Turning Stress into Inspiration

His career as a physician didn't prepare him for this. As a father he sat quietly in the hospital waiting room, his heart flooded with a storm of fear and pride as he thought about his son.

The boy had faced relentless stomach issues, over the years and endured one medical procedure after another with courage that both inspired and broke his father’s heart. While the unknown loomed large and terrifying, the father marveled at his son’s resilience - the way he smiled despite the pain, the way he trusted the process even when the answers seemed far away. Scared of what the doctors would potentially find, he couldn’t help but swell with pride at the strength and bravery his son showed every single day.

He thought about watching his child suffer; going through testing; waiting for answers; and seeing him miss school but have a smile on his face through all this; he didn’t complain about all the testing, he dealt with it and found room for smiles and gratitude - which reminds us that there is so much to be grateful for.

Although this was a central piece in his son's journey, he continued to do well in school, connect with friends, and provide humor for the family and his little brother.

Parenting can be stressful, but with this experience and other examples, he realized that the sources of stress can also inspire us to be stronger and more resilient.

**This is a real story from someone who may be your friend or sitting beside you. I learned from her and I hope you did as well.

The best leaders prioritize self-care and the well-being of themselves and their employees. Meditation is a powerful form of self-care and reflection.

Here are some meditation ideas shared by the community this past month.

1. Creative outlet for making and producing music! It provides both mental fitness and overall wellness.

2. Taking a 20-30 minute walk in nature with NO PHONE, no music, no emails, no conversation has been a life changer.

3. Sitting and listening to the Bhagavad Gita, is meditation.

4. Blocking a short time in the morning for a short meditation, before doing my movement routine.

5. We don’t have to be in the lotus position to be meditating.

Meditations that I do often:

1. Guided meditations - I visualize goals like being more confident and changing certain beliefs.

2. Reading - fiction and non-fiction.

3. Walk outside whenever I can.

4. Breathing exercises. I do Wim-Hof breathing daily.

5. Writing (for posts or myself)

6. Gratitude - I think about what I am grateful for, try to smile, and plan on bringing it up in some way to others that day.

7. Appreciative of what others are doing for me and the people I care about.

A few minutes of self-care daily can go a long way.

To change careers I needed to learn new skills, be uncomfortable in new rooms, remind myself that I belonged, and invest in knowing myself.

1. I invested time to understand my strengths and weaknesses - coaching was invaluable here.

2. I focused on building a team where we complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.

3. I kept showing up because that is one thing we can all do and control.

4. I have been vulnerable and learned that it’s respected and not something to be ashamed of.

5. I have forgiven myself for not being better yesterday but working on how I can show up today.

6. I have put my health at the top of my priorities (mind, body, emotions.)

7. I have been kinder than I was before because it feels good, it helps others, and it helps set an example for the people who are watching.

8. I can be better, but it’s not being hard on myself; it’s motivating me to learn more today. I’m hungry to win—or another way to say it, I’m hungry to choose happiness and fulfillment, and that takes work.

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