An introduction
This is the intro to a series of short reads on practices we can develop to foster habits of mind and a useful mindset, one that can both exist alongside and amplify the ones that already serve us. My goal is to provide a means to grow and enhance our patterns of attention, and make the world a better place by doing so. Leaders of all kinds, from all human enterprise settings and to the classroom and more, are society’s mindset teachers and pacesetters, so this series is for us all, as persons and as professionals.
First a big idea for context-setting. In the macro sense, we all long for something new and better that wants to take shape in the world, a way of being together in a diverse but less troubled social order that we know is possible even though it lies beyond our current social imagination. We know that something waits to be born and that we all are somehow responsible for helping it come about. If something new is birthing, then something old has to die. Accordingly, we live in a tumultuous time of cultural death-rebirth, and we need to continue to strap in, readying ourselves for this long ride over rough waters, and accepting our responsibility for future generations.
At the core of our strapping in is possessing robust personal and working mindsets and lenses for the short and the long haul: for the present moments, and the decisions we make that aggregate into the future our grand kids inherit.
With big scale change events in mind, and for every scale big and small, we start with the person in the mirror, with all the persons in all the mirrors. This is where cultural rebirth always begins, in our hearts and minds. I offer the practices to all of us since we all have mirrors. I hope the practices can become helpful habits of mind and heart that enhance the stances we take, the dispositions we display. I am convinced they can if we want them to. We start each practice with a discussion, then the actionable parts. Some practices have an accompanying poem or haiku by my friend and poet, Artie Isaac (artieisaac.com), or by my fried Fred Anderle, or by mindfulness teacher Juan Alvarez. Poems take us where prose cannot. There are a few well-known practices, most are not, and a few are repeated. Read them slowly, then read them again. Then practice and some, maybe many of them, can stick with you.
My intent is to make a positive difference for you, one you will notice. If you save these ten blog posts they make up a small book. Sometime during these next 20 weeks I should make available a PDF you can download too.
Below is the list of the 10 practices. The titles offer a bit of a clue as to what they may contain:
- Mindful Mind over Thinking Mind
- Witness over Will
- Extend Beyond Yourself
- Letting Go of Our Inner Editor
- Going Humble and Grateful
- Accepting over Getting
- Grow the Love: Accentuate the Kind
- Be the Water
- Release the Future
- Step Back: Find Essence
About me (johnpaulschuster.com).
I am a fortunate man, 74 yr. old father, grandpa, husband, friend, living in Columbus Ohio and Parker CO. I built a leadership development/positive work cultures business with my wife and friends for over 40 years. I wrote some books. I taught executive coaching and the Hudson Institute of Coaching and Columbia University and have clients today. Raised Catholic and an appreciator of all the wisdom traditions—east and west–I have masters degrees in literature and psychology. I pay attention to my own awareness of human affairs, of the sacred, and of the depth around us at any and all moments. I play guitar and sing, hit tennis balls and occasional pickle balls and grow vegetables when I can.
The Link for practice 1 will show up soon.