Beating the Odds
With the first of the year came the annual calls to “be healthier” – lose a few unwanted pounds, exercise 20 minutes a day, or 60, three times a week, or six, eat more of this food and less of that food. Whether or not you subscribe to New Year’s resolutions, I do agree that January is a natural, fresh starting point. The act of committing to self-improvement can be empowering and that, in itself, serves as a springboard. The hard part lies in the journey toward meeting our mark because it requires something from us that is too often in short supply – energy.
For the last 3 years I have been exploring the role personal energy plays in our lives and specifically its role in leadership. It is clear to me that our perspective on where our energy comes from needs to change. When we take care of our whole self – the soul, the mind and the body –we can make the changes that will bring us true satisfaction in work and play.
The order — soul, mind, and body — is key. We use this progressive model in our Lead with Energy initiative, and have found our clients resonate with this new perspective. The starting point for goal setting or sustained behavior change lies in digging deeper to connect with what brings us joy, opens our awareness to what drives us, and allows us to practice self-compassion. With that in hand we can make choices that reflect who we truly are and where we want to go in life and business.
In recent years scientific studies support our experience. S. J. Lopez has collected a number of studies on the science of hope. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2013.800903#preview
There has also been significant data collected on the hope-productivity link. Likewise studies on meditation as a tool to control attention, regulate emotion, and increase self-awareness show increasing evidence in promoting healthy living. http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/110112
Our personal energy sources have the potential to be a well of inspiration and strength when we focus on the health of the whole self. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to learn more about our Leading with Energy initiative.