Mindfulness – Page 12

Buddhist Work: Things I Learned About Work from my Tibetan Friends

Mind, Mindfulness, Personal Growth, Spirit, Spirituality

Every year I travel to the North Indian Himalayas to see my Tibetan friends and Buddhist teachers. In that time I have learned a lot of life lessons and a lot of lessons about how to make my work more meaningful. In this post I want to look at a few things my Tibetan friends taught me about work.

Tibet, Buddhism and a happy workplace

Before I get into the lessons I thought I would explain why I feel the Tibetan people have a lot to offer us westerners in terms of work lessons.

Tibet was a Buddhist country where the peaceful religion permeated every single household, shop, farm, school, etc. It has been there for hundreds of years.

Tibet was invaded by the Chinese in 1959 and many took refuge in India. Here they continue to live as practicing Buddhists – their culture still alive and well. And one of the first things you see when you go into a Tibetan owned business is Buddhist imagery. They base their work around their spiritual life and because of this steadfast trust in their spirituality they learn to deal with stress, anger and work pressures in a very different way. These methods are what we are going to look at today.

Lessons I learned about work from my Tibetan friends

With all that in mind here are a few things I learned from my Tibetan friends about making my work a happier and more spiritual place.

1. Compassion for all beings

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – HH the Dalai Lama

The very core and basis of Buddhism is that all beings are suffering and wish to be happy. With this in mind Buddhists take a vow where they promise to serve and protect all sentient beings for as long as they live. This compassion is not biased or choosy – all sentient beings deserve this compassion – even people we meet in the workplace! [Read more…] about Buddhist Work: Things I Learned About Work from my Tibetan Friends

Originally posted on April 7, 2008 @ 1:24 am

Eco-Friendly Office: 10 Small Things You Can Do at Work to Help the Environment

Mindfulness

The environment is struggling. For too long we have taken from the Earth without giving back. The time to sit on our hands is over. In this post I want to look at some very small and simple things you can do at work to help the environment.

Small things you can do at work to help the environment

Small things add up. If 100 people do 100 small things it starts to make a big difference. Please read these tips and then forward them to your friends and co-workers.

Let’s see if we can make a difference. These tips are not hard to implement.

1. Turn off your lights
Lights are the biggest killer of energy in the corporate world. Massive buildings like the Empire State Building have millions of lights and they leave them all on, all night. What a waste.

The simplest thing you can do to help the environment is turn off your lights when you don’t need them. When you go out of the office for lunch or to the toilet turn your lights off. This makes a huge difference.

An average globe uses 60 watts in an hour. If you turn that light off for one hour a day you will save 22,000 watts of energy in a year. If 1000 people do it – we’re making a difference.

2. Switch to compact fluorescent lamps

photo credit: mikefats

These bulbs are the spiral ones as opposed to the traditional round light bulb. Using one of these lasts as long as SIX traditional globes and saves up to 75% of the energy. They cost a bit more off the shelf but save heaps in long term costs. Easy. [Read more…] about Eco-Friendly Office: 10 Small Things You Can Do at Work to Help the Environment

Originally posted on March 31, 2008 @ 12:18 am

How to be More Creative at Work the Homer Simpson Way

Life, Mind, Mindfulness

Homer trying to be creative like Edison

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein

When it comes getting a promotion or a great reputation at work it seems creativity is the most important thing. People who are creative are able to get new clients/contracts or do their work in a way that gets noticed.

In the episode of the Simpsons where Homer decides he wants to be an inventor he gives us some valuable tips on how to be creative. Let’s take a look…

What is creativity?

Before we get into Homer’s lessons it is important to specifically define what creativity is so that we are not confused when we try to achieve it. I quite like the definition from dictionary.com:

“Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.”

It is important to look at a few elements of this definition.

1. Transcend tradition
This is an important element to look at. Quite often at the office or workplace we get stuck in a rut and end up doing things the same way every single time. We are creatures of habit and our work is no different. To be creative we need to transcend this. [Read more…] about How to be More Creative at Work the Homer Simpson Way

Originally posted on March 25, 2008 @ 12:29 am

10 of the Best Things to Do on the Bus When Going to Work

Life, Mindfulness

photo credit: photonooner

Riding the bus used to be my favorite time of the day. I drive a car now due to distance but in the old days I would spend at least an hour on a bus everyday. It was during this time that I got a lot of my deep thinking done. Here are some suggestions for you.

10 of the best things to do on the bus when going to work

1. Sleep
Honestly I feel like I got some of my best sleep ever on the bus. The bumps and the groan of the engine put me to sleep like a little baby. Just wrap your coat or jumper up in a ball and put it between your head and the window. Perfect. Don’t miss your stop though!

2. Make new friends (good looking ones!)
Quite often people on the bus are real ass holes. They sit there and don’t say anything and when they do it is usually an insult. However, when you make the effort to talk to someone you can usually make a good friend. This is especially true if you catch the bus home at the same time everyday.

I’ll give you an example. There was this girl that caught the bus home from University with me everyday at the same time. One day she sat next to me and I decided it would be a good time to talk to her. We hit it off so well and are now really good friends. Recently I saw her waiting at the bus stop with a coffee. I was running late and missed our usual bus and she had waited for me so we could catch the next one together. Now that’s a good friendship – all because of a bus ride.

3. Read philosophy
I used to do most of my buddhist and western philosophy reading on the bus. The reason for this is that the bus has a special “spiritual” quality about it. It is 30 or 40 people packed in together going to a job they hate or back home after a big day at that job. No one really talks. They just travel. I find it quite interesting to read philosophy and ponder the nature of the bus!

However, you don’t want anything too heavy for the bus because it is often hard to focus with all the noise. Some light/short reading is good.

Some books that I would highly recommend for some bus philosophy are:

– The Autobiography of Tibet’s Greatest Yogi; Milarepa
– the Tao de Ching
– Old Path White Clouds
– The Miracle of Mindfulness
– The Art of Happiness
– The Monk and the Philosopher

4. Meditate
If you have an hour on the bus where you have nothing to do you may as well get started on your daily meditation.

Meditation is the best way to relax yourself, develop intelligence and increase your happiness. It will help you deal with the stresses of work and at the end of the day it will help you wind down after that stressful day.

The best meditation for the bus is one where you focus on the breath. All you do is sit up straight and place your hands on your knees. Keep your eyes slightly open and slightly downward. Start to become aware of the breath coming in and out of your nose. Don’t try to slow it down, just notice it. Start counting each round of breath. A round is one inhale and one exhale. Count to ten and then start again. A buddhist master once also told me that this can fix some minor health problems.

5. Read the newspaper
Something else that is worthwhile doing is grabbing a paper and catching up on what has been happening in the world overnight. I used to grab my paper at lunch time and then read it on the bus on the way home. If there has been any important news like a terror attack you might be a few hours behind but usually it is okay.

6. Listen to podcasts
There are plenty of good podcasts that can help you in your daily life. You can listen to them on the bus so that you are ready and excited about the day ahead. We are going to start doing some work related podcasts soon here at The Daily Mind. Subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss out when they are released.

7. Study
In university I did all my reading on the bus. I hardly ever did homework at home, it was always done on the bus on the way to the class. Not the smartest idea but it worked for me. Try to plan ahead what you are going to read and get started on it right away so you don’t waste any time.

8. Look out the window
There is something very relaxing about watching people go by outside the bus window. You get to see so much of your city and things are always changing and taking on different shapes. Sometimes looking out the window is also a good idea for people who get car sick as it is supposed to prevent you feeling like you are in a moving vehicle.

9. Do nothing
One of the hardest things to do for us westerners is “nothing”. I am not talking about being lazy or being asleep. I am talking about taking time to do nothing. Fixed time for nothing is very important and is a wonderful way to de-stress, slow down and increases your happiness. A day set aside for doing “nothing” is not a day wasted.

10. Write your goals for the day
Something we talk about a lot here at The Daily Mind is writing down your goals. Once you write down a goal and give it a timeline it becomes something we can achieve. Doing it on the bus is a great way to set the tone and mood for your day.

Conclusion
The great thing about doing things on the bus is that it feel like you are getting time for free as you are doing something on the way to work. Its almost like someone is driving you to work while you do something more important. Make good use of the time.

Originally posted on March 22, 2008 @ 1:11 am

The Dalai Lama: What Can He Show You About Peace at Work?

Mind, Mindfulness

The Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has done more for peace on Earth than just about anyone in recent history. He has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his total commitment to non-violently resisting the Chinese invasion of his country. He has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor as well as receiving countless honorary university degrees for working towards peace. His message has touched millions of people around the world.

The Dalai Lama and Tibet have been in the media again this week due to the riots taking place in the lead up to the Chinese Olympics. With this in mind I thought we might take a look at some of the Dalai Lama’s teachings and apply them to our work lives.

What the Dalai Lama can show you about peace at work

1. Working towards happiness

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – the Dalai Lama

We all want to be happy at work. We all want to work in an environment where we feel at peace with the work and the people. But a situation like this does not just arise out of thin air. We have to work towards it. It is unreasonable to expect everyone around us to be happy and joyful as if we are living in some god realm. Instead we have to work towards happiness by being a living example for others to follow.

How can we have peace at work if our own actions are not peaceful?

2. Kindness

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – The Dalai Lama

This quote is very important. Kindness is always possible. Even when we feel like we have been wronged and hard done by we have room to be kind. The Dalai Lama had his country stolen from him and his people murdered but he still continues to promote peace and non violence. Surely we can take a lesson from this and solve our petty work disputes with kindness?

3. Being helpful

“If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them” – the Dalai Lama

Quite often at work we are placed in a team where we have to get things done together. Despite this team environment we develop a spirit of competition and one-ups-man-ship where we try to get the promotion or praise ahead of our workmates.

Instead the Dalai Lama often talks about helping others instead of helping yourself. By doing this you will achieve a sense of self satisfaction as well as making someone else feel happy. This leaves both yourself and others feeling a sense of peace. This is especially true if others start to follow your lead.

4. Mindful words

“Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.” – the Dalai Lama

Our speech can do a lot of good or a lot of harm. This quote looks at how we need to measure what we say and be very mindful of when we say it. A comment made at the wrong time can hurt someone’s feelings and cause them to develop resentment towards you or your work team. On the other hand, praise can really encourage someone to become a better worker and cause them to develop trust and kind feelings towards you.

Originally posted on March 20, 2008 @ 5:22 am

Avoiding Distraction: 10 Ways to Stay Focused at Work

Life, Mind, Mindfulness

I write this article sitting in a busy internet cafe. I am struggling to stay focused with all the distractions going on around me. Television blaring, music on the radio, beautiful women and all the distractions (Facebook) that are on the net itself.

So how can we avoid distraction and stay focused at work?

10 Ways to stay focused at work

1. Develop a firm resolve
The first thing you need to do is take a few moments to develop a firm conviction that what you are doing needs to be done and you cannot waste any time. I tend to waste the most time when I have nothing particularly pressing due so I feel like I can do it later. Develop a firm resolve that you need to work now.

2. Break the procrastination habit
Leading on from number one you need to fight the habit you have built up over the years to let your mind tell you it is okay to do it later. Sometimes we complain that we are distracted but in actual fact we are just procrastinating. Make sure you know the difference.

3. Set a goal
Each day you should set yourself several goals. A goal does not just have to be something that takes years to achieve – a goal is any ambition that you set to a timeline. If you want to get a work report done by the end of the day you need to set yourself that goal and write it down on paper. Written down goals are somehow more powerful.

4. Be strong
When a stunning woman walks past it is easy to do what everyone else does and stare. However, who does that really help? It doesn’t help you get your work done. It doesn’t satisfy your sexual urges (it makes them worse!) so it would just be better not to look up. Remind yourself that you are in control of your mind and be strong.

5. Be a rock, not a tree
I once heard someone describe an influencial political leader like this:

“Mr. X is not a tree. He is a rock. He doesn’t get blown around by the wind.”

It is important to understand the wisdom of this. It is important for you not to get blown around by all the external events that are taking place all the time. This goes for work, love, happiness, etc. If you allow the things outside of your mind to take hold of you it will not be long before you have lost control of your life. Be like the rock.

6. Relax
Sometimes when we are too tight and stressed we find it difficult to achieve any sort of focus. When your mind is tight it will be taken away by anything that enters the senses. For this reason it is important to stay loose and relaxed. When we are relaxed we are more able to work with our mind. Our thoughts will be clearer and we will have more control over them.

7. Disconnect the internet
If you really need to get some work done it is often a good idea to turn off the internet for an hour or so. Make sure you have everything you need and then just switch it off for a specific amount of time. When we have distractions easily available to is we will often fall victim to them. Identify what distracts you and then get rid of it if you start to feel tempted.

8. Avoid the coffee
Coffee makes us jittery and anxious. It is very hard to stay focussed when you have had a few cups of coffee as your body will simply not let your mind sit still for two seconds. If you need to drink while you are trying to stay concentrated it is better to drink green tea, water, milk or something that has a relaxing effect.

However, sleepiness can also be a distraction in which case you should check out the tips in this post on waking yourself up at work.

9. Close the door
One of the most simple yet powerful things you can do is simply close the door. People will not feel as obliged to “stop by” if the door is closed. Of course those that intended to come and see you will still do so, but this who are just walking past will not stop in. Don’t always have it closed, however, as this will dilute the potency of the message. I keep my door closed only when I am actively working.

10. Find a deep motivation
When I was in India I learned the importance of having a correct motivation. The old buddhist master used to say that when you have a correct motivation you will be more able to accomplish tasks in a meaningful way and you will be less likely to lose your way because the motivation really means something.

The best motivation you can develop is one that is focussed on helping others. If you apply this motivation to whatever you do your life will work out and become a very meaningful journey.

“As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.” – His Holiness the Dalai Lama

top image: photo credit: DeusXFlorida

Originally posted on March 19, 2008 @ 5:31 am