In a world of constant change, it is almost inevitable that some events will knock us off balance. This is why learning to recentre and ground ourselves is the first step to becoming antifragile — and Inner Leadership provides a wide range of tools that help us do this quickly.
But even better than recovering quickly is not being knocked off balance in the first place. And we can achieve this when we deepen our connection with ourselves
The relationship we have with ourselves is the most important relationship in our life. It is the only one that lasts our entire lifetime. And it affects the quality of every other relationship we have. This means that when we improve the quality of our relationship with ourselves we also improve all our other relationships. That not only expands the joy we experience but also the results we can achieve.
Like a tree putting down deeper roots, the deeper we build our relationship with ourselves, the less likely we are to be blown over in a storm. And when times are calm, having deeper roots will enable us to spread our ‘branches’ out further into wider challenges and roles.
Inner Leadership recommends four ways that we can achieve this deeper self-connection:
- Exercise
“Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning,” says John Ratey, psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. “Even 10 minutes of activity changes your brain.”
Mind and body are one system. We hold stresses from our minds as tensions in our bodies. So shifting the body is an effective way to shift and free the mind. As one example, Richard Branson says he gets four extra productive hours each day from a range of workouts that include swimming, rock climbing, running, weightlifting, and yoga.
. - Creativity
In a fast-changing world, the ability to innovate is becoming more important for everyone. Innovation is applied creativity, so when we develop our creative ‘muscles’ we strengthen our ability to innovate.
Engaging with the arts is a powerful way to experiment with new ways of seeing the world and new types of solutions. And when you find the creative form that suits you best, you will recharge your own batteries at the same time: now ‘work’ has become play.
. - Meditation
Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, was well known for practising Zen Buddhism. He said, “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” Meditation reconnected him with that inner voice.
Since then, scientists have discovered that meditation and other forms of mindfulness also increase our ability to concentrate and manage our emotions. Gandhi used meditation to bring down an entire empire, non-violently.
All three of these approaches can then be combined with the fourth method, which is:
- Spending Time in Nature
Any form of contact with nature can be beneficial but visits to hills, mountains, or large bodies of water are especially beneficial. The benefits of forest bathing are also well known.
There’s no one ‘right way’ to deepen your connection with yourself. The key is to notice what you feel drawn towards, try it out, and see what happens. Then learn and repeat.
Find what works for you.
How good is the relationship you have with yourself today? Do you criticise yourself for your ‘failures’ or accept your imperfections and support yourself to take the next step in becoming whatever matters most to you? Would you benefit from adding more exercise, creativity, or meditation to your life or from spending more time in nature? When will you begin?
Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in a time of change.
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(And remember: you can’t learn to swim just by reading about swimming, you also have to do the practice.)
Photo By filtran via StockPholio.net