Life Works

Counting Your Blessings

2009-11-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, in a break from 18-hour days filled with consulting, teaching yoga, doing a little day job to make ends meet, and pitching new business, I posted to friends a list of things I've been grateful to discover (or rediscover) as a result of the downturn. Largely in response to the decline in incoming funds, what has increased in the past year is my sense of resourcefulness, my sense of priorities, and my ability to see beauty in the simplest moment. Although it really felt great to write the list for my own benefit, I hesitated to post it. Truth be told, the worry that people might judge me for my struggles crossed my mind more than once.

But of course, life being the generous experience it is, this small act of transparency brought blessings back to me many times over. Friends from around the world emailed and even called to say how much the gratitude list brightened their days. Others posted their own sources of gratitude, ranging from the smallest to the most impactful. My most fashionista friend confessed enjoying scouring sale racks in her drive to maintain her carefully-tended image. Another friend from childhood shared her delight in rediscovering the local free paper as a source for finding great FREE cultural events. Friends in London whose work situation forced them to share an apartment with another professional couple expressed gratitude for the deepening in their friendship and sense of community with this other couple.

All that in perspective, here's my little list:

Cortados (Latin lattes probably made with Cafe Bustelo) from little corner bodegas for $1.25.

Rockstar haircuts from Chinatown for $25.

Levi's AWESOME skinny jeans.

Selling stock to make ends meet during a lean spot did not kill me - and recognizing the blessing in having stock to sell!

Dry cleaning bags cut into squares make great doggy-curb plastics.

Threading instead of waxing saves a LOT of money.

Happy hour with friends at home is a lot more relaxing.

QiGong from the little underground places is AMAZING and 1/3 the price of a spa massage.

I can still paint my own toenails.

Making birthday gifts always was and is still more fun.

I don't miss frivolous shopping at all.

Consignment shops in NYC are full of AMAZING stuff.

Coconut oil is a FABULOUS deep conditioner.

Theme parties beat lounges hands down.

I have more music already than I could ever listen to in a year.

My doggy likes broccoli more than doggy treats.

This meditation/yoga stuff really works on managing stress and keeping peace of mind.

Hot rollers instead of salon blowouts.

A puppy who insists we start and end each day with a session of playtime.

Right after posting the list I realized the holiday season is about to kick off with Thanksgiving just next week. While I always love how the holidays give us a reason to draw together, I am already feeling a tender respect for all that I, my friends, and my family have been through in the past year or so. Health, employment, living situations, relationships - just thinking about it inspires a sense of quietness and appreciation. While that list above could go on indefinitely, the thing I'm really happy about is recognizing how full and beautiful my life is at any given moment, and how much grace we all experience in authentically sharing our lives with each other.

Be well,

Tevis

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Meditating Major

2009-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

A few weeks ago, I headed up to Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York to lead a retreat. Always a bit giddy whenever I go up to these places - the notion of being closer to nature, having time for reflection, delicious food, stimulating conversations and cultural activities, and being surrounded by people also driven to retreat - I know I am always in for a really rich and rewarding time.

This particular retreat week, as is often the case, one night there was a musical performance up in the meditation sanctuary. Since the event was planned in such a somber, still place, I was anticipating that kind of music - reflective, slow. But when these guys started to play - wow. The entire room exploded into swaying, then jumping, dancing and clapping. Everyone was grinning ear to ear, nodding in time.

One particularly smiley face caught my eye. At first glance her groundedness and clean grooming had me thinking she might be at Omega for one of the yoga teacher trainings being offered. I later came to know her as Major Francine Iazzetta of the United States Marine Corps Reserve, just back from Afghanistan. While there, she had read a book by the founder of Omega and felt inspired to take a few days away from it all for herself.

I've been reflecting so much about Fran both because of the tragic events at Ft. Hood and because I promised I would blog about her and what she had to say about the power of meditation. For one thing, she had the "smilingest" energy I have encountered in a very, very long time. For another thing, she told me she had completed two tours and requested yet another tour in Afghanistan but had been denied. Why? She said "the closeness and realness of being on deployment is a level of connection that you simply can't fathom having anywhere else."

Which is where the power of retreat comes in. Fran then told me that of all the great experiences she had in her week of R&R at Omega, what had blown her mind the most was learning to meditate. Fran had just wandered into the morning practice one morning and had made a point to go to EVERY subsequent practice for the remainder of her stay.

Incredulous at how much the practice has to offer, in her words, "WHO KNEW!!!!??? It's like giving a deposit of 2 cents and getting two dollars back in awareness, peace of mind and feeling connected!!!" .” When I confessed having done a stint in the US Army Reserves during college she said that this closeness she's experienced defies branch of service, nationality, or any other identity - it is a togetherness that melts boundaries.

Considering the discipline of her profession, I have no doubt Fran is somewhere on the planet meditating each day. When I asked her if she was planning on teaching others, she said, "I want them to sense how different my energy is, then I'll start to share it with them."

There is a notion amongst those who meditate that we meditate not only for ourselves, but to introduce a different energy wherever we go. Fran tapped into that notion instinctively. Thinking about how many turbulent environments you navigate on any given day, cultivating a practice is your best bet for creating a shift for yourself and potentially for those you interact with. Being the change literally begins with changing your being - there's just no two ways about it.

So take a moment, right now. Shift your butt back into whatever seat you are on (or find one), and roll your shoulders back off your chest. Soften your jaw and close your eyes. With each inhale repeat to yourself "breathing in I am breathing in." As you exhale repeat to yourself "breathing out I am breathing out." Try to slow the breath and slow the words you are repeating mentally until there is a softness - almost like the rhythm of the words is merging with the sensation of the breath, like butter melting. Do this for at least 12 breath cycles.

You don't have to tell anyone or go out talking about this experience. Just do it for yourself, now, and perhaps again later at a moment when you're torn between which email to act on or which fire to put out.

It might not visibly change the world around you, but practiced with care it will change the world within you. And, Major Fran Iazzetta, wherever you are, thank you for the reminder, and for really being that change.

Be well,

Tevis

Join Tevis on retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, January 29-31, 2010. Head for the Berkshires for a weekend to reflect and start the year with clarity and renewed energy.

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Perspectives from a Party

2009-11-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

Life is a great storyteller - offering moments of insight into the mundane and the sublime, the tragedy, beauty and celebration of it all. The great storytellers all do this and it resonates for us because in their observations are embedded the very paradoxes that exist in our own lives.

Last Saturday night, life delivered one such a powerful response to conversations we've all been having about how short life is, and the mandate to overcome obstacles and put yourself fully into whatever you're doing no matter what, where, how or why.

Last Saturday night friend Sheena Mathieken threw a party to celebrate the six month mark of her really cool Uniform Project. In the Uniform Project, Sheena has pledged to wear the same dress every day for a year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. You can go onto her site and see the many ways she has injected creativity into it - looking, as she says, as if accessorized in the "Marquis de Sade's boudoir". She created this initiative as a fundraiser for educational initiatives for kids in slums in India. So far, the effort has won attention from the BBC, Elle, The New York Times, and The Times, London. Slightly over $28K later, with German press at the party and a room full of New York's creative influencers, it's clear Sheena is just getting her engines started.

Updating her about what's up in the world of corporate yogis, the focus on shifting consciousness she laughed, "if it were really about fitness or staying thin, my secret is following your passion AND keeping your day job - I have two full time jobs now and the energy alone is enough!". Even her boss acknowledged the energy this is demanding of her and that she is completely engaged and happy in what she is doing.

But last Saturday night after we left the party, someone in the building apparently fell down an elevator shaft and died. I'm not the first to report this - it's posted on Gothamist and ABC News. The tragedy to the deceased and his circle of loved ones is unimaginable. For the rest of us at the very least it is a powerful reminder to live our lives with passion and purpose, contribution and without complaint.

Which is what Sheena was already doing and hopefully will continue to do. Stressors clear, I'm offering up a prayer that this accident doesn't take Sheena off course either in this project and all the incredible contributions she has yet to make. I'm urging you to go to her site and tell her to keep going and if you have an extra $5 in your bank account make a donation.

The world needs the Sheena's and the you's and the me's to look life in the eye and give all we got while we're here - as you live your own greatest story, don't let anything take that offering off track.

Be well,

Tevis

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Rise & Shine

2009-11-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

Walking home from teaching yoga Halloween morning, I passed a team of paraplegic "wheelers" getting ready for the NYC marathon. Twenty strides past this tangible reminder of happenstance and courage gave me pause to consider the ephemeral nature of this little life - that we come in, do some stuff while we're here, experience a lot, then die. Shakespeare captured this sentiment beautifully in The Tempest:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

Indeed. It seems that the great decider of how we live isn't so much any other person or external influence, but the degree to which we determine how we will rise and approach life, and how we will recognize that we own the choices we make in the midst of the situations we experience.

So how can we move powerfully through this pageant of life? "What doesn't kill you just makes you stronger" is a quote I often heard as a kid growing up in the South. If you can imagine a heavy southern accent as you read that, then you can also imagine my surprise to learn that the famous German existentialist philosopher Frederick Nietsche is credited with first saying it. But even he can't claim originating the sentiment. My meditation teacher Sally Kempton just reminded me of the millenia-old yogic adage that "That by which you fall is that by which you rise", further reinforcing the notion that great wisdom has no nationality, dogma or ethnicity. It's just a simple truth - no membership fee required.

Giving much thought to how to rise, what to grow into, and what about life might feel more "happy-making" if approached a little differently, the approaching holidays are a great catalyst for bringing greater awareness to thoughts and intentions, choices and actions. And as much as I've dreamed of a fairy-godmother to make life easier, you don't have to look very far to realize there's not a wisdom teacher out there who says getting rich quick, shirking work, or surrendering your intelligence to situation comedies are paths to happiness.

Inspired by this, I looked at two traditional structures for the aspects of self - Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" and the yogic Chakra system - and made a map to prepare how to rise, not only through this holiday season but heading powerfully and peacefully into 2010.

Physiological
This level includes how you eat, getting some movement, some sleep, some comfort and downtime, making time for making love, taking care of primary physical self care such as dentist and yearly checkups, and yes, even simply heeding "nature's call" in a timely manner rather than putting it off after another 20 multitasks. Setting an intention here might include taking care of appointments long postponed, holding holiday drinking in check, packing a lunch rather than hitting the buffet, walking for 20 minutes before eating lunch, and making sure to take 10 minutes to breathe and center from time to time throughout the week. What can you identify that you need to remember on the physiological level?

Safety/Personal Power
This level relates to how well you stay connected to yourself in the midst of expansion into relationships including family, social and work. For many of us this brings up issues with over-committing, seeking approval or (the secret backside issue) forcing our will on others, judging ourselves or others, and any interaction with others that results in a power play rather than simply experiencing each other from a place of mutual respect and free-will. One way to keep yourself in that "happy-making" place is by asking yourself what you REALLY want as you consider any given choice. Whether simply determining whether to accept an invitation, or clarifying why you are squabbling with someone, this question will allow you to act on what is most true to you and to refrain from uselessly exerting your truth on someone who may have a different truth.

Heart/Love/Belonging
This is the flip side of the layer before. As an example from some of the most respected schools of coaching, there is an expression that we are all "perfect and whole", and in yoga we acknowledge this with the Sanskrit word "namaste" - loosely translated as the wisdom in me recognizes the wisdom in you. This doesn't mean we agree or even like each other, it simply means we give ourselves and others around us permission to exist exactly as we are. One way to practice this is to call to mind how it feels to observe an argument between two people you respect and admire equally seeing both sides as valid. That objectivity is a perspective you can cultivate in your own conflicts.

Self Expression/Communication
This layer is related to how we honor what matters most to us. How can you honor how you find meaning through this holiday season? Throughout your life? Taking the holiday example - maybe ritual is lost on you, but helping others means a lot. Maybe that means you spend the day volunteering and meeting others who share that value or inviting your family along or talking to them about why it means so much to you. Maybe you take on an issue you care about and blog about it. Maybe you join an organization that gives expression to issues you care deeply about. Think about it: over the next few weeks what could you commit to doing that really holds meaning for you? What about in the new year?

Self Actualization/Clarity
Self-actualization/clarity are often misunderstood as being really decisive or set in your ways. However, that way of being can only exist within artificial limits. For us to be fully alive, we have to stay awake to the dynamic world around us. Albert Einstein may have captured this best saying,

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us "universe", a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

In this aspect of self, your responsibility is to move purposefully outside of the limiting circle of your known experiences and cultivate new inputs, new ideas, find new perspectives and take new actions as your knowledge evolves. What can you do in support of this over the next few weeks? In the new year?

Remembering how short and precious life really is, get up. Rise. Make the most of it while you're here.

Be well,

Tevis

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The Difference is YOU

2009-10-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

IMYJOB: Week 4

A couple years ago the most desired brand in high fashion recognized they had a serious problem: their employees were bitchy to people they didn't think would spend a lot of money. After I was asked to get involved in solving the problem, I tested these findings. My business partner (a former Microsoft employee) and I wandered into their boutique in Beverly Hills in our yoga gear. Lo and behold, the septuagenarian security guard is the only person who bothered to acknowledge us for the entire 20 minutes we endured being in the store. Not a good feeling.

This type of profiling happens in any business, but the obvious problem is that while missing out on lots of smaller transactions and creating a relationship with 14 year olds who will someday buy the $3,000 handbag, this company was also missing out on transactions from people like me and you who may not dress fancy, but in Sam Walton style can just as easily whip out the platinum AMEX when the mood strikes us. For the company this meant lost revenues. For the employees, it meant both lost sales commissions, and a very important something else - reducing interactions at work to either ones that "matter" or ones that aren't worth having. By adopting a mindset that precludes the majority of moments at work to being irrelevant, drudgery or a waste of time, the employees there had forgotten why they ever wanted to be a part of this proud brand to begin with. They had forgotten that this brand is the embodiment of luxury, of sophistication, and there is nothing luxurious or sophisticated about being rude or sleepwalking through the majority hours of life.

No matter where you work, for a couture name or a non-profit, there is a higher meaning behind the work you do. Each organization has central ideals and provides services others need. Sure we often look at this as nothing more than a reduced version of b.s. bingo - but those ideals are the core of how we connect and contribute to the highest version of what the organization is. Think about it: we can reduce what we do to its lowest meaning, or we can connect with it at the very highest.

As we've done with employees at organizations ranging from the NYPD to Yahoo!, employees at this company were invited to reconnect to why they ever wanted to work there to begin with. After working through their own stories of how they ended up there, the room was full of remembering the legacy, the attention to every last detail, the creativity of the vision, that working there meant "belonging" in a world of absolute luxury. We asked: okay, so if that's what drew you here, isn't it safe to assume a similar longing drew people into the door? How do you give them that experience in everything you do?

The room got quiet. We were all feeling a bit high on these notions of legacy, creativity, vision and absolute luxury. If you could have bottled that vibe you'd have a blockbuster potion no one could resist. Everyone sat with this question: how to exude these values in everything we do from answering the phone to making eye-contact to acknowledge someone even if we are busy helping someone else? How to treat ourselves with this same level of awareness so that in our interactions with each other (both other employees and the clients we serve), that vibe becomes the defining quality of the interaction. Yes, even in conflict.

Here are a couple practices you can use to get YOURSELF into your highest level of functioning at work:

What does the organization you work for stand for? Whether you work for SAP and deliver networking solutions or you work in food services and serve meals on trays, there are elements of grace and dignified service that are expressed by what you do and where you work. WebMD employees are a great example - they could see themselves as just working at an internet site or they could remember that this service makes valuable information available to countless people. Both interpretations are true - yet one reveals the grace and importance of their work while the other obscures it. I guarantee you it matters to how they feel about their work, how they produce and what kind of day they usually have. Look at your own job and identify those elements.

Ask yourself which of those elements most resonate with YOU. At Disney for example, employees are led through an exercise to identify which character most reflects their values - you can do a similar exercise for yourself. What about where you work got you there to begin with? If having a job period is what got you there, what about the work of your organization holds beauty to you? I call this the Point of Highest Resonance

Remind yourself of that Point of Highest Resonance on your way to work, and in the midst of conducting the tasks that are your work. Answering the phone. Responding to a colleague. How does that resonance come alive in everything you do - by doing this you literally bottle that highest vibe within yourself and emanate it with other people.

By using these highest values as an organizing principle as you contribute your energy, intelligence and self to your work, work becomes an outlet for self expression that is inextricably linked to feeling a sense of purpose, whether you've ever thought of it that way or not. Wisdom traditions teach us that Karma is the law of action, and work is another field of your action.

You've got the concept, now work it. Moving through the last week of this series, notice when your action is required at any given moment, and see how it feels to allow yourself to resonate with it at a higher level. Notice when your work calls upon you to create a solution. No matter how mundane the problem or simple the solution, notice that you can respond with a low appraisal of your work, your contribution, your life, or you can choose to embody a higher value for all of the above. Notice that no matter your role, the challenges of your day invite your imagination of other possibilities whether you see it that way or not. Your consciousness and cognitive powers mean that no matter where you are or what your role, it is up to you to make the difference in how you go about whatever it is you do for work.

Be well,

Tevis

IMYJOB - The Series:

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Rut, Routine or Ritual?

2009-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

IMYJOB: Week 3

You know the drill. With some variation we all experience the following: Alarm. Arise. Bathe. Eat. Drink. Leave. Arrive. Work. When I was in college a popular band called The Godfathers reduced it to a stultifying Birth, School, Work, Death. It was their only hit. The Police captured it beautifully in their drudgery anthem Synchronicity II, and even Francis Ford Coppola says you'd better love what you do because "eventually you will hate it".

Because humans are pattern-makers both in terms of how our brains organize information and how we structure our lives, the workaday mentality is an inevitable one. But equally true, our nervous systems are wired to respond to chaos. Any fitness trainer will tell you that the human body responds best when dealing with uncertainty and will intentionally sequence exercises to wake the body up. Despite first-day-of-school reluctance to step into new situations, we crave both the security of the predictable and the excitement of the unknown. Having both is dependent upon how you cultivate your own sense of presence no matter which seems dominant on any given day.

To convert the hum-drum of everyday, you have to see your day with new eyes. The words "rut" and "routine" might easily describe the patterned events and actions you take everyday, but when held with a sense of appreciation and presence these very same events can bring a elements of comfort, connection and community.

Savor the Sacred - What ARE the sacred moments in your day? What are the small pleasures that you experience because of the routine of your day? The sacred doesn't have to involve chanting, incense, or some other more esoteric ritual, although it might. It does require you look at your day as a series of patterned actions that create ritual, no matter how mundane they might seem.

Patterns of Pleasure - Chances are the routines you experience have evolved from countless repeated choices you make based upon what gives you pleasure. Your morning beverage of choice; the route to work; what you read or listen to while in transit; pleasure can even be found in how you settle into your work-space. We all have endless small pleasures sprinkled throughout our days, often without notice due to the constant chatter of the brain. Take an inventory of your work-pattern pleasures this week.

Cultivate Community - From the moment you awaken, how does your work create opportunity for beauty, for connection with others, for resolution, for rest? Is it saying hello to a neighbor as you collect the paper from outside? Is it the joke with the barista when you get your morning jo? Might the shared pre-meeting personal anecdote actually be a moment of connection? Is welcoming a new team member secretly a moment of compassion and kindness?

Anything from preparing for a meeting to organizing the things on your desk can be seen as creating order and ritual. When viewed with a beauty-seeking eye, any given day is full of sacred, pleasurable moments. By recognizing these moments of connection and sacred beauty in midst of the absurdly mundane, we elevate our work experience from being "what I do to get paid", to being another venue in which to experience the delight of being alive.

Be well,

Tevis

IMYJOB - The Series:

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Employee ID: Work As Self-Expression

2009-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

IMYJOB: Week 2

If you've been paying attention, you may have noticed that there are lots of ways to perceive work challenges. For some people impediments to being happy at work roll like water off a duck's back. For others, not so much. From obstacle to growth-opportunity, the ways we frame the world around is of our making and has real impact on the quality our life experience. The comments submitted by readers of this series give great illustration of this - ranging from (paraphrasing) "I love my job if not for all those irritating people I have to deal with", to "It IS our work to interact with each other".

But what IS your work? Is it part of your identity? Although there's a cliché that Americans live to work and Europeans work to live, in both equations work is somehow separate from life. Taking a clue from nature, all living things work and live. A tree could not be a tree without doing the work of being a tree (photosynthesis, etc.). While all other plants also conduct this work, the essential nature or treeness of the tree is what that work (photosynthesis) supports. The work supports the tree's essential nature, as our work supports ours.

Consider this example: when asked what his greatest work was, passion-driven workaholic, inventor, artist and renaissance-man Leonardo DaVinci responded, "Leonardo DaVinci". His sentiment contrasts with our modern demonization of identifying with work. I remember at a party asking someone what they did for work and being lambasted with indignation that such a question has anything to do with who they are suggesting that only people reminiscent of the greedy banker character Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street so identify with their work. But wait - if we are on a path of cultivating satisfaction in our lives, shouldn't EVERYTHING we do somehow be an expression of who we are?

Back to the tree example: imagine a tree that does less that 100% effort in photosynthesis - not much of a prognosis for survival. Suggesting there can be no conditions applied to how we embrace and exert in all venues of life, Martin Luther King Jr. said this:

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: "Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well."

Ego, status, self-conscious competition, and co-worker drama aside, King suggests - as many ancient wisdom traditions from the Bible to the Bhagavad-Gita do - that connecting full-heartedly to what we do is our real work. This concept is expressed by the term dharma meaning one's righteous duty (wikipedia).

This week's practice surfaces your insights about the identity-work connection. At any gathering of adults, often the first question exchanged is "what do you do for a living?" Set aside any conditioned guilt that this is the easiest way to break the ice with strangers, and take a new look to see just why that question yields so many pieces of information that allow us to learn about each other.

When held with fascination these conversations provide subtle clues that allow us to connect and establish common ground, and insight about un-familiar territory. Beyond job title, what do you learn about others by asking this question?

Notice what you surmise about other's education, interests, skills and social networks. How are these assumptions validated by further conversation? How do people's complexities surface? Can you allow people to be full human beings even in this conversation?

When you meet people you assume you have nothing in common with, how can you learn about and respect them? How do you connect with them even when you're not sure where to find common ground?

Do you get a sense that whomever you speak to is passionate for what they do? Do you perceive that they have interpersonal and executional challenges that arise in the course of "getting the job done"? Do they allow both passion and imperfections to coexist within this conversation? Do you?

What about outside passions? When you meet people who convey simply "working to make a living", do you find they typically have an outside passion? Do you find people with passions for work are the people with passions outside of work or do you find people who use passions outside of work to compensate for their lack of passion at work? BONUS: Would you say that passionate people are simply passionate no matter if the topic is work or leisure?

Wherever you go this week, don't forget to ask these questions of yourself as well. Notice how you express aspects of yourself by talking about work. Rather than allowing your work-centric conversations to be habitual venting or complaining, simply allow work to say something inherently powerful or meaningful about you and the people you meet. In embracing work as a form of self-expression, you practice an aspect of dharma integrating work into life and life into work.

Let me know how it goes.

Be well,

Tevis

IMYJOB - The Series:

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Black Holes & Illumination

2009-09-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

IMYJOB: Week 1

Borrowing from 12-step wisdom, one of the biggest leaps you can make towards loving your any area of life – work included – is admitting that you are a part of the problem. What problem? Well, whatever you consider to be the problem. All too often we hold a magnifying glass to the world looking for evidence of how we think things are and judging them according to how we think they SHOULD be rather than simply being present with how they are. And let's face it: until you are appointed as chief designer of the universe, the contrast between how you think things should be and how things are is often a vast one, that open empty space between the two often filled with discontentment. This week offers exercises to help you dive into that gap.

Let's get clear about a couple of things. Loving your job does not mean you think everything or everyone is perfect there. Loving your job DOES mean that your involvement with whatever is going on, imperfections and all, is not a source of unhappiness or resignation. Instead, held with love and commitment, the challenges you find are calls to action, catalysts of effort, and starter flames for investment of passion and cultivation of compassion.

Think about it this way: most of us can think of people who have "black hole" areas in their lives. A black hole area is an area in which they don't have much success or satisfaction, and when you hear them talk about it there's not really an upside present. For one friend it might be money. For another it might be romantic relationships. The possibilities are very broad, and can even be boiled down to specific phobias or discomforts such as heights, public places, being out of control, etc. These black hole areas are like neon indicators pointing to our most unconscious but limiting perspectives, ones that put us at odds with what IS, and each of us has them.

Oftentimes the black hole areas of others are much more obvious to us than our own, and offer great insight into the power of deeply held beliefs. For example: let's say I have lots of healthy friendships with women I admire and respect and then I meet a woman who tells me she struggles with friendships with women. I would be able to see her black hole as a black hole and experience my own wisdom in that area, while she might simply feel it as a foregone conclusion that by nature women are not trustworthy, loyal, supportive, etc. Multiplying this awareness opportunity over the countless people you encounter over the course of your day, conscious observation of your own mindset and the mindsets of others is a great step towards choosing ones that free you up from judging the world around you and reposition you as simply learning from it.

You may have heard conventional wisdom that the definition of insanity is "doing something over and over again, expecting a different result." The "doing" in this case is how we perceive the world around us and offers a key to creating powerful shifts. This week, apply this practice to the subject of WORK, looking for black holes and opportunities for illumination:

Begin to take note of how people in your life talk about work. Is it positive? Is there expansive curiosity or limiting judgment? Notice how many times you detect resignation, indignation, or other less than expansive states of being when the issues of work are involved. Direct this inquiry to your own inner circle: how do your parents or other primary life influences talk about work? Friends? As a parent, how do you talk to your children or other young people about work?
How many expansive or life-affirming attitudes do you encounter about work and how many times do you experience "black-holes"? As you survey these attitudes about work, notice your inner response to their attitudes. When speaking to people who express well-being and positive attitudes towards work, do you feel at ease or like running to your most reliable venting-partner? When you hear negativity about work, does it affirm your world view or bum you out? Responses can be a mixture of both, just get in the practice of NOTICING.
As you conduct transactions and commerce at work and in life, what do you notice about the attitudes of the people you come into contact with? That barista, cashier, call-center attendant, receptionist, etc., what do you notice about how they go about what they do? How do they handle conflict or less-than-perfect aspects of their jobs? BONUS: how do you engage with and respond to people who seem at peace with what they do?
As you take note of all these various attitudes and beliefs, ask yourself who seems happier with themselves and life. Ask yourself who around you seems to have something you can learn from in order to better your relationship with work. Remembering that whatever we focus on grows, allow yourself to take note of moments in which you are with people who are at peace with what they do (no matter how simple/menial/unglamorous/poorly compensated). Focusing on their energy, their language, and their overall sense of peace, what happens inside of you when you allow yourself to be present to their state of being?

By observing examples of black holes and illumination, you can begin to cultivate a greater relationship with illumination and greater awareness of your own black holes. If you are getting together with a group or undertaking this practice on your own, either in writing or in moments of reflection, honor your own process by considering carefully what you have observed and what you can learn from it. Resist the urge to dismiss another's state of well being as "unintelligent" or otherwise invalid. Instead, focus upon what they get and what they give out in terms of peace of mind and satisfaction. Is there some aspect of their way of being you can try on from time to time this week?

Be well,

Tevis

IMYJOB - The Series:

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Jobs: Love The One You're With

2009-09-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

If loving your work sounds like a luxury you can't afford, think again. You MUST be in harmony with what you do every day. As a biological organism and life system, feeling positively about what you do is necessary for both your well-being and effectiveness. When you hate what you do, you carry the chemical reality of those negative feelings around inside of your body, impacting both critical functions of vital organs, as well as diminishing your ability to respond well, communicate, recall, formulate ideas and create solutions.

This is no time to be less than optimal. With unemployment higher than most of us can remember, never before have new ideas, good communication skills, reserves of energy, and an ability to stay cool through chaos been more important. But if the notions that happiness at work is an operational norm and that true success is an inside job rank somewhere between Hallmark-wishes and reality TV, you may have to make a practice out of shifting how you think about where you earn your daily bread.

Whether it's bosses, subordinates, peers, clients, IT, finance, marketing, the news or even the company cafeteria that is getting you down, you can't afford to let anything stand in the way of feeling good about where you spend the majority of your days. If health reasons and quality of life aren't enough to motivate you to try on a new attitude, consider this: there are plenty of people out there who really, really, really want your job right now. So how do you do it? How do you adopt a positive mental framework about WORK?

Chances are your attitude DOES need a shift. Even before the downturn, Gallup reported that less than 27% of us were "truly engaged" in our work. And in companies where layoffs have occurred, chances are employees are feeling even more forlorn as they head to their desks. Post-layoff, the damage to the sense of trust between employer & employee is so grave companies can anticipate a multiple of 3x however many people were laid-off to leave their jobs in the next 12 months. And since the US Department of Labor recently reported productivity has improved 6.6% - the highest level in six years- chances are also pretty good that your company isn't about to spend bunches of money on extra bells and whistles to put a smile back on employees faces.

Here's how IMYJOB works:

Practice Makes Perfect: For the next four weeks, by each Monday at noon you will find a specific Focus Practice to help you shift your mind out of the work gutter.

Progress Not Perfection: Based on the ideas in the post, you will work with each concept and practice for a week and see if you feel a change in perspective or new energy. We're not talking magic wand here, we're talking personal empowerment at work and in life.

Happiness Loves Company: Some of us work best alone, but there's also something to be said about community and support. If that resonates with you, tell your friends, forward this as an invitation, talk to them about what it means to you to feel better at work every day and see if they are interested in doing it with you. Make sure they understand this will not be a scheduled gripe session or opportunity to vent, but will be all about looking at and practicing how you cultivate happiness in the midst of your workday.

Playing Nice (If you're going it alone, you can skip this point): Decide together how your group is going to function. If you work in the same company you can meet in a conference room at lunch time. If you prefer virtual, you can agree to swap notes on the posts and what you are observing. In some companies, people have even named their groups, a Success & Satisfaction Salon or whatever you want to call it. Agree that participants are all peers and only speak from the "I or ME" rather than giving advice to each other. Respect your meeting times and/or online sharing commitments, and also, what people SAY in the group STAYS in the group.

Keeping Zentention: Okay, so maybe "love" or "happiness" at work seems excessive - especially after a bad meeting or challenging commute. Whether you do all of the posts over the next four weeks of this IMYJOB or you just pop in from time to time, hold the zen-tention of being at peace with whatever is happening around you, and compassionately seeing the very real humanity in whomever is around you.

Confused? You should be - this is a confusing time. Then meet me back here in a week and let's get started using confusion as a catalyst for learning to be even more clear and satisfied.

Be well,

Tevis

IMYJOB - The Series:

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Identity In Action: What You Do Is Who You Are

2009-09-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

"I triceratops therefore I am" loomed on a bus-stop billboard outside the grocery store near my apartment for weeks. The picture of the toddler making dinosaur claws with his small hands was cropped at the head, emphasizing his t-shirted little body and reinforcing that same message that what he does is who he is. Every time I passed it, though puzzling at the grammar, I simultaneously loved the notion of the little guy's joy captured there to inspire others. This "I summer Friday therefore I am" soon followed, as well as "I little black dress therefore I am" and "I dine after nine therefore I am". The campaign's objective was to remind us of the diversity of activities and individuals that make New York City great, but it also begs a bigger question: what actions define who you are?

After decades of "I shop therefore I am", economic realities are forcing many of us to rethink not only how we spend our money and time, but how we find the bearings of our identity when our former occupations have fallen to the wayside. I'm not just talking about brushing your teeth or balancing the checkbook. When we define ourselves with an emphasis upon the actions that produce positive feelings and enhance our self esteem, we create a go-to list of things we can do to give us a needed lift when we need it most. We also gain a more accurate sense of priorites when making choices how to spend our precious moments.

Try this: Each time you shift from one activity to another, notice your enjoyment level of whatever has just been completed. If it has produced a postive feeling, acknowledge it with an affirmative statement. In quiet moments, take inventory of the activities that bring truly positive feelings.

For the past week I've identified the following: I take my time walking my dog therefore I am. I discover new music therefore I am. I catch up with clients therefore I am. I take time to smile at people therefore I am. I meditate therefore I am. I work out therefore I am. I smell flowers therefore I am. I beautify my home therefore I am. I yoga therefore I am.

It's a small but powerful practice, I promise you that. Between running errands, observing the world situation unfolding and managing all the little relational challenges present in any life, this practice of recognizing catalysts for good feelings around you not only shifts your inner mantra, but literally calms your nervous system with reminders of wellbeing. I've been surprised how many things I might not categorize as being pleasant that actually are (paying bills), and just as surprised at how many things I might automatically pop into the pleasant category that actually aren't. The shuffling of items on my own inner to do list has been remarkable, showing a gap between what I assume I enjoy and what I ACTUALLY feel pleasure in doing.

Give it a try and let me know how you triceratops.

Be well,

Tevis

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A Belly Laugh a Day...

2009-08-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

Although Global Belly Laugh Day is still 5 months away, research shows there's merit to adding a dose of laughter to your daily rituals pronto. Here are just a few reasons for you to laugh:

Love: A study conducted by Appalachian State University found that laughing regularly with your mate will improve your relationship. The reason: it reminds both partners that they can see the world the same way.

Post-Laughter Good Mood: Drs. Weil, Roizen and Oz have all commented publicly upon the general mood elevation resulting from even brief periods of laughter.

Pre-Laughter Good Mood: ABC News reported that even when you anticipate having some good laughs in the future, your body begins to release "happy hormones", 27% more endorphins and 80% more human growth hormones.

Immunity: Laughter is associated with elevated (NK) cells and antibodies to boost the immune system as well as higher production of lymphocytes containing T-cells that deal with cancer cells. It also increases the levels of antibodies (Immunogloblin A) in the nose and respiratory passages, helping reduce incidence of colds and respiratory infection (see Laughter Network for more).

Cardiovascular Fitness: Research from The American College of Cardiology shows laughter makes your blood vessels work more efficiently. While they don't recommend laughter INSTEAD of exercise, they did conclude with recommendation for "Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, and 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis".

Vanity:It tones your belly and replaces frowny lines with smile lines.

If all this talk of laughter is getting you down, you're not alone. Apparently in the 1950s people laughed 18 minutes a day on average, whereas now the average is 6 minutes per day. So what's a typical person to do to get laughter back into their life? When I read the research I thought, "oh, okay, I'm going to have to laugh more". Then I realized this is the kind of thing that has to be integrated into ones life. I couldn't just offhandedly assume that because I read an article I am being the change. That's when I got worried. Do I buy copies of Zoolander and Raising Arizona? Do I go to comedy clubs every day?

Thankfully, there is hope for even the most laughter-lacking. Laughter advocates are taking action across the planet, bringing laughter back to the masses with laughter clubs, laughter yoga and laughter meditation. Reflecting stereotype, in Berlin there is even an official Laughing School to remind Germans how to laugh.

Because here's the thing: with laughter you have to practice "fake it till you make it". Laughter experts point out that laughter does not require humor or comedy. Watch how babies will laugh at just about anything - that's the kind of laughter your body craves.

It's easier read than done. Reviewing the top ways to make oneself laugh I found myself responding with each method "oh, how stupid"... "how ridiculous." Instruction after instruction, reading them with seriousness and disregarding them with indignation, with shock I realized about myself: I was in need of laughter triage!

Do this: sit back from your desk - smile big with bright eyes and say "hee hee hee hee", "ho ho ho ho" "ha ha ha ha" - keep repeating until you start to giggle - then try to say it backwards "eeh eeh eeh ehh" "oh oh oh oh" "ah ah ah ah". Do it until you laugh even if the laughter is at the ridiculousness of the exercise. And if you're too uptight to imagine yourself doing it, don't worry - so was I. Do it ANYWAY. I did and I honestly felt the good feeling of - gasp - SILLINESS!

BONUS: it gets even funnier if you do it with other people.

Be well,

Tevis

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Reflection & Reinvention

2009-08-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

With a landslide of change underfoot, many of us are confronting changes we may have never imagined. From downsizing our living situations to taking jobs we might otherwise have never considered, lately for many people the inseparability of life and change has been both more perceptible and markedly less comfortable.

Thinking about reinvention as a blog topic, I wanted to find a couple of folks with public presence willing to come clean about having confronted the toughest challenges and emerged alive and kicking at the end of it. I envisioned a blow-by-blow of how hard it ever got, and what actions and practices helped them stay the course to breakthrough. Although the idea received enthusiasm from nearly everyone with whom I shared it, after many missed interview appointments and “lost” interview emails I began to realize that no matter that someone may have overcome the worst, they often are still ashamed of admitting they have ever struggled.

Surprising? To me it was. After all, don’t iconographic leaders from scriptural figures to Oprah Winfrey teach us lessons of struggle and breakthrough, of personal metamorphosis through what are often long dark periods in tightly bound cocoons? Isn’t our humanity enough to give us permission to admit our wrong turns and mistakes, and our ability to right our path proof of the coexistence of greatness within struggle? Surprisingly, I learned that when reflecting upon tough times, often we are so eager to distance ourselves from any past struggle, we become superstitious about protecting our citizenship in American dreamland. Let’s face it: challenges are not purely financial or situational. They hit us where it often hurts most and with the biggest surprise punch challenging what for many of us is our most precious possession: our identity. And maybe this is what keeps us from moving forward.

Looking for people who learn from their experiences and move forward with determination, I turned to my friend Karen Salmonsohn. Karen is a much-beloved self-help writer who has remembered that old adage about how it’s not what happens to you that defines you, it’s how you RESPOND to what happens. Her last book The Bounce Back Book offers 75 tips for getting your head out of the tunnel of darkness and reoriented towards the light – no matter if your eyes are crusted shut with dried salty tears and said light seems microscopic. Over green smoothies at glitzy bodyshop Clay in lower Manhattan, Karen confessed that in her mind she’s not so much an expert, just a girl trying to figure life out. Her smart, reference-filled and laugh-out-loud funny books are evidence of her own journey, the product of her ability to assiduously research and distill with humor what others have to learned about whatever is fascinating her at the moment.

Inspired by a series of personal losses including sexual assault, this book is a great example of embracing ones truth even in the darkest moments, and looking around for evidence of that light. Mired in her own struggle, Karen’s determination to understand happiness and theories on moving forward has resulted in a quick easy read that is a gift of insight and encouragement to anyone in the reinvention process. Sitting on the subway reading, by tip 5 I was already experiencing an attitude adjustment. By tip 20 I considered canceling my first appointment with a therapist. Although I temporarily set it aside to get some work done, by the time I get to the end of the book you might see me on a major network with my own TV show. Among the many concepts offered, there are some major takeaways to what she shares: breakthrough comes by taking ownership of how you think about whatever has happened, and transforming the tendancy towards isolation and victimization into community, action, and renewed participation in the world.

From the conversations leading up to this blog, I noticed a contrast here between the people who want to be amazing but are afraid of their own humanity, and the people who decide that EVERYTHING that happens in the course of their lives is just material for their continued evolution. So check in with yourself. If you’re going through some tough times, now may just be the moment to check how you’re framing whatever has happened. With that first step (admitting you’ve got a problem), you’re on the road to emerging as a better, brighter version of YOU.

PS. And if you’re wondering what’s fascinating Karen now – her book on relationships entitled Prince Harming Syndrome: Break Bad Relationship Patterns for Good – 5 Essentials for Finding True Love is due out in hardback on September 9 – just in time for fall romance.

Be well,

Tevis

Staying Grounded, Flying High

2009-08-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

While the sidewalks are sizzling and the economy is not, the dog days of summer are a great time to get away. With heat, third quarter sluggishness at work or in the job search, and preparing for the shift to the activity of fall, there’s no better time to recharge and reevaluate.

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

I recently took the plunge – cashing in credit card points/airline miles for a trip that included Italy and Ireland, all for the low low cash price of $90. My challenge: a limited budget and in the emotional transition to being a solo traveler after years of marriage. With longing for new vistas and perspectives, I knew needed to stay grounded and connected to myself while being respectful of my wallet. The result: I came up with these soul-wise and money-smart practices that helped me go the miles with relaxation in my heart and a smile on my face:

Hour Plus – Add an additional hour to anything you plan to do. We forget that our bodies and minds are synchronized to work/life at home pace and it is only natural (albeit not at all optimal) to automatically persist at that pace even when unnecessary. By adding time you force yourself to find still moments in which you can not only transition peacefully from one activity to the next, but allow for a greater level of awareness of whatever may be present where you are.

Home Rules – Give a little thought to the practices that keep you grounded at home and be sure to "bring" them along with you. Whether it is a 6PM time out after a full day or an early morning meditation session before heading into the day, remain loyal to those practices. Consistency with your "mastery" practices will clear the travel clutter and allow you greater clarity and enjoyment in your new environs.

Intelligent Flexibility – Experiencing new cultures is rife with culinary temptations. All the more reason to be attentive to intelligent choice-making. If you know red wine gives you a headache, don’t let the local customs sway you into a migraine. Whether it’s eating, drinking or sleeping patterns, identify choice-making moments in which you are trading off self-care for cultural experiences. If you need to set a limit on how many self-care rules you will bend for the sake of new experience each day, do so. Otherwise be sure to check in with your body continually to respond intelligently to its needs.

Local Flavor – Often our obsession with seeing renowned sites has us moving like cattle through busy tourist areas, allowing little contact with the people who actually live there. This can lead to days upon days of "headtrips" that are mentally exhausting with little interpersonal connection. Instead, ask around and check the internet for information about local clubs for activities that reflect your interests. Sites like meetup.org generally offer both affordable and grounding ways to get off the tourist track and marinate in the flavor of the living culture.

Camp It – Hit the local grocery store for meal supplies. Once a day you can determine a meal to make for yourself – enjoying it either in your hotel room or in a nice park or other inspiring venue. In addition to getting a taste of how locals live by going to the grocery store, providing your own nourishment is incredibly grounding and can give you powerful sense of both monetary and nutritional control.

Golden moments that resulted from these choices over my trip were ending up at a sing along with 6 middle aged couples from Dublin, holding a baby as mom ran to the bathroom, "room camping" feasting on locally produced goat cheese, Irish soda bread and fresh Irish strawberries while waiting for an early morning downpour to pass. All told, over 16 days, I spent $800 on food and lodging – not much different than I would have to stay at home in NYC. As you embrace this amazing world around us, got any tips for staying grounded?

Be well,

Tevis

Back to School

2009-08-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Fall is just around the corner, and for many of us back-to-school has new meaning this year. Graduate schools report a 10% rise in applications for 2009, and even pricey law programs have experienced an 11% rise. Unemployment impacting so many skilled professionals, a common answer to "what do I do with myself?" seems to be to head back to the ivory tower to gain new skills until the next bear market.

Let's face it: if applications are up that means competition for those spots must be higher as well. Being at your authentic best and navigating the game well could mean the difference between being accepted and learning to accept not having been accepted. Whether you're going back to school after years as a professional or a high school senior thinking about next fall, my friend Katie Malachuck has some insights.

I first met Katie last year on a bus ride to leading some workshops for kids at Camp Mariah. Just hanging out with Katie is a gulp of fresh air on many topics from yoga to academia to corporate life as she's developed expertise in all of the above. Having gone to Northwestern and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, she then earned an MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business. She served in the prestigious Teach For America program, and then became their Director of Admissions where she created the applicant selection model and managed the admissions process.

A former management consultant, she left to become an MBA admissions consultant and pro bono advisor for high school students going through the college application process. But she's not into simply producing the perfect application. She contends that deep self knowledge and authenticity are core ingredients of succeeding in the back-to-school game. Her new book, You're Accepted: Lose the Stress. Discover Yourself. Get into the College That's Right for You, powerfully integrates higher fulfillment with higher education and does so with a style and voice anyone can relate to.

When I asked her the top three tips for making a great choice and being successful at making dreams come true, she offered these as her "musts".

Be Yourself. Schools tell you all the time to just be yourself. Well, we all know that being yourself is one of the hardest things to do, in practice and on paper. It's easy to follow the ego down a path of trying to be what you think others want you to be…in this case a nameless, faceless admissions committee! Though it will take practice and courage, see if you can forget about the admissions committee and the outcome of this process. Instead focus on the process itself. Applying to schools is a great opportunity to examine who you are - what's important to you, what you love to do, what you hope to accomplish in life. If you use this time to become closer to your true self, you can walk away with not only a school acceptance but also a far more precious gift: self-acceptance.

Eat. Sleep. Move. Breathe. Applying to schools adds this massive extra TO DO to your already packed life. In an attempt to cram it all in, you could forgo sleep, fuel up on sugar and caffeine, and stay glued to your computer working on essays. Here's the thing though, you've got this one body to take you through all of life. And if you're good to it at this stressful time, it will be good to you. As your mind gets busy, busy over the stress of what will happen in this process, you can use your body to chill you out. Feed it real foods, let it rest, shake it out, and take some calming breaths. If your body's feeling good, your mind will follow suit and calm down. You'll be able to focus better and actually be way more efficient during this busy time. Try to use see the application process as an opportunity to learn how to take care of yourself. If you can do it during this tough time, you can do it any time.

Run Your Own Race. When you start thinking about applying to schools, it's tempting to think about all of the other people applying to schools. While it's very human to compare ourselves to others, nothing messes you up more in life than trying to be someone other than your fabulous self. The college application process, and really your whole life, is about running your own race. Try to tame the competition beast by first acknowledging that it's there. Things only grow bigger and darker if we don't shine a little light on them. So check out how you feel about the competition - maybe it makes you sick, maybe it gives you a little charge. Whatever the case is, use this time to recognize your patterns around comparing yourself to others. Then set about trying to make the focus just being the real you. Even better, could you help others do the same? In the end this process is great practice for rising above competition and cultivating compassion instead. What you put out comes back to you, so if you want affirmation and support give it to others. It may be difficult at first, but it will feel great. Soon your authentic, compassionate, highest self will be a shining example for all the world to see.

Reading this list, if it strikes you that these are actually "musts" all the time, I heartily agree. The challenge is, we so often find reasons NOT TO DO THEM. Take Katie's advice and be the change...

Be well,

Tevis

Celebrating Community & Compassion

2009-08-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

Last night at one of Manhattan’s perpetually chic pizzatecas, I joined 11 other women around a large table filled with food, wine and conversation. From appearances, one would never guess the economy is in transition. Sparkling eyes, shiny summer colors, and laughter everywhere, it was a timeless moment of women gathering together for a break in the midst of busy lives. Thinking about what made the evening special, compassion transformed "dinner" into a moment of community and celebration.

First, Gigi (pictured here) is the organizer and unofficial hostess. The way she really showed her leadership was in her quiet consideration and generosity. Knowing many of us are self-employed, underemployed, or unemployed, she picked a place with a prix fixe option to help us manage expenses. Then, a cracker-jack surprise: she recycled castoffs from her media job that were bound for the trash (DVDs from last year) into a future night of chick-flick paradise by putting one DVD at each place setting.

The new mother of the group might have saved herself $50 in babysitting by staying home. What a loss her absence would have been. By showing up baby in tow, she did all of us a great favor. Around a table full of loving arms, that amazingly relaxed and responsive babe gave us all such joy as we passed her woman to woman and practiced our cooing, bouncing and cradling. The only cries heard were those of our delight in her presence. And mom benefited as well. Like many new moms at the limit with babytalk, the night allowed her to practice her womantalk discussing non-mom things such as work and world issues.

Leaner wallets meant leaner ordering. In quiet pairs, some of us split salads and entrees, sharing desserts and passing bites around. The United States may be famous for oversized portions and overweight bodies, but if the rest of the country is like this group we may soon be getting our plates and waistlines under control.

When the bill came, again compassion ruled. We split the bill evenly among the 12 of us, although one of the better-compensated among us insisted on paying for the wine fully herself. This act of generosity was accepted with such gratitude and grace by the rest of us – and without the fuss or ego-blustering that often goes with picking up the tab.

The celebration? Life, being together, and that even in the midst of transitions, it all continues and is made better with good company and compassion. Wherever you are, get together with the people you love. Whether it’s a potluck dinner or franks on a grill, food becomes a feast when shared with friends and a little goes a long way towards nourishing our hearts. By turning towards one another and taking a moment to simply enjoy each other, we remember that no matter what, life is for living.

Be well,

Tevis

Morning Glory

2009-07-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

Benjamin Franklin is quoted as having once said "the early morning hath gold in it's mouth". As a "morning person", I agree. A morning with even a moment of stillness, presence enough for mindful movement from task to task, a few bites of hearty nourishment and cultivation of clarity just seems to make for a better day. Whether you look to great thinkers or contemporary mastery practices such as The Artists Way, throughout the ages our sages have encouraged harnessing the power of morning to set the pace for the day.

By carving out a few precious moments for yourself, you allow yourself the space and energy to navigate your day. Think of a surfer. They don't just run into the water the minute they get to the beach. They take time to connect with it. They observe carefully how things are moving, wait for their own energy to get truly present with the sand, wind, sun and sea. Watching it all, they look for the right moment in which the movements around them and the energy within them feels right to make their move into the water. The following five steps can be a quick early morning ritual to connect you with your internal reality and help you be more grounded and centered as you move through whatever external realities that may lie ahead.

Just Say "YES" – When you first wake up, agree with being awake. Agree that this is your moment to connect to the living world, and to be a part of all that is unfolding within and around you. Even if you are lying to yourself at first because you have created a habit or identity around hating mornings, shift your language and then invite yourself to consider what it might be to change how you think about mornings. Try on the ideas that morning (and even life itself) is an enjoyable journey and getting moving is a wonderful feeling.

Senses of Gratitude – Allow your sensory organs to enjoy these first moments and practice gratitude for what you experience. After you turn off the alarm (if you use one), lay flat on your back and enjoy three solid breaths with your senses attuned to the yummy comfort of your bed, sheets, blankets and pillows. This simple pleasure is an easy one to give gratitude for. Then shift to listening to morning in your room, around your home and in the world beyond. Again, take a moment for gratitude for the sense of sound and the orchestra of the world getting moving. Then allow light to come to your eyes rather than having your eyes leap out of your head. Rotate your gaze slowly and softly around the room. Notice in these few breaths if light shifts as you watch it. Give gratitude for the gift of sight and the beauty you experience because of it.

(about to get out of) Bedtime Prayers – You can't go five minutes in our culture without being reminded of the power of intention in cultivating the life you want. By tapping into that power first thing in the morning, you have an opportunity to set the tone for your day. Whether you think of this as a prayer or setting-of-intention, take a moment to establish how you would like to move through the day, identify any higher wisdom you wish to feel, and give gratitude for having another day in which to participate in life.

Rev Your Engines– Often our physical bodies feel sluggish after sleep as the energy used to perform nocturnal maintenance functions is intense. To give your body a loving boost, take a moment to softly but firmly rub your hands over your eyes, face, neck, down your arms and even to your legs and feet if you can reach them. If you know any gentle stretches to do before getting out of bed, do them. If you don't, use your instinct and just move your extremities - wrists, knees, arms, feet. Even little movements stimulate your circulation and put energy into your nervous system. This will make being vertical a whole lot friendlier to your system.

Set Your Pace – Although your calendar may spell out an imagined future, clearly you can never truly know what will happen in the course of a given moment, hour, day or lifetime. Practice choosing how you move by harmonizing how you feel internally with the situations you find unfolding externally. Baby crying, but feeling a little too stiff to move quickly? Breathe deeply and move purposefully to attend to its' needs. Big presentation or interview coming up but feeling the effects of too much wine last night? Practice relaxing your eyes and feeling your feet solid on the ground as you move through morning tasks to shift your awareness out of your physical discomfort and ground you for the big moment. Coffeemaker misbehaving just when the clock tells you it's time to leave for the train? Manage how your breath responds to the notion of a delay in coffee intake then manage your breath into a smooth inhale/exhale pattern. When you start the day by focusing your awareness internally and actively choosing a pace that feels appropriate to whatever is happening externally, you cultivate a powerful skill to masterfully navigate whatever venue and events you may encounter in the course of your day.

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

There are a lot of words and ideas above, but don't be fooled: the five steps are literally doable in less than three minutes – and not just half-heartedly doable, but truly deeply with full presence doable. Give a read and imagine yourself doing them. Commit each step to paper – just the reminder of the step, not the explanation. Keep it by your bed and tomorrow when you wake up make yourself do them. Let me know how this presencing practice works for you or any other little tips you've found on your own. Whatever you have found to be helpful in cultivating presence and peace throughout your days may be just the tip to make a difference for others.

Be well,

Tevis

Stop DIS – From Resistance to Empowerment

2009-07-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

We're all talking about change. From state governments looking how to change their financial picture to the shock (or perhaps not such a shock) of political scandal or recent celebrity deaths, we're constantly reminded that things are never what we think they are and that all of life is constantly subject to revision. Or re-VISION.

Photo: Peter Kaminski / CC BY 2.0

Reflecting on recent events, the economy, political upheaval here and abroad, systems in decline with direct impact on many of us personally, you don't have to be a student of history to recognize that such changes have been the norm since the dawn of time. Idyllic images of golden ages past aside, power struggles, greed, personal transitions, death, posturing and presentation of false self for personal gain, the elements we face now are not the exceptions to a normal life. They are the norms of human nature and are the essence of what every wisdom path throughout the ages has offered counsel about how to navigate.

As I talk to organizations and individuals, it seems what challenges us most is acknowledging that existence has complete freedom to change "on a dime", whereas our assumptions do not. Indeed, although life can unfold with completely surprising twists and turns, because of the function of the human brain we sort any event that happens or information we receive into a pre-existing pattern. This contrast between the limitless possibilities of reality and the falsely limiting assumptions of the brain means that if we want to get in sync with what is happening around us, we'd better learn to get real about how our brain is resisting reality.

A major cue that you're resisting reality is any yucky feeling. How's that for scientific talk? Yep, if you're experiencing any "DIS" feeling, you know you're DISsing life. Disappointed, disgusted, distressed, disturbed, disinterested, disenchanted, and even all those other unpleasant feelings that may not start with the prefix "DIS". Whenever you catch yourself feeling "DIS", it's a moment to conduct a little self-inquiry about what ails you. And what ails you is always being in conflict with reality.

The next time you feel DIS, have a little tough-love talk with yourself about these limiting assumptions about reality:

Expectations – If something just happened that resulted in a DIS feeling, or you have something about to happen that makes you feel DIS, take a moment to look at your expectations. What are the secret expectations you have about yourself in relation to this event? What expectations do you have of others when you think of this? How do these expectations keep you from being at peace and navigating clearly through the event?

Judgments – How do your beliefs put you at odds with whatever is happening? What absolute "rights" and "wrongs" are giving you permission to condemn whatever is happening? Are you making others wrong to reinforce your own "rightness"? Can you really know a given situation from all angles when holding this absolute judgment? What judgments against yourself might you be making? How would dropping judgment free up your energy to simply be with what IS rather than sapping your mind with complaint, blame and criticism?

Attachments – Usually a DIS happens when we either don't get what we want or we get what we don't want, all of which helps us see more clearly what our conditions for happiness are. In your thoughts, a condition for happiness might sound like ‘I'll be happy if..." or "I'll be happy when...", and can be related to either material goods, interpersonal outcomes, or our sense of identity in general. When you feel any DIS, ask yourself how this event brings you into conflict about your belief about yourself, about what it means for you to know you are worthy or good, and invite imagine knowing that you are worthy/good/lovable etc., no matter what.

Attitude – A DIS is almost always an invitation for an attitude adjustment. In times of adversity, we have a choice to master our situation by creating an empowering attitude, or we can waste energy lambasting the forces of the universe (or other people) and declaring ourselves the victims. When you feel a DIS, ask yourself honestly, what is your attitude about the event or situation? As you consider whatever is prompting the DIS inside of you and ask yourself to be honest about your attitude, you may immediately feel a knee jerk response internally. Trust it. If you are feeling a DIS your attitude is definitely not positive, but the fact that you have identified it is an auspicious moment because you have the awareness to SHIFT your attitude towards one of empowerment.

Sound pie-in-the sky? It actually works. Take the example of my mom dying. In 2004 after years of beating cancer and she succumbed to the ravages of chemotherapy and radiation, and I was kicked into directly confronting the difference between true grief – simply missing her – and the opportunity to create drama about her loss. Feeling sad not having her around anymore was an honest feeling, however adding a story about her abandoning me, me being alone, demonizing western medicine for unintended side-effects, or inventing a victim version of myself as poor-little-no-mom-Tevis – that would be adding unnecessary suffering and slow my grieving process all because of my attitude, judgment, expectations and attachments. I once heard Genpo Roshi share a similar example of a beloved pet dying – that he could miss his pet more truly and deeply without adding a personal drama or story of suffering to compound the experience.

These self-inquiry practices allow you to become clear on how your mental assumptions about reality are putting you in unnecessary conflict with what IS. Sure, life doesn't always unfold as we might have wished. By clarifying your role in creating additional mental DIScomfort, you have greater energy and clarity to deal with whatever is actually happening.

Be well,

Tevis

Off The Grid 4: Insight and Innovation

2009-06-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

After four dust-covered days as a backpacking tourist, it was time to go back to work. Plunging into high-heels, suits, PowerPoint, and blown-dry hair, I re-assumed my usual role as business consultant teaching a workshop Insight & Innovation for Harvard Business Review events. With around 100 or so executives in attendance, we set forth on a path of creativity, looking at great examples of discoveries including the light bulb and the evolution of telephony from Western Unions rejection of Alexander Graham Bell's invention "inherently of no value", to the current version of the iPhone.

Teaching creativity of any type is a challenge. With employee engagement numbers at less than 27% in the US (Gallup) and even lower globally (Towers Perrin), corporations are increasingly receptive to the idea that infusing what we do every day with a sense of creativity can make things more satisfying and exciting and actually make the corporation more resilient and
profitable. Sounds good, right?

Here's the catch: creativity requires confronting fear and moving into the unknown - something we instinctively avoid. Executives are no different, and one could say their conditioned desire to look good, sound smart or otherwise impress others heightens their risk-aversion. In art, in business, and everywhere in life the dynamic struggle between certainty of established paths and having to find our own way is always present.

In any instance of insight and innovation, you can count on the following:

The idea was absurd. Albert Einstein said if an idea is not absurd, there's no hope for it. Put simply - if it is not absurd, it probably isn't creative or new.
People thought the proponent of the idea was crazy or stupid. In fact, the creator of FEDEX got a "C" on his paper describing the concept, and Debbie Field's family told her she was crazy to follow her cookie idea.
There was failure involved. Even Michael Jordan credits his willingness to fail as driving his ability to succeed.
Self respect and confidence (meaning with faith) were cultivated along the way. Anyone who recognizes their efforts as part of a creative journey is that much able to overcome obstacles.
The effort is its own reward. Although Steve Jobs hasn't gone broke as a result of the success of Apple, if you read books on truly successful people you'll see a common reference to being motivated NOT by the outcome, but by the fun of the journey, the thrill of the quest.

Net net: there is no formula, it's rife with uncertainty, you'll have to get to know yourself a lot better, and no one can do this FOR you. Ie. we each have to set of on treacherous paths, and find our own way. So what ARE some practices regular folks can do to cultivate creativity?

First, remember WE ARE ALL REGULAR FOLKS. Even people famous for something started out as regular folks. Abraham Lincoln and Einstein both lived decades of mediocrity before being known for anything. Do yourself a favor by not objectifying people you admire and remember they are just as human as you are.

Second, choose what you pay attention to. What you give energy to grows. If you give energy to uninspired conversations, that's what you'll get. However, if you determine to only give energy and intention to curiosity and connection with the world, your ability to make new connections and imagine new possibilities will grow. Voila, creativity.

Take time to listen to your own curiosity. Invest in it energetically. Take a course on a new topic. Go to a talk at your local library, café or bookstore. Write in a journal to learn to pay attention to your ideas. Listen when that voice inside your head tells you to check out something new, or says to pull over to see something you haven't noticed before on the way home. This voice is the source of your own creativity.

Spend time with people who have started or created something and tell them you are fascinated by how they did it. Ask them questions about how they think, how they see the world, and how they see themselves contributing to it. From the local bakery owner to that person who started the new community group, our lives can be filled with creators who live in our midst. Check them out and recognize their successes and failures. It will help you give yourself permission to have a few of your own.

And let me know what your ideas to reinforce creativity are. I promise to respond. After all, by listening to your own inner authority, you respect and reinforce it – a needed element in pursuing your own great ideas.

Be well,

Tevis

Off The Grid 3: This Too Shall Pass

2009-06-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

While in Peru I picked up the local newspaper and saw a story about how productivity in the United States was significantly higher in 2008. The conclusion by the reporter was that this serves as proof that people work harder when unemployment is high. Never mind that the rise in unemployment really didn't begin until early in '09 – the reporter like so many of us was simply spinning the information to have a story to tell. Accuracy aside, oftentimes our stories have prophetic power.

So what stories are you telling yourself? Considering recent statistics on insomnia and stress, it seems many of us are telling ourselves stories that deprive us of sleep and a sense of wellbeing. Our worries are depriving us of our ability to respond well at a time when our ability to respond matters most. In the midst of whatever disasters or good fortunes that have come your way today, it is time for you to take a step back, relax the tension in your forehead or shoulders and breathe a couple of deep breaths. If your response is along the lines of "I'm too busy", or "I can't take the time for that", believe me, you're way overdue.

Because the first life you must tend to is your own, your duty is to back off and take care of yourself. Here's why: imagine a world packed full of panicked people trying to go about their business each day, snapping at each other and responding fearfully to every stimulus they encounter. Is that a world you want to live in? Now imagine the world full of people who back off from the panic of the moment, take a breath, and remember that the history of the world is made of stories of upswings and downswings, good times and not so good times. Doesn't that sound like a better place?

The secret is that no one can take care of you FOR you. Put simply, the world needs you to take care of yourself both for your own sanity and for the aggregated effect of how we respond to each other. It is your job to choose consciously which reality you want to contribute to, being the change not just for yourself but for the quality of life on the planet. Persevering with grace is it's own reward.

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

Seeing the masterful architectural accomplishments of the Inca people reminded me beyond a doubt that our task here on earth is to do our best, to create beauty and connection, and to work from our depths to achieve our highest. Standing on the edge of the ancient city Machu Picchu, I found myself wondering as I have at so many ruins around the world: "what intrigues, struggles, collective or personal were each of these people confronting in the midst of making all this beauty?" And like I did on the edge of the ruins in Rome, I took a picture knowing I would bring it home and inscribe across the image in bright red font the words "This Too Shall Pass" and hang it over my desk.

As the teachings of every wisdom tradition from the Bhagavad-Gita to the Chinese Tao Te Ching remind us, the only thing that is certain is that we come into this world and eventually exit. No matter our achievements, all falls to dust eventually. How we find meaning in the interim is by doing our best for the sole purpose of doing our best without attachment to the outcome. From the ruins of Rome to the rubble of Giza, the world is full of these reminders to relax, let go, and do your utmost.

What a great reminder.

Be well,

Tevis

Off The Grid 2: Are We There Yet?

2009-06-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

While heading to Peru, I caught myself thinking about some of the conventional wisdoms about going on vacation, among them: "preparation to leave is so exhausting it's not worth getting away", "it takes at least half the time away to even begin to relax", not to mention "YUCK, Tourists!" and "the piled up work you come back to eliminates any benefit from the relaxation you did have".

I decided to test these attitudes and see if there's not a better way to be.

Preparation: for many of us the preparation can be exhausting. Between pet/plant care, coverage for work responsibilities, mail, away messages, social commitments etc., there's so much to do. I decided to approach the whole thing with an attitude of FUN. My intention throughout all the activities was to focus upon enjoyment. Who would have FUN taking care of the pets? Who on my team would enjoy being the one to take on "emergency" authority? Even my away messages admitted to being away for some FUN as well as work (gasp!), and when I paid my bills a week earlier than usual, I made sure to remember just how much FUN I was going to be having the next week with peace of mind to boot.

Transcendent Travel: If like me you were one of those kids who bounced on the backseat of the car groaning "are we there yet?", chances are you're now an adult who pushes just to get THERE. THERE meaning ANYWHERE. Being between points A and B can be very uncomfortable to many of us. Airplane seats aside, we are so programmed for efficiency and control, the out-of-control and frequent lack of efficiency in travel can be unsettling. Not to mention being crammed in with all those other people. This trip, I decided to stop my urgency in its tracks. From the moment I got in the cab to head to the airport, I decided to breathe long and easy, relax my eyes and vision, and stand back in my own shoes. When I'd feel my habitual response to lurch ahead of others to get preference in lines, I'd catch myself and remind myself of the peace and generosity of vacation. When I'd catch myself feeling anxious about how to get from airport to hotel, hotel to airport, airport to site, site to next city and hotel, etc., I'd simply remind myself that not knowing is not lethal and everything always works out. After all, life-wisdom reminders to enjoy the journey include enjoying actual journeys.

Touristitis: Yes, I get touristitis. In Paris I even skipped seeing the Louvre rather than deal with all the tourists. This trip, despite the certain knowledge that Macchu Picchu would be packed with tourists, and that getting there would require being crammed into a bus with lots of them both ways, I had to make peace with it.

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

Curiosity being the best antidote for contempt, I turned to the first body to perch itself in a seat next to me and used an attitude of wonder to transform the experience. It paid off big. My seatmate Hal was retired from his lifelong career as an elementary school teacher. He had used all his savings for this trip to Macchu Picchu - the fulfillment of a life dream. With so much enthusiasm for the ruins, he was going back for a second day just to see whatever he might have missed. He told me a lot about his life, what he had seen in the ruins the previous day, and what he was hoping to cover that morning. It's amazing what people can share in the scope of 20 minutes. Details aside, I was so blown away by the halo of happiness and enthusiasm radiating from the guy, I found myself wishing I could bottle it and sell it for a kinder, gentler world.

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

Testing this "personal connection makes tourists into people" theory out again on the trip down, I was fortunate to meet Alexa, a 22 year-old cosmetologist from Minnesota. Alexa told me that she been planning her trip for a year. For her, the exciting part wasn't the ruins or culture, it's that she had pre-arranged to volunteer at an orphanage in Lima teaching the kids how to speak English. Alexa didn't speak any Spanish. Alexa was on a limited budget. Alexa had no experience working with kids. Way to go Alexa!!!

Home: So what is it that overwhelms when we get home, is it the shock to the nervous system? Is it taking on functioning when our bodies are still jet lagged? I decided as soon as I got off the red eye in Newark Airport that I would not turn on my PDA until I got home. To get home, I decided to opt for the mode of travel that best balanced cost with wear and tear on my body, ie. the bus rather than either a pricey cab or a physically demanding trip on train and subway. Most importantly, I decided to remember all the wisdom of the preceding days, the good feeling of moving slowly, and the power of connecting personally.

Just back at the computer this morning, watching taxis move through unseasonal rain has conspired for a day that contrasts 100% with my experience in Peru's tranquil, sunny and dry Sacred Valley. No matter: my home-made latte is a fantastic treat, walking my puppy Ruby was a delight, and sitting here typing these words has been a reminder that our life offers sweetness no matter where we are or where we go.

Be well,

Tevis

Off The Grid 1: Big A-has from a Short Trip

2009-06-23T12:24:00.001-07:00

Being invited by Harvard Business Review to lead an executive workshop called Insight and Innovation in Lima, Peru earlier this month has been the highlight of my year, made all the richer by some amazing insights that resulted from a few days of leisure in the hills of Peru's sacred valley.

The next couple of posts will be dedicated to my adventure in this amazing land. Here are some most memorable surprises:

H1N1 – If you assume that the US is the most cautious about health issues, Peru begs to differ. Upon landing at Lima's airport, I saw EVERY EMPLOYEE in a mask. In fact, it is obligatory for employees to wear them. Like any rabble rousing American I suspected employees must find the masks as much an overreaction as I do for a virus that has killed fewer people this year than the common flu on any given year. Not so. Responding to my questions as to why they wore the masks, they were quite matter of fact saying "better to avoid problems".

Climate Change – The local free paper in NYC has had an ongoing "true or false" series about whether or not global warming is real. I spent a day with Quechua people (modern day descendants of the Inca) who have cultivated both their living and sustenance in the hills of the Inca mountain chain for more than a millennia. To them there is not a single doubt that the climate is changing in unprecedented ways. They note that since 2004 the rains have been so off-schedule, they have had to abandon their traditional practice of farming on highland terraces. Why? Without these rains the land does not yield sufficiently to justify the effort.

Empty Calories – In the "kitchen" (a little hand built shack with a hole in its thatched roof to allow the smoke from the cooking fire to escape) of Paulina, a Quechua grandmother, while peeling potatoes together we talked about how their community keeps strong nutritionally in the midst of both economic and agricultural crisis. She gestured towards the bread I had brought as a gift and commented that although breads and other carbohydrate-based foods like noodles taste great, among her community it is known that these things only fill you up for about an hour and leave you hungrier shortly thereafter.

Yes, Doctor. – I asked about medical care and among tribes people, and unlike media-based fantasies that there is some "medicine man" or other such specialist, I learned that in these agriculturally-based communities such knowledge is held by everyone. Each person is taught from the start about natural herbs and other cures. Good thing too – given necessary reliance on barter and little actual money, the rare moments in which they are forced to seek formal medical attention can set an entire family back for years in paying back the costs.

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

And other random observations abound: although Paulina didn't know the age of any of her children, she knew to the day how long she had been boiling her "year long potatoes" (potatoes that are cooked continually for a year and then used as staple foods for travel). Despite me being a stranger with nothing other than company to offer, her generosity was such that over a pounded earthen floor she filled a plate and insisted I eat. She handled the burning wood in the fire with her soft bare hands – I know they are soft because I touched them. She worked the whole time we talked not out of urgency, but because according to the Quechua interpreter she ONLY knows work – in her culture there is no such thing as rest or recreation.

Her attitude? Amazing.

Her challenges? Unimaginable.

My takeaway? For us, whatever we are navigating these days, Paulina reminded me that we all have more resources within us that we can possibly imagine. These challenges too will pass.

Be well,

Tevis

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Practice Peace NOW

2009-06-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

You never know where passion for work will show up. I remember during jury duty this past year the guy who ran the jury pool had such dignity about him and respect for every person with whom he spoke, I couldn't bear to be dismissed and leave the municipal court building without complimenting him. He told me that he took the job because he loves people, and he loves creating order and clarity. This is a fairly common sensibility. That he remembers it each and every time he takes the microphone to address a couple hundred resentful Manhattanites forced to serve jury duty is the remarkable part.

He's not alone in this. I've been thinking about how often I encounter a restaurant server or customer support rep who manages to have a smile in their voice and convey respect for themselves and me in their words - it really is amazing.

Photo: Tevis Rose Trower

Just last week after teaching an early morning corporate yoga class, I ducked into NYC's Angelo David Salon for a WAY overdue trim and was delighted to find myself in the presence of a stylist who reminded me of exactly this. Meagan Frayne popped me in her chair and started talking to me about aspects of my hair, health, image and self-esteem that made me feel better.

I asked her what made her so alive in what she does and she said to me, "Sure, I'm just cutting someone's hair, but that someone may go days on end without anyone really making eye contact, listening to them, or inviting them to relax. If I can really be present with them and give them the peace of my presence, I may not be making world peace, but I'm inviting peace into their world and keeping it in my own."

Great information aside, what really made me feel better is that behind the perspective and data, Meagan knows that the quality of our days is comprised by the experiences we have moment to moment.

Peace NOW is right. I'll be back for more.

Be well,

Tevis

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Recess-Is-On

2009-05-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

After blogging earlier this month about community, I had to ride the wave of community involvement. It's not really surprising when you think about it. Transparently, as a corporate yogi, my business has been impacted like most people's, meaning hit. Hard. Suddenly I have found my bandwidth of energy going less than called upon. And while I'm grateful for the skills to address the anxiety associated with economic uncertainty, no amount of meditation, self-inquiry or breath-work compensates for excess bandwidth.

Wondering what to do with all this energy, earlier this month I was listening to the news and heard that the Taliban had just bombed a few girls schools in Afghanistan because - well, because they were schools for GIRLS, FEMALES. You know, people like me or you or your mom, sister, daughter or friend. I thought about how much learning and being productive has meant to me, about how not having as much work as I like to have has really been a struggle for me beyond the financial aspect but for my sense of place, identity and contribution to the world. I thought about how many of my unemployed friends are surprised by the extent to which their longing for work is driven by these same qualitative reasons. Immediately I felt a connection and looked for a way to help.

Seek and ye shall find? Truly. And sometimes it happens really fast.

Like Rachel Devlin serving in her own back yard, there's another way of viewing the world: as one little village. Under my own fingertips, through a few friends I found an organization called BPeace (Business Council for Peace)that takes experts on small business over to places like Rwanda and Afghanistan to teach women how to run their own businesses. My friend and colleague Athena Katsaros has been getting on UN-approved flights with these folks, going to these countries and teaching women how to nurture an idea, take it from concept to product/service offering, and then how to tend to it like life itself through customer service and sales. Another friend, Sherry Harris, has been involved years, fundraising and awareness-raising, helping the people here understand the situation for real people there.

In the spirit of converting recession into "Recess-Is-On", this year the folks at BPeace decided to convert their annual gala and normally galactic-sized ticket price into a "DanceGiving" - dance as fundraiser becoming a fun-raiser. By doing this, they made the fun and ability to support the organization accessible to lots of folks like me who might not have been able to justify a week's rent on a single night. By doing this, they made the night less about status and more about getting involved.

So said event planned, I went, I danced, and I remembered just how lucky I am to live in a culture in which a woman can adorn herself however she wants and go to an event, a university, a place of business, or place of worship. Freedom is great, and using it to support the freedom of others is AMAZING.

Be well,

Tevis

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Reminder: Presence Is Required

2009-05-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Tevis Rose Trower

Memorial Day is always emotional for me. I'm one of those people standing alongside the community parade with a pointedly averted gaze, even behind my sunglasses. I can't talk much at such events, because if I do the words are either a pretense of pleasantry or they are sincere and trigger waterworks and emotional thunder I struggle to control under the words deep in the back of my throat.

Considering what it means to serve is a biggie for me, and not just because I served in the U.S. Army Reserves during college. My politics are pragmatic and tend towards active debate and respect for dissent, perhaps because I've experienced plenty of both throughout my life. Some of the greatest patriots I've ever known have worn uniforms but just as many have not, serving society instead through vocations of non-profit, agriculture, academia, lawyers, corporate jobs complimented with active community service, and self-employment in healing arts. I can't think of anyone in my life who isn't watching the dance of change on this planet without a sense of duty, determination to contribute, and desire to help the world evolve and emerge better, wiser and more able to thrive.

So I've wondered what it is that strikes so deeply in my heart at these events. It's not just the soul-piercing whine of the local Irish club's bagpipes or the tender sweetness of Boy & Girl Scouts high-fiving the entire crowd. What single emotion can describe the beauty of little kids cartwheeling down a 20 block parade route perfumed by the unmistakable fragrance of the community pancake sale and burgers off the grill, or the bossy den mothers herding cat-like troops to the sound of the high school marching band - all coming together in a collage of "YES"?

Yes, I would have loved to sleep late that day. I'm sure that lots of folks at that parade had plenty of other stuff they could have done with their day off. But conscious of it or not, there is something to shared experience that we can't emulate online, no matter the Facebook group, myspace page or how LinkedIn we think we are.

In the smallness of any "our town" moment, there's a bigness to participating in our collective - to putting aside personal benefit or well being in support being together in this thing called life. No matter that we debate a given ideology, course of action or the underlying motives, that we choose to show up, to say "yes, count me in," participating in our collective WE is part of how we crawl out of ourselves, shrug off our little lives and into the WE of life itself.

Being there at that parade reminded me of this: it takes being present to experience a WE.

Be well,

Tevis

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Seeds

2009-05-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I volunteered for a community event out in the "sticks" of Brooklyn in a little-mentioned neighborhood called Bushwick.

Ego-trip associated with volunteering aside, admittedly, after the many weeks passed from the time of the request for my participation to the moment I had to pack up 20 yoga mats into an oversized suitcase and hoof it on the subway out to what many might consider a dodgy location to teach yoga in Spanish at the event, I was more than hopeful for a downpour to give me and everyone involved the excuse of savoring my Saturday at home on my couch with my puppy and a good book.

Photo Credit: Tevis Rose Trower

But am I ever glad I went. For one thing, this wasn't some huge bureaucracy. It was one little person, Rachel Devlin, who as a resident of Bushwick, decided to have an organic street fair and community event. Busy as she is managing her own life as a yoga teacher and musician, starting a new studio, going about her business of keeping afloat in the midst of an economic downturn, Rachel took a moment to notice the conditions in the neighborhood around her. She researched Bushwick and found that in addition to leading NYC in type-2 diabetes and obesity, 38% of the residents are below poverty and face challenges of language and acculturation.

Caring about what she found led to a world of effort on her part: Getting local merchants involved. Getting friends to participate. Contacting relevant local community agencies. Getting a permit from the parks department. Distributing flyers around the neighborhood. I can't imagine what this initiative did to her own to-do list.

Photo Credit: Tevis Rose Trower

The main features of the event were information about organic food co-ops, sample yoga mini-classes, and free samples of healthy and delicious food options prepared fresh on site. In all, much was accomplished. Volunteers served up around 500 green smoothies and grilled up more than 130 veggie burgers. Kids who never heard of yoga were doing downward dogs. Loads of people signed up for the Bushwick Grows Together community garden. Over 50 people joined the Bushwick Food Coop and learned about hydroponic gardening. Around 70 signed up for library cards. A personal point of delight to Rachel is that the concrete-heavy park where the event was held was "gorgeously decorated in sidewalk chalk and bright faces glowed in paints, glitter and smiles!"

Because of Rachel's determination to share knowledge and tools that can shift these prevailing health statistics, a couple hundred residents of this little known neighborhood in the middle of one of the toughest places to live now know that veggie burgers and smoothies can be delicious, that a couple really good deep breaths can make you feel great, and that the habits that can kill them can also be given up in favor of more life affirming choices. And for those of us who volunteered, we were reminded that it doesn't take much to give a lot. An hour here or there, schlepping to an unfamiliar location, what we get in return is what so many of us have been praying for: a sense of making a difference, mattering, and connecting to others.

Will anyone who experienced this fair run out and buy a yoga mat, give up punch for smoothies, or forsake meat for veggie burgers? Probably not. But in each person who attended were planted seeds of recognition that our lives are the result of the patterns of our choices, and the possible choices we can make are always far broader than we might imagine. It reminded me to look around my neighborhood, find ways I can make new (and perhaps uncomfortable) choices, and give myself the opportunity for greater connection to life by putting just a little energy into serving the lives around me.

Hey Rachel, thank you.

Be well,

Tevis

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