Leading by Adventure - 032 - Reflection on the breeze

Take space and time for your mind to ‘listen’ to what is going on around it – Arrange time, location, and environment for your mind to wander afresh

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Why take this challenge?

Time in reflection helps reduce stress and anxiety

Greater efficiency in thinking and creativity

Reflection helps build resolve and the ability to focus

Graphic image reflecting different pathways to take the adventure

Pascal said that all the evils we experience arise from human inability to sit quietly in a room. We all need time and space to simply think, to process, to understand.

To remove ourselves from pressures and distractions, and allow our minds to stretch back into their normal shape. Time to reflect, to dream, to imagine, to aspire. Space for for reflection and for new ideas and insights to emerge and intersect with our routine.

So where do you like to do this? Chances are that it will be somewhere that gently stimulates your senses. With comfort, beauty, harmony, resonance. It may involve water, or walking, or music. It may involve scents, or tastes, even massage or stretching.

But what might be the impact of changing some of these things? Taking time for yourself at work to deliberately structure a period of reflection, with the time and space to see its impact on your recall, insight and creativity. Putting on some music of an unusual tempo. Smelling a rose, or burning a joss stick. Savouring something you particularly like the taste of. Getting comfortable or stretching artistically?

Doing something that clearly signals to you and your brain that you have the time, and the space, and the openness to whatever might emerge.

+ Green track - taking it in your stride

Just a bit of reflection to try out

The green track this week is to find somewhere where you won’t be interrupted, and to take 10 minutes for yourself in reflection and see what comes up.

Prepare for it beforehand, select some music, or sounds, or drumming. Pick a slide show of inspiring pictures. Use some aromatherapy scents, or immerse yourself in the smell of the back of your hand.

Then set the time aside, position pen and paper ready, immerse your sense(s) in the experience you have created for them and see what reflections come up for you.

+ Blue track - a bit of a workout (click to open)

Making reflection regular

If the green track worked for you. Consider setting aside a regular reflection time where you create an environment with sounds, scents, visuals, whatever and immerse yourself in it with a pen and paper. Allocate a regular time for yourself, alone, to be still, and to allow your conscious mind to go where it needs, and to stretch out its kinks.

Try changing the nature of things – perhaps select quiet reflective music or epic adventure instrumentals, and see what sort of influence this has on your peace, your creativity and your reflection. Experiment, and see what works for you and what does not.

+ Red track - stepping up to bat (click to open)

Trying reflection with your team

Too often, gathering together is all about talking. Sometimes the compulsion to talk drowns out the listening. But what if we made some of the time we meet all about listening? A communal reflection time for allowing our individual minds and awareness to stretch out, together.

Mother Theresa was once asked what she spoke to God about in her prayers. ‘I just listen’ she responded. ‘Oh’ came the response ‘so what does He talk about to you?’ ‘He just listens’ came the reply.

There is a profound quality in listening to another listening, which is captured in the phrase ‘deep calling out to deep’. Not everything requires words. Sometimes our deepest insights into each other come from silence. Do you think your team may be up to trying this?

You may find the following resources helpful in tackling your challenge or in gaining further benefits from the skills and insights you develop

Epic theme music – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eyZH9TefM8
Reflective piano instrumental music – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIm8KtWE_Uw
Relaxing video images – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHACKCNDMW8
Guide to relaxing smells – https://homesick.com/blogs/news/14-calming-scents-to-help-you-unwind

To catch up on past adventures you may have missed, feel free to browse our Adventures Library

Let us know how you get on.
Share your experience, your insights and your observation using the comments section at the bottom of the Linkedin post.

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Useful links:

Introduction to Leading by Adventure  |  What we mean by spirituality?  |  Why Adventure
Adventures to date   |  I did it, but it didn’t work very well   |  How do I know if it is working
Bringing this thinking into your meetings   |  Adventure & Mental Health
Leading by Adventure community   |  Explore Strategic Support options

Why take this challenge?

+ Green track - taking it in your stride

+ Blue track - a bit of a workout (click to open)

+ Red track - stepping up to bat (click to open)

Useful links:

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