That is, our aspirations and inspirations rely heavily on conspiring - so that we are all breathing together. I often describe the work of meditation and mindfulness as a conspiracy, a word that literally means “breathing together.” Meditation might sound like a solitary activity, but it is not, just like answering the call of mindful leadership isn’t a solitary pursuit. After all, in many ways, we are impossible beings. Love welcomes a challenging path, a path that seems impossible. In fact, love is drawn to work that is difficult, even seemingly impossible. These two statements, these vows, are inherently contradictory and impossible. I vow to save them.ĭelusions are inexhaustible. In Buddhist practice, there are two primary vows that express “the call,” or this type of inspiration and aspiration:īeings are numberless. They form a deep intention, an enduring promise or vow, that continues to motivate us even when we complete certain tasks or fail at others. Loving the work is aspirational - our aspirations, the things we yearn for and long for, are our ultimate goals, the aims of a lifetime. From inspiration comes aspiration, which also comes from the word breathe. Love is something that is breathed into us and something that we bring our breath to. The word inspire comes from the Latin inspirare, which means to breathe into. This kind of love emerges from a deep place within and inspires us to risk and reach for what’s most important. It asks us to approach leadership, our work, relationships, and all parts of our lives with the transformative motivation of love. In stories, the hero usually travels to a magical, dreamlike realm, but the calling really represents a transformation in the way you see your role, your purpose, your situation, and the stakes. The hero seeks something of ultimate importance, which means achieving “super human deeds” in the face of real danger (those polymorphous beings and unimaginable torments). The call of adventure is to a forest, a kingdom underground, beneath the waves, or above the sky, a secret island, lofty mountaintop, or profound dream state but it is always a place of strangely fluid and polymorphous beings, unimaginable torments, super human deeds, and impossible delight.Īnswering the call leads to a heightened state of awareness and of purpose. The kind I’m referring to here is much like the first step of the hero’s journey as described by Joseph Campbell, which he names “the calling.” The calling represents a profound shift of attention, a shift in one’s way of being in the world the calling asks us to leave the ordinary and pursue the extraordinary. Love is the ultimate, most powerful motivator when taking action or relating to others, but it is a particularly powerful force when it comes to the practice of becoming more yourself, seeing with more clarity, and not being fooled by the illusions of deficiency or separateness. When we approach it with love, we see what’s important and embrace difficulties as part of the process, as necessities to be overcome. It may involve many contradictions, hindrances, and setbacks. Our task, our “work” in any given moment, may seem difficult or boring. What we love we pay attention to in ways that are palpably unique. “Love the work” is an instruction that is surprisingly practical it can help us to overcome obstacles in many situations. Love is more than an idea and more than a feeling. Love is where body, mind, and heart come together. The work of mindfulness practice begins with love, with deep caring. It is no accident that “love the work” is the first practice of a mindful leader. Book Excerpt, Transformational Leadership Inspire, Aspire, and Conspire From Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen By Marc Lesser
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