| I often write about personal growth and leadership | | | | something more than our minds. It's the |
| themes from a philosophical point of view, so I | | | | acknowledgment that we participate in a higher order |
| thought it might be instructive to describe some of | | | | than our thinking minds can conceive of. We |
| their underpinnings, as they clearly reflect life viewed | | | | participate in a mystery, and by opening to it - by |
| through a very particular lens. To frame it as broadly | | | | stilling the mind (the obstacle of thinking that |
| as possible in the language of my own thinking, what | | | | assumes we have all the answers) - we discover the |
| shines through most clearly is decidedly of Eastern | | | | keys to successfully navigate life. |
| hue. | | | | An example. My husband and I disagree on how to |
| The difference between East and West is primarily | | | | replace a fixture. I think he is ignoring my |
| one of emphasis. Since I've set up a polarity here, let | | | | contribution, wanting to control everything. He |
| me elaborate on it. East vs West. Yielding vs. control. | | | | believes I'm opposing him, that I want to have things |
| Being vs. doing. Having vs. getting. Process vs. goal. | | | | my way. After we both quiet down, I discover that |
| Bodymindspirit as one vs. body and mind and spirit as | | | | he actually misunderstood what I was saying, and he |
| separate. It's simplistic, but a useful way to begin a | | | | discovers that he was reacting to feeling that I was |
| dialog, since setting up polarities at all is germane, | | | | denigrating his point of view. The dilemma had |
| another radically distinguishing feature between east | | | | nothing to do with repairing the fixture of course! |
| and west. | | | | Sound familiar? Too easy? Here's another one. |
| The emphasis in western thinking is in seeing the | | | | I have a client who is an employee in a large |
| world in terms of either/ or, black or white, rather | | | | corporation. In charge of recruiting and mentoring |
| than seeing things from a both / and point of view. | | | | new hires on a leadership track within the company, |
| We like to make distinctions, to distinguish one thing | | | | he has come to discover basic dysfunctions in the |
| from another. It's a basic function of thinking and a | | | | way information is disseminated, meetings are run |
| useful tool to create order out of chaos. But what | | | | and communications handled. From what I hear, he's |
| happens when two people - or even you within | | | | right. What he's also discovering however, is that |
| yourself - see the same facts from different points | | | | being right plus a quarter still won't buy him a cup of |
| of view? It's a dilemma: one has to be right and the | | | | coffee, i.e. when he shares his insights (read: opposes |
| other wrong, right? We get in this rut all the time. | | | | people's ways of doing things) he meets with |
| Which is it? How to decide? Control, judgment, blame | | | | resistance. But when he gets underneath his polarized |
| and all manner of internal and external conflict arise. | | | | thinking, he is able to identify what's concretely |
| This dilemma is precisely what eastern thinking | | | | playing out in front of him, i.e. what is specifically not |
| addresses. Is there (just) One Truth? In the Yoga | | | | working. It's an opening. Everyone agrees, "that's not |
| Sutras, the first record of yoga philosophy, the goal | | | | working." Into this agreement he can offer a |
| of yoga, surprisingly, is the "cessation of the thought | | | | suggestion. Voila! The seeming "opposition" - "my way |
| waves of the mind." Essentially it teaches that when | | | | or your way" - dissolves into "Oh, that makes sense! |
| we learn to witness the mind - which by its nature | | | | Good idea!" |
| thinks, computer-like, in polarities - we discover that | | | | Success is about being effective. One key to being |
| we have over-identified mind as being the sum total | | | | effective is the willingness to be quiet enough to |
| of who we are at a given moment. Yoga literally | | | | listen and to discover the essential common ground |
| means to unite, or "to yoke" two things together. If | | | | that lies beneath the surface of seemingly opposing |
| you discover yourself on the horns of a dilemma, be | | | | positions, whether within yourself, or with others. |
| assured that if you get quiet enough, you will find | | | | ACTION: Select a current dilemma you're faced with. |
| that underneath the dilemma lies a single truth, a | | | | It can be a disagreement with someone or |
| deeper truth that includes "both sides." | | | | wondering what you want for the next phase in your |
| Einstein is often quoted as having said that that it's | | | | life. Assume all sides are "right," or true. Ask yourself, |
| not possible to resolve a problem at the same level | | | | "What would have to be true for me to see that |
| of thinking that created it. In fact, when the mind is | | | | each of us is right, or all sides of this are true?" Or, |
| at peace - in nature, upon awakening, in moments of | | | | "Given that both of us is right, what one thing can |
| creativity - we discover "answers" that we never | | | | we agree on that would make a difference?" Or, |
| could have "thought" of! This points to an essentially | | | | "What else must be true for all these seemingly |
| spiritual outlook, the recognition that we are | | | | opposing ways I feel about to be equally true? |