleasure of dialoguing with the Thai translator, Nash Siamwalla, who himself is an experienced meditator.

This year I also had the pleasure of writing articles on Mindful leadership for the Harvard Business Review and being interviewed by them on how to Mindfully manage stress.  If these are of interest, you can access them on the right hand panel of this Newsletter in the "Talk About Mindful Leadership" Section.  

In this Newsletter I am in conversation with Peter Marks. He is Executive Director for the Centre for Conscious Care.  He has practiced Mindfulness for over 30 years and has trained thousands to date. He specializes in working with those who have severe intellectual disabilities and mental health disorders, as well as, the medical and support staff who provide them care.  I know you will enjoy the conversation.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. And may 2015 be filled joy, peace and many Mindful moments.

Warm regards,
Maria.

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Meaningful Tips


You Can Plan, But You Can't Control

I watched a great interview last night with Peter Mansbridge of the CBC and John Cleese. Cleese said a joke that caused me to laugh out load for quite a while. The joke was very simple. He said, "how do you make God laugh"?  And the answer was...

Tone plays a huge role in the ability of others to "hear" our message.  When we speak in a harsh or disinterested tone our message is not "heard".  In fact, under those circumstances, people tend to experience "feel" which means ... 

 

You Know You Are Wearing Down When...

You may find yourself really looking forward to a vacation and some time off, to the completion of an assignment or some other milestone, but at the same time you notice that you are feeling cranky or impatient.  What you are looking forward to is something positive, but you know that in order to get to that point there is a lot left to complete.  As time goes on... 


When in Doubt Open Your Heart

There are times that we are at a loss for what to say or what to do.  Someone may be telling us something that may be painful to them and perhaps painful for us to hear.

The habitual tendency may be to change the subject, to make them laugh, to distract them. These may be the only strategies that come to mind.

But, there is an alternative.

How to De-Stress: Take Time Each Day in Stillness

The ability to de-stress each day is an important ingredient in living a richer and more fulfilling life. But, most people find de-stressing a real challenge.  There is so much to do and so little time.  Consequently, the thought of de-stressing seems more like a luxury than a necessity.

But, in reality it is a necessity.  If you don't de-stress regularly...

 

How to De-Stress: Don't Let Your Ego Rule Your World

Allowing your ego to dictate how you think and feel can be an enormous source of stress.  But what does that really mean? And how does that happen?


Live Each Moment "as if for the last time"

The next time you go for a walk, walk as if it is your last walk. The next board meeting you have, be there, as if it is your last board meeting.  The next time you speak with a colleague, speak as if you will never speak with them again.  The next time you share a meal or a cup of tea with a friend...


Live Each Moment "as if for the first time"

In the last Blog I talked about living each moment "as if for the last time".  In this Blog, I would like to suggest living each moment "as if for the first time".  Now these two notions are by no means in conflict. They are two sides of the same coin and come together in...

 
Upcoming Mindflness

Training Programs

Half Day Course - Mindfully Managing Stress & Creating Relaxation

 

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

9:00am - 12:00noon

 

2 St. Clair Avenue East

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario Canada

 

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            Register Now

 

Advanced Mindfulness Workshop / Retreat 

 

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

9:00am - 12:00noon

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

9:00am - 12:00noon

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

9:00am - 12:00noon

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

9:00am - 12:00noon

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

9:00am-12:00noon

 

2 St. Clair Avenue East

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario Canada

 

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Custom Corporate Mindful Leadership Programs

On-going

 

2 St. Clair Avenue East

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario Canada

 

   

One-on-One Mindfulness Coaching Program  

On-going

 

2 St. Clair Avenue East

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario Canada

 

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One-on-One Mindful Leadership Coaching Program 

(Pre-requisite: Introduction to Mindfulness Course or Mindfulness Coaching Program) 

On-going

 

2 St. Clair Avenue East

Suite 800

Toronto, Ontario Canada

 

 Learn More

  Register Now

 

Talk About Mindful Leadership

 

 


ARTICLES


Maria Gonzalez explains how to practice mindfulness during your daily commute.  She describes specific techniques / strategies to use as you drive, enabling the commute to become a Mindfulness practice.


 

Mindfulness for People Who Are Too Busy to Meditate -


Maria describes Micro Meditations that can be done in 1-3 minutes and Mindfulness in Action strategies that can be done while going about your day, no matter what you are doing.

 

INTERVIEWS

 

How to Handle Stress in the Moment 


Maria Gonzalez explains how to train yourself to recognize "your physiological signs of stress".  She also offer strategies for dealing with stress in the moment.

 

IdeaCast INTERVIEW

 

Reduce Stress with Mindfulness
 

In this interview, Maria discusses how to first of all focus on Mindfully decreasing the stress that can be reduced, and then Mindfully managing the unavoidable stress in your life. The interview also includes a short guided breath meditation. 

 

 

MEDITATE THIS

 

 

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Peter Falker and Jason Hollander, who are from Minnesota and New York City, respectively.


In our interview we talked about Mindfulness and Mindful Leadership, including how it benefits our lives, as well as, the corporate benefits. And most importantly, we discussed how to apply Mindfulness in our everyday lives, both personally and professionally. 

You can check out the interview which is in two parts: 

 
Conversations with Mindful Leaders
   
In this newsletter I am in conversation with Peter Marks.  Peter is the Executive Director for the Centre for Conscious Care.  He has practiced Mindfulness for over 30 years and has trained thousands to date. He specializes in working with those who have severe intellectual disabilities and mental health disorders, as well as, the medical and support staff who provide them care.  
A metallurgical engineer by training, he is an experienced and successful entrepreneur who has been the co-founder and / or leader of 8 private and provincial Human Services and Health Care agencies, and has worked with 23 First Nation Communities in Ontario and the Yukon. He is the author of Conscious Care and Support.
http://www.inclusion.com/bkconsciouscare.html

View The Conversation 

Mindful Missives 

The Inspiration that Is Jean Béliveau

As I listen to the tributes given to Jean Béliveau what is striking are the words used to describe him. Without exception, people comment above all on his presence, his humility, his kindness, his gentleness. They comment on how he made everyone around him great; how he was a genuinely nice man, who was always present in every interaction.

As I reflect on this great human being, what I see is a Mindful leader....

Read Full Article


What Does it Mean to "Abide in a State of Gratitude"
"I abide in a state of Gratitude" are Stings's last words on his DVD, Sting the Last Ship.  This was a benefit concert at The Public Theatre in New York City.  "The Last Ship" features Sting joined by 14 musicians performing original songs from his critically-acclaimed album and Broadway musical of the same name.

The statement is profound.  He is referring to his childhood in a small north England town whose main business was a shipyard.  It was difficult and dangerous work.  It was the main place of employment for the men in the area.  A place where few left and did anything different.  And for Sting...

Read Full Article

 

The Impact of One Person's Kindness 

I recently witnessed something beautiful and wanted to share it.

A young man got on the streetcar in front of me and he was using a walker. He was clearly in severe pain.

As he climbed up the steps with his walker, an elderly man sitting in one of the front seats, got up and told him to sit. Then another young fellow who had been sitting behind the elderly man got up to give him his seat, and so it went for another 3 people doing the same...


Discovering One's Purpose in Life

Discovering one's purpose in life is one the greatest concerns people express.  I have met many people who are extremely successful by external standards, but for them something is missing.  They don't feel fulfilled, as if there is something they are "meant to do", but they haven't discovered it.  This can cause great angst and create a sense of incompleteness.

I too had that experience.  In my late twenties and early thirties I had a strong sense that I was...

Read Full Article

 

An Act of Kindness Can Change the World...
An act of kindness can change the world...especially your world.  There are few words to describe the impact of such an act.  It may be random; it may be deliberate.  The act may seem small.  But, we never know whose heart we touch and the impact we have.  And in so doing, what we may not immediately realize is that with each kindness, we are creating a "reservoir of happiness" within ourselves.  Our Spirit knows when we have done something for another, been kind, been of service, and the only possible outcome is... 

Read Full Article


How We Know What Isn't So

Ignorance, confusion and delusion collectively are one of the hindrances that impede success. Essentially, this hindrance describes "how we know what isn't so".  The mind is rarely comfortable not knowing. Additionally, it attempts to create patterns and certainty.  It wants to be able to predict.  By doing this, the mind thinks it will be more comfortable, secure, stable, and confident.

Yet, this comes at a cost.  And the cost is that we may believe what is not so.  We may make decisions with inaccurate information.  Our judgment may be impaired because we have jumped to conclusions.  And we may go for a long time, if not forever...


Inspiration Requires Stillness
Have you ever noticed that it is in those moments of stillness that you experience the greatest inspiration? Inspiration arises only in the "gap", in the gap between each thought, and in the gap between each breath. But we so often clutter our minds and fill up our time, so that there is no stillness and no gaps. And as a result, we feel stressed, frenzied, at times out of control.

Stress Impacts Everything...Including the Markets!

Anyone who has experienced stress in their lives (and who hasn't?) knows the impact it can have on the body and the mind.   At minimum, we know that cortisol levels increase and with that, a general state of uneasiness and unwellness.  We also know that if stress is sustained for long periods of time, it impacts overall health, as well as, performance.  And as a leader, you know that your stress can impact your team and the entire organization.

What we didn't know, until now, is the impact that traders' stress levels have on the financial markets.  A recent article by Reuters UK describes a study of City of London traders and of the effect of cortisol on behaviour.  The research was led by Dr John Coates, a former Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank derivatives trader, turned neuroscientist.  What they found is that...

Read Full Article


In the Next Newsletter

In the next Mindful Leadership Newsletter I will in conversation with Bill Wilkerson.  Bill is the national award-winning Co-Founder of the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health ( http://www.mentalhealthroundtable.ca), a non-profit organization that over ten years made the case for corporate investments in the mental health of the  labor force. He has been credited with putting mental health on the "business pages and in the board rooms of the nation."  In 2013, Bill assumed the role of Executive Chairman of Mental Health International, a non-profit organization he co-founded.

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Mindfulness In Print
                   
Mindful Leadership and The Mindful Investor 
available at better bookstores and online   
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"The two most important days of your life are the day you are born 
and the day you find out why."

Mark Twain