In the recent November 2017 copy of National Geographic Magazine, there was an article on the world’s happiest places, by Dan Buettner, the author of The Blue Zones, Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. According to Buettner, the three happiest places on earth are Denmark, Costa Rica, and Singapore. The things they have in common are that their “people feel secure, have a sense of purpose, and enjoy lives that minimize stress and maximize joy”.
You’ve likely heard people talk about the phenomenon of “Imposter Syndrome” – the propensity to feel like you’re going to be ‘found out’ by everybody due to this or that weakness you have, despite your many accomplishments.
In the face of this defeating self-talk, a greater focus on strengths can provide a validation of your skill set. It feels better because you’re using the natural talents you already have inside you and bringing them out, front and center.
In the recent November 2017 copy of National Geographic Magazine, there was an article on the world’s happiest places, by Dan Buettner, the author of The Blue Zones, Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. According to Buettner, the three happiest places on earth are Denmark, Costa Rica, and Singapore. The things they have in common are that their “people feel secure, have a sense of purpose, and enjoy lives that minimize stress and maximize joy”.
You’ve likely heard people talk about the phenomenon of “Imposter Syndrome” – the propensity to feel like you’re going to be ‘found out’ by everybody due to this or that weakness you have, despite your many accomplishments.
In the face of this defeating self-talk, a greater focus on strengths can provide a validation of your skill set. It feels better because you’re using the natural talents you already have inside you and bringing them out, front and center.
How many times have we all heard this common response or even given the response ourselves? It’s overused, overdone, and unfortunately completely accurate for many. We are constantly bombarded with noise, distractions, competing priorities, too many demands, and for many of us; the desire to do it all perfectly.
It’s the holidays and many of us are operating in overdrive. As if our busy lives weren’t hectic enough, add the stress of holiday/end of year celebrations, decorating our homes, band concerts, mailing out holiday cards, shopping for presents, and you have a recipe for being very, very stressed out. What can you do to bring a sense of calm to your day?
In my journey to increase my own mindfulness, I’ve been exploring different methods. Walking meditation is one that has intrigued me, as it combines mindfulness with movement. Recently on a trip to Ireland, I found myself walking a track called The Cliff Walk, around the edges of a town called Howth.
Jia Jiang had this problem with rejection. He found himself struggling because this fear got in his way. Rather than let it continue to hold him back, he decided to conduct a 100 day experiment where he would deliberately go out and seek rejection. He came up with a list of seemingly ridiculous things to ask people that they would say no to. What he hoped for was tougher skin and a strategy to deal with rejection.
Meditation has moved from something a few specialists did to becoming a mainstream phenomenon. I’m not sure when I made the shift myself in wanting to check it out. It might have been when a colleague shared his experience with daily meditation to get his head clear, or perhaps when watching the students learn the art of Buddhist mediation at a mountaintop monastery in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Nevertheless, I recently found myself opening to the idea of meditation.
