‘Do nothing – perfectly’.
That was an instruction at a recent Satipatthana
meditation course I attended recently.
8 days of sitting on a mediation cushion,
doing nothing but observing one’s sensations with equanimity.
To ‘do nothing – perfectly’ takes some doing.
It's hard work.
Your mind starts wandering, flicking between
memory and hope. Rather than staying
aware with non-judgement, you find yourself evaluating and assessing each sensation
rising and falling – like, don’t like, hate, bored. You
engage those faithful strategies of positive self talk, to keep motivated and
focused, but all they do is distract you from the real work of learning to be
in the present.
On the meditation cushion, as in life, we will
do anything to do something, rather than nothing. Jon
Kabat-Zinn, who has been fundamental in bringing mindfulness to the West so
beautifully plays on a familiar action slogan, to say “don’t just do something,
sit there”.
Learning
to notice ourselves, to be aware, equanimous and self-compassionate in our
meditation, helps us in our daily life. Particularly
in those times when we are in the grip of a conversation, in the daily rush and
juggle or when faced with a pressing issue, and come up against our familiar
triggers, ever-present wanting and old fears. If in those times, we can ‘do nothing –
perfectly’, even for a split second, we can find new ways forward.
As
a partner, as a friend, to ‘do nothing-perfectly’ can be the ultimate in
acceptance. Other times it simply gives each other space, time and energy to see
things differently.
As
a coach, to ‘do nothing- perfectly’ can be just the thing to create the necessary
shift within the coaching relationship to help the coachee move deeper into self-awareness
and resourcefulness.
As a leader, to learn to ‘do nothing –
perfectly’ helps us to lead in this VUCA world of volatility, uncertainty,
complexity and ambiguity. If we can
viscerally experience sitting in this zone, and be able to suspend judgement
and remain open and curious on the mediation cushion, we have a better chance
of doing it in the workplace. It may
mean we get skilful at being wholly and utterly in the
presence of our direct report, giving
them our full attention. It may mean being
more comfortable in encouraging silence as a collective, in a busy team meeting. It may
be about being more courageous to stand back from your own agenda, to reconnect
with a deeper wisdom.
Indeed, what leadership actions and political
decisions would have benefited in these last few weeks, if not ever from taking
up Lao-Tzu’s challenge..
Do
you have the patience to wait
Till
your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can
you remain unmoving
Till
the right action arises by itself?
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