Bringing heart into business

There are times when important decisions need to be made that you find yourself at an impasse. All the research has been conducted, all the interviews completed, all the mastermind sessions distilled and applied and you left with the ultimate choice. Which option do you believe will take your project or company in the best possible direction?  

Ask any CEO, entrepreneur or change maker and they will say the same thing. When push comes to shove and action is required, it often comes down to a feeling. Some may call it their gut, others might tag it as instinct but the message is clear. To make balanced and integrated choices, both the intellect and the deeper sense of knowing must be in alignment. 

Living from the heart

In mindfulness land, this state of deeper knowing is called living from the heart. Not to be confused with the emotional center of our body associated with things like falling in love or being head over heels, living from the heart is the process of being tapped into our best selves so we act in alignment with our values. 

But how do we get there from a world where intellectualism and logic are the lingua franca?  

Sure, in the upper echelons of power, qualitative words like gut and instinct may be tolerated, but when in the fish bowl of KPIs, bidding wars, and trade shows, establishing credibility is paramount…and that leaves the language and action of intuition at a serious disadvantage. 

Thankfully, establishing a mindfulness practice can be the translator needed to weave heart into the heady realm of business and make decisions that reflect your values. 

In mindfulness, life is experienced as interconnected and simultaneously occurring. You can be both happy and sad. You can like and not like someone. Experience pain and relief concurrently.  

Through the process of consciously observing mechanisms like the breath or sensations in the body, mindfulness reveals a wisdom deeper than fleeting thoughts, emotions and feelings. It invites us to watch our bodies and minds churn through endless sensations that are constantly in flux.  

And it begs the question, “Who is this intelligence that watches all these crazy ups and downs?” 

This is where we touch the heart. This is how we start to connect with that innate knowing in all of us, that core that lets us know when we are making good decisions or ones that come up short of who we strive to be.  

Be curious

The world of business is fast, rough, and can leave you wondering where you lost yourself along the way to success. Bringing your values back into play can be as simple as watching your natural breath flow in and out for one minute per day while sitting at your desk waiting for a call. Accessing the space of deep knowing is literally at your fingertips.  

You might also like: A moment of silence to boost your mental resources 

The key is to be curious, much like a child would explore a new backyard. And be persistent. Bringing heart into business requires only your willingness to encounter who you truly are beneath all the data and noise.  

Because Time Matters...