What I have noticed about cultivating a daily practice of “being present” is that my life lessons are often larger than life itself.
I have been working on my website for several weeks now. Spent hours pondering about my brand message and how I would like to “show up” on the World Wide Web (WWW), also called the web, invented by English scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. Did Mr. Berners-Lee have the vision that the web would dominate the marketing scene, and in some cases, replace the traditional storefront? That an online presence would be a necessity to promote and grow your business? I certainly didn’t have the vision that by 2018 the average Jane would stay on your website for 30 seconds or less.
So where is all this going? Back to my life lesson. A majority of my ruminating hours have been invested in ‘how to’ integrate two of my passions in the same brand message – leadership and a spiritual path. Yang and Yin. Black and white. Left brain-right brain. Executive coaching and yoga, to name a few. To some corporate folks, leadership and spirituality in the same sentence is an oxymoron – a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction. To me, the essence of being human is to be spiritual and it is directly related to how effective we are at leading ourselves and others.
My dilemma? Who do I need to “be” to let go of my fear of judgment? What would it take for me to put myself out on the WWW as my authentic self? To share me openly and honestly? The flip side of these questions: What kind of coach would I be if I encourage others to call their “whole selves” forth in all their circles of influence if I cannot find the courage to do the same? End of the dilemma. I choose to show up as I am. I believe that leadership and a spiritual practice share the ultimate goal: to find harmony with yourself and the world.
Parker Palmer said “our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks – we will also find our path of authentic service in the world.”
