It was the 10th day of rain, and I walked into the pool locker room feeling a little soggy around the edges. I asked my pool friend, Laurie, how she was and she said, "Bright and cheery. It's a wonderful day and I'm going to accomplish a lot of good things." Laurie, who is recovering from hip surgery and on most days can be seen walking around the locker room with great care, wiggled her cane at me from under the shower.
I went for a walk that afternoon–in the rain–and enjoyed myself immensely. Later, in my car, I put on a Motown CD and moved with the rhythm. Nothing like Motown to pep you up.
It seems just when I need it, some reminder to be cheerful comes along. Like a breath of fresh air, it reminds me to notice what is good. I'm lucky and I know it, with many gifts to be grateful for–a healthy body, a sturdy roof over my head, good friends, and a family I love and enjoy being around.
We all have bad days and unpleasant feelings. Maybe you're having one now. It's okay. Just like the rain this, too, shall pass. Watch, notice, breathe. Instead of resisting, honor whatever feeling you happen to be having at the moment. I sincerely hope it's a pleasant one. But if not, all the more reason to breathe it into your center and experience it fully. It will change.
Be on the lookout today for reminders to be grateful, cheerful, and fully alive in this moment. It's the only one you've got.
Good ki!
Judy Ringer
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Miserable Jobs
This post relates again to the most recent ASTD International Conference. (Seems I got a lot out of this year’s program!) One of the keynote speakers was Patrick Lencioni. He gave an impressive talk on dysfunctional teams and later in the conference another of his colleagues, Jeff Gibson, elaborated further on the theory. It was clear that their work was based on many case studies. I was impressed enough to buy Patrick’s book, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job
. The book is written as a fable and I highly recommend it. It is a relatively quick read. I finished it on a cross country plane trip. But, the material presented kept me contemplating for much longer than the plane trip. The theory is that an employee will be miserable in a job unless they have a measureable way of seeing that they give value, that they feel understood and appreciated by someone in authority in their company, and that they can identify someone who is being helped by their work.
One of the key concepts of the book is that most managers don’t know how to manage. They take many training courses but somewhere in all the training the simple skill of knowing and appreciating your employees is not communicated. It is a fascinating idea that extends through business and into the non-profit sector.
Ask the simple question, do you love your job? Or, to make it even clearer, do you get up in the morning eager to get to work? The thesis is that most people, if honest, say ‘no’. It is not a question of salary or job content. Happiness is dependent upon feeling loved and giving value.
There is an interesting parallel in this with Tom Crum’s Three Deep Breaths of which I often write. The Centering Breath allows you to reach a point of calmness where you can consider the question. The Possibility Breath prompts you to consider your ‘authentic’ or highest version of yourself that you can be. The Discovery Breath reminds you to let go of judement and be open to learning.
These Three Breaths, if done regularly, allow you to be the manager who does take an interest in those he/she manages and continues to seek new ways to assure that neither his/her job or that of those around him fits the criteria of a miserable job.
And, of course, no surprise. When organizations and companies follow these models there is normally improvement in the bottom line.
Judy Warner
. The book is written as a fable and I highly recommend it. It is a relatively quick read. I finished it on a cross country plane trip. But, the material presented kept me contemplating for much longer than the plane trip. The theory is that an employee will be miserable in a job unless they have a measureable way of seeing that they give value, that they feel understood and appreciated by someone in authority in their company, and that they can identify someone who is being helped by their work.One of the key concepts of the book is that most managers don’t know how to manage. They take many training courses but somewhere in all the training the simple skill of knowing and appreciating your employees is not communicated. It is a fascinating idea that extends through business and into the non-profit sector.
Ask the simple question, do you love your job? Or, to make it even clearer, do you get up in the morning eager to get to work? The thesis is that most people, if honest, say ‘no’. It is not a question of salary or job content. Happiness is dependent upon feeling loved and giving value.
There is an interesting parallel in this with Tom Crum’s Three Deep Breaths of which I often write. The Centering Breath allows you to reach a point of calmness where you can consider the question. The Possibility Breath prompts you to consider your ‘authentic’ or highest version of yourself that you can be. The Discovery Breath reminds you to let go of judement and be open to learning.
These Three Breaths, if done regularly, allow you to be the manager who does take an interest in those he/she manages and continues to seek new ways to assure that neither his/her job or that of those around him fits the criteria of a miserable job.
And, of course, no surprise. When organizations and companies follow these models there is normally improvement in the bottom line.
Judy Warner
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Words of Wisdom
Aikido is a fascinating art. We learn to 'attack' people so they, in turn, can learn how to handle attacks in what I would term a 'centered' manner. Executing technique properly is important and it is extremely easy to get caught up in the technique part of the art and lose sight of all there is to explore in relationship while on the mat....or in life.
I found this perspective in one of my favorite books, It's a Lot like Dancing, by the late Terry Dobson. Please enjoy - it speaks for itself.
To say, as O'Sensei did, that "you are responsible for protecting your attacker, for not hurting him," is extremely sophisticated. It works to your advantage and it works to his advantage. It is an all-win situation. It's easy to do, if you know how to keep your center. You learn to see similarity: You each have two eyes, two arms. Whatever level you want to deal on, the spiritual, physical or psychological, there is similarity. The more you operate in the realm of similarity, the harder it is to imagine that anyone would want to conquer anyone else.
Judy Warner
I found this perspective in one of my favorite books, It's a Lot like Dancing, by the late Terry Dobson. Please enjoy - it speaks for itself.
To say, as O'Sensei did, that "you are responsible for protecting your attacker, for not hurting him," is extremely sophisticated. It works to your advantage and it works to his advantage. It is an all-win situation. It's easy to do, if you know how to keep your center. You learn to see similarity: You each have two eyes, two arms. Whatever level you want to deal on, the spiritual, physical or psychological, there is similarity. The more you operate in the realm of similarity, the harder it is to imagine that anyone would want to conquer anyone else.
Judy Warner
Sunday, June 15, 2008
A Bridge Between East and West
About a week ago, a friend wrote me about a martial arts/energy workshop he had attended in the Boston area. He thought, given my involvement with Tom, qi gong and aikido, that it would be of interest to me. After reviewing the references, I bought a book by the instructor, The Secret of Seamm Jasani by Asanaro and quickly perused the exercises. Many reminded me of qi gong movements – not a surprise as I find all Eastern arts have common elements – and I am currently exploring the exercises in more depth.
What really caught my eye was the discussion on the benefits of the exercises. Perhaps it was that I had just attended the ASTD conference and noted an increased emphasis on discussions of the brain in several of the sessions. Here, in this small book on ancient Tibetan exercises, under the benefits of performing the exercises was a discussion of the impact on brain functioning. The breathwork and exercise movements were stated to put the brain in a state of alertness by forcing both of its hemispheres to work together, resulting in the unconscious awakening of some of the 90 % of the brain that is typically not developed. (It is often quoted that humans use only 10% of their cerebral capacity.)
Here was a book on eastern arts using western terminology. When I studied qi gong, many benefits of the art were discussed. However, we utilized the more eastern approach of medicine, discussing meridians, points, and energy blockages. Now what I am seeing is a strengthening bridge between east and west in the realm of mind/body work that excites me. As western scientific methods validate eastern practices, a greater acceptance of the role of eastern arts in western settings is inevitable. I point with pride to a small rural hospital near where I live in Clifton Springs, NY where acupuncture, massage, hot springs and an herbal medicinary are offered within the hospital. Patients have the option of integrating eastern and western medicine together for optimal care.
My hope for the future is an increased appreciation and utilization of healing traditions from many cultures to support us in living healthy, longer lives.
Judy Warner
What really caught my eye was the discussion on the benefits of the exercises. Perhaps it was that I had just attended the ASTD conference and noted an increased emphasis on discussions of the brain in several of the sessions. Here, in this small book on ancient Tibetan exercises, under the benefits of performing the exercises was a discussion of the impact on brain functioning. The breathwork and exercise movements were stated to put the brain in a state of alertness by forcing both of its hemispheres to work together, resulting in the unconscious awakening of some of the 90 % of the brain that is typically not developed. (It is often quoted that humans use only 10% of their cerebral capacity.)
Here was a book on eastern arts using western terminology. When I studied qi gong, many benefits of the art were discussed. However, we utilized the more eastern approach of medicine, discussing meridians, points, and energy blockages. Now what I am seeing is a strengthening bridge between east and west in the realm of mind/body work that excites me. As western scientific methods validate eastern practices, a greater acceptance of the role of eastern arts in western settings is inevitable. I point with pride to a small rural hospital near where I live in Clifton Springs, NY where acupuncture, massage, hot springs and an herbal medicinary are offered within the hospital. Patients have the option of integrating eastern and western medicine together for optimal care.
My hope for the future is an increased appreciation and utilization of healing traditions from many cultures to support us in living healthy, longer lives.
Judy Warner
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Neurobics
While I was at ASTD last week, one of the seminars I attended was by Andre Vermulen, an international consultant from South Africa. The topic was the application of whole brain integration principles into activate the brain. The workshop was full of exercises.
Here is a fairly simple one to relieve visual fatigue and speed up the brain's information processing.
Draw a figure 8 on a piece of paper (about 8 1/2 x 11 size paper). Hold a pencil/pen on the line of the figure. Trace the figure 8 five times with one hand, then hold the pencil with the other hand and repeat five more time, then hold the pencil with both hands and repeat five more times.
Simple? Yes, but effective. Try it after you have been sitting at a computer for a few hours!
Judy Warner
Here is a fairly simple one to relieve visual fatigue and speed up the brain's information processing.
Draw a figure 8 on a piece of paper (about 8 1/2 x 11 size paper). Hold a pencil/pen on the line of the figure. Trace the figure 8 five times with one hand, then hold the pencil with the other hand and repeat five more time, then hold the pencil with both hands and repeat five more times.
Simple? Yes, but effective. Try it after you have been sitting at a computer for a few hours!
Judy Warner
Saturday, June 7, 2008
A New Earth
Quotations from A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle:
I am loving this book and recommend it to anyone interested in practicing presence and acquiring inner peace. While I still have a few chapters to go, here are some of my favorite quotations:
The ego cannot distinguish between a situation and its interpretation of and reaction to that situation.
In response to thinking that situations are the source of our emotions, as in: "'What a dreadful day!'" ... What is dreadful is your reaction, your inner resistance to it and the emotion that is created by that resistance.
When we think others are the cause of our suffering: I am holding you responsible for my pain.
and
If you don't mind being unhappy, what happens to the unhappiness?
I am loving this book and recommend it to anyone interested in practicing presence and acquiring inner peace. While I still have a few chapters to go, here are some of my favorite quotations:
The ego cannot distinguish between a situation and its interpretation of and reaction to that situation.
In response to thinking that situations are the source of our emotions, as in: "'What a dreadful day!'" ... What is dreadful is your reaction, your inner resistance to it and the emotion that is created by that resistance.
When we think others are the cause of our suffering: I am holding you responsible for my pain.
and
If you don't mind being unhappy, what happens to the unhappiness?
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Not Forgotten
I have been at the American Society of Training and Development International Conference for the past few days. It is an annual event that Tom Crum always presents at and that I have been doing Magic of Stretching sessions at for the past four or five years. There were an incredible number of speakers and I participated in a number of high quality sessions. As I sift through my notes, I hope to share some material with you in the coming weeks.
Magic of Stretching is an idea that I came up with after many years of observing tired participants at the ASTD conference. The conference creates a 'Magic of Stretching' spot in a prominent place in the conference center. At designated times each day, I offer a short 10-20 minute stretching session. Typically 20-50 people gather to participate and, as we begin a routine of stretches, passers-by stop and join in. By the end of the 20 minutes, there are often 100 or more people gathered.
The stretches are simple and done in a standing position. They are combination of qi gong and tai chi. Some focus on the neck and shoulders, others exercises balance or energize. And, of course, breathing is emphasized.
Participants leave smiling and energized, with an increased ability to focus and take in information.
Judy Warner
Magic of Stretching is an idea that I came up with after many years of observing tired participants at the ASTD conference. The conference creates a 'Magic of Stretching' spot in a prominent place in the conference center. At designated times each day, I offer a short 10-20 minute stretching session. Typically 20-50 people gather to participate and, as we begin a routine of stretches, passers-by stop and join in. By the end of the 20 minutes, there are often 100 or more people gathered.
The stretches are simple and done in a standing position. They are combination of qi gong and tai chi. Some focus on the neck and shoulders, others exercises balance or energize. And, of course, breathing is emphasized.
Participants leave smiling and energized, with an increased ability to focus and take in information.
Judy Warner
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