Did you know it is possible to improve your life even while living in such a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world – the famous VUCA (an acronym for the English words Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity e Ambiguity)? Yes, despite all the uncertainties, insecurities, and lack of stability, it is possible to have a more peaceful, calm, and harmonious life, and you can achieve all of this through Mindfulness – one of the natural states of the mind.
Positive psychology was created in the late 1990s by Professor Martin Seligman, founder of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. Instead of focusing on patients' illnesses and other problems, Seligman began investigating health protocols and constructs of happiness, giving momentum to other studies on similar topics.
Thousands of studies on optimism, positivity, gratitude, and emotional intelligence, among others, then emerged. And science began to prove how these tools—such as meditation—can improve our lives, reduce anxiety and stress, increase our quality of life, and bring benefits such as creativity, resilience, and productivity.
One of the studies worthy of mention was promoted by scientists at the University of Wisconsin, also in the United States, who studied the brain of the French Tibetan Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard. The researchers proved that meditation had changed parts of the monk's brain, making him much more content, less attached to toxic emotions, among other benefits. And he received the title of “happiest man in the world.”.
Right now you must be thinking: “he is a monk, so far removed from my reality!” Is meditation really a practice for everyone? The answer is: definitely yes! The practice is for everyone, there are no mysteries, just practice.
In companies and the corporate world, does the practice help as well? Of course it does! Here it is worth mentioning another interesting case: the story of computer engineer Chade Meng-Tan, who brought the Mindfulness for Google.
Meng created the “Search Inside Yourself” (search inside yourself) as an internal training for Google employees, but it worked so well that, in 2012, due to high demand from external organizations, the program was spun off to become an independent, non-profit educational institute called the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI), in addition to becoming a bestseller.
But why did a computer engineer decide to practice and take the Mindfulness to the corporate world? According to Chade-Meng Tan, “happiness generates success, and not the other way around.”.
O Search Inside Yourself won over several leaders who realized that the state of mindfulness improves productivity and, consequently, financial results. When I took the SIY classes, I also confirmed that several Heads and CEOs were seeking a new state of mindful awareness, even if they were still quite unsure of what that would look like in practice.
Well, if after all this text you still think it is something distant from your life, I can guarantee that mindfulness it brings many benefits. I have been practicing meditation for 12 years and I notice that I feel much calmer, more secure, confident, and optimistic.
I have a degree in business administration from FGV-EAESP and used to work in marketing, dealing with stress and anxiety on a daily basis. That was when I decided to start practicing meditation until I noticed the results and understood that all of us can meditate.
Constant practice is necessary, and not just reading about the subject. Mindfulness is quite simple and innate; it is breathing consciously and attentively. But it needs to be done with dedication.
Renata Rivetti She is a Mindfulness instructor certified by MTi (Mindfulness Trainings International) and the founder and director of Reconnect | Happiness At Work.
SOURCE:
CIPA & FIRE
