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The lights were dimmed, and we (myself and thirteen colleagues on a professional development retreat) were well into watching a video, The Overview Effect, when it happened. When a seed was planted. A fact that at first seemed rather innocuous, even questionable…until it wasn’t. Until I did some research, and began to contemplate the vastness, mystery and wonder of it.
My shopping list was meticulously organised—rewritten twice to ensure that every ingredient I needed was listed in the sequence I’d find them within the grocery store. Our annual Thanksgiving celebration was only two days away, and the list was large and filled with many special items. Failing to purchase any one of these had the potential to throw long standing family recipes into a tail spin, so I was being extra careful. Mentally checking and rechecking the contents of my trolley against the list several times as I progressed through the store. But somehow I made a mistake.
In my role as an executive coach and mindfulness teacher, I’m often asked: ‘How does mindfulness work and why’s it so important?’ It’s a question I typically answer by highlighting research based evidence on how mindfulness positively changes the brain and impacts neurophysiology, as well as how it can lead to changes in awareness and behaviour that enhance leadership effectiveness and impact. After last week’s US presidential election, however, the answer became much more personal.
Atfirstthissentencemightseemhardtoreadinfactitwasevennchallengingtotypebuthopefullyitwillbeeffectiveindemonstratinganimportantpoint. In case you’re thinking the sentence above is the result of a software glitch on your device, relax. It isn’t. If you weren’t able to decipher it on your first attempt, consider giving it another go.