My sister and brother, both very wise people, have introduced me to ‘hot yoga’. It’s not a place I would have gone to on my own, but a quiet evening early last week, with nothing to do and an inexpensive introductory price, I thought, ‘go for it!’ Now I am aware that ‘there are none more holy than the newly converted’, so I won’t waste your time with how wonderful I have found it to be, and how everyone in the world should be involved! Rather, one of the yoga teachers spoke briefly a few evenings ago about two kinds of mind.
The first kind is called the ‘monkey mind.’ Monkey mind, like monkeys, jumps around, pokes, prods, screeches, and generally wreaks havoc. It’s the mind in me that can take a simple comment and created a huge story of tragic proportions. It’s the mind in me that worries about what people think about me, and is concerned with how I can fit in, or better yet, impress, the current crowd. It’s the mind in me that keeps me awake 3 am wondering about something over which I have no control. I wonder if that mind sounds familiar to you?
The second kind is called ‘big sky mind.’ For me, this is like a prairie mind, a huge expansive mind with a blue sky. Thoughts are obviously still present, but they are more like clouds in the big sky, set into context. Sure there will be dark clouds, but there is blue sky or light clouds elsewhere in the big sky, or I see them as a passing storm. It is also this big sky mind that allows me to see connections and possibilities, and even solutions to the dark clouds, rather than getting hung up on how horrible the storm seems to be.
Upon further reflection, it seemed to me that leaders need big sky minds. Now, to be transparent here, I am far from having a big sky mind all the time, but I have been discovering I do have a choice. If I find monkey mind is up to it’s tricks, I can gently say no, and breathe deeply, and work back to big sky mind. It is amazing how simple and effective breathing can be and is in giving the foundation to change one’s mindset!
May this week be filled with big sky minds for each and every one of us.
And, I’m going on a ‘walkabout’ in Australia for three weeks, leaving the first of next week so this will be the last issue of Leadership Notes until the week of August 8. I hope each of you have a wonderful few weeks.