In a world of constant change, it is hardly surprising if events sometimes knock us off balance. So learning to centre and ground ourselves is the first step to becoming antifragile. And Inner Leadership provides a set of tools that enable us to do this quickly.
But even better than being able to recover quickly is learning not to be knocked off-balance in the first place. And we can achieve this when we deepen our awareness of and connection with ourselves.
The relationship we have with ourself 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 the relationship we have with ourselves we also improve all our other relationships. And that not only expands the results we can achieve but also the joy we feel as we are doing so.
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, the further we can spread our ‘branches’ out into bigger challenges and roles.
So how can we achieve this deeper self-connection? Inner Leadership recommends four ways:
- 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 including 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 also 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 choose the right creative form for you, you will also recharge your batteries.
. - 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.
Scientists have since shown that meditation and other forms of mindfulness also increase our ability to concentrate and manage our emotions. And Gandhi used meditation to bring down an 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 or large bodies of water are especially beneficial. And the benefits of ‘forest bathing‘ are also well known.
There’s no ‘one right way’ of deepening your connection with yourself. The key is to notice what you feel drawn towards, try it out, 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 creating what is most important 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 try that out?
Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and tools for building inspiration in times 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.)
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