I Meditate To Be A Better Leader, Uncle, and Son

An account of the game-changing benefits of meditaiton

October 24th, 2018

Wake up, grab your phone, check email/social media/missed calls and texts from the night before, snooze your alarm, and dread getting out of bed.

Get ready for work, get in the car, is there a meeting I am missing right now? Shoot- I forgot to send that meeting notes recap from yesterday.

Park your car, walk into work- staring at the endless amount of distractions around you, I don’t even remember the drive in.

Sound familiar? Of course it does. This is your life day in and day out when you don’t take a few seconds to be in the present moment. Admittedly, this was me roughly two years ago. Walking from meeting to meeting, always feeling behind, and worrying about how I would get all of my tasks done. I was a new leader so there was this overwhelming feeling of needing to learn a new business area, no longer getting fulfillment in being a “doer” but finding that in growing and developing people. I wouldn’t admit it at the time, but it was a little scary and stressful.

What did I do? I turned to something I had only surface-level knowledge on and to be honest, was skeptical about – meditation. Little did I know, this tool and practice would be a complete game-changer in many facets of my life.

I began by using a popular mobile app, Headspace, and found some relaxing benefits to it. While I did enjoy the quiet relaxation, I was finding it difficult to focus being surrounded by so many distractions. 30 days later, the free trial ended and I found myself not getting as much value with the new price tag associated. So I was stuck again.

March 6th, 2017 – I received an email from a company called MeditationWorks asking me to be a part of a pilot group that would participate in an eight-week meditation program, meditating twice per week, 10 minutes each session. Again, I was skeptical, but it seemed like fate as I just finished the mobile app trial and needed a 10-minute break to take some time for myself. I am forever grateful I received this email.

The first session was not what I expected at all – I didn’t have to sit cross-legged, I wasn’t pressured to completely clear my mind, and I found there really was no right or wrong way to meditate. It was simply a calming environment with comfortable seats, calming music, and a guide instructing me to focus on my breath. After the session, I felt relaxed and couldn’t wait to come back.

Fast forward a few weeks and I noticed I was sleeping better. Six weeks, the guy that cut me off on the highway didn’t bother me like it used to. Two months, fellow team members, friends, and family are noticing that I seem less stressed. It’s a journey and a practice, similar to playing basketball or any sport. The more consistent you are, the more impact meditation and mindfulness can have.

I am a better leader, uncle, brother, son, and overall person due to realizing that my overall well-being had more components than just physical health, and that mental and emotional health need to be equal pillars of priority.

Wake up, feel relaxed, your mind is clear, and body rested.
Get ready for work, get in the car, take three deep breaths.
Park your car, take in the sights around you, and enjoy the present moment.

I hope this begins to sound familiar.