Have you ever stopped to think about money? I mean what it really is. What if I told you money is more than the paper it is printed on? Well, it is more. Much more. Money is actually energy – spiritual energy. So now, with this in mind, I urge you to think again about what money is. But this time considers money as spiritual energy…
It might initially seem tangible, to consider money as more than its physical value. But if you do, you allow yourself the opportunity to harness its energy and use it to your advantage.
What does this mean for you, as a business executive? Well, you need to stop thinking of money as your next paycheck and instead think of it as the energy involved in earning and the energy expelled when using it. If change the way you think about money, you enable yourself to increase your financial success simply by harnessing money’s spiritual energy.
Before I tell you how you can use the energy of money, it’s important to first understand how money works, and then you can learn how to harness its power and use it for your benefit.
Money as spiritual energy
As I mentioned, money is more than just physical currency. If you look beyond its material qualities, you will discover that money is actually a social construct that has been around for thousands of years. Although it hasn’t always been in the form of money that we recognize today either. The earliest forms of currency were commodities like salt, cows, or even shells. Anything that had value due to its scarcity.
Money, in one form or another, has existed since humans began trading goods with one another. While the way we use money has evolved substantially over time, there are still some fundamental laws that govern how it functions—and those principles still apply to how we use money today.
Many people think that money is just about money—that it’s about making sure you have enough to pay your bills and do the things you want to do. But money is more than that. It’s a force that can be harnessed, channeled, and spent to help you reach your objectives– for yourself or the company you work for.
It has the potential to be used to create change in the world, affect other people’s lives, and make our communities better places.
So, what do I mean when I say think of money as spiritual energy? I want you to think of the energy it possesses and how it can be harnessed and used for good.
The benefit of thinking about money in this way is that it helps you to associate positive thoughts and intentions with money. Rather than dwelling on how much money you may or may not have.
The law of attraction
Now that you understand money is more than its physical value, it’s time to think about how you can use this knowledge to improve your financial position.
Let’s consider the law of attraction, it is one of the most popular and widely used metaphysical laws globally. It states that people attract what they focus on. Positive thoughts bring positive results and negative thoughts bring negative results.
Have you ever noticed that you tend to see and encounter more bad things when you are in a bad mood? And vice versa, everything seems to go your way when you feel good?
The first lesson here is to think about money and think about it in a positive, prosperous way. Associate productive qualities with money and attract its energy into your life.
The law of giving and receiving
Complimentary to the law of attraction, and equally applicable when it comes to money is the law of giving. Essentially this means the more you give, the more you shall receive.
This law applies to many things in life but is particularly poignant when it comes to money. Part of every healthy relationship with money is a balance between giving and receiving.
You cannot simply acquire money without giving, to do so will degenerate your spiritual energy as well as the presence of the energy of money in your life.
In order to open yourself up to receiving more money and harness the energy of money, you must first be generous with the money that you have.
Your thoughts, beliefs, and energy can impact your financial success
Let’s stop for a second and consider what we’ve learned so far about the energy of money. We know it derives from both physical laws and spiritual energy.
But what does this mean? Not only do you need to change how you think about money, but you also need to change your relationship with money. The right relationship can lead to more positive associations with money and in turn, you will attract more positive energy – in the form of money.
It can be very difficult to do this. We often have deeply embedded negative associations with money that date back throughout our lives. But this is the starting place to develop a healthy, bountiful relationship with money.
Harnessing your own spiritual energy first
What is needed to harness the energy of money is to harness your own energy first, specifically your spiritual energy.
If you want to be successful at work — with more money, better relationships, and more happiness — then you need to pay attention to what’s happening inside yourself first.
When you harness spiritual energy, you are able to bring your best self forward and achieve more than you ever thought possible. And when it comes down to it, that’s what we all want: to be our best selves and achieve everything we’ve ever dreamed of.
Quick tips for executives to harness the energy of money
Now that we’ve established money as a spiritual energy, the next step is to use this knowledge to empower your life and connect with the energy you need for financial success. Here are some quick tips to get you started.
Develop a deep understanding of your relationship with money
The first step in harnessing the spiritual energy of money is developing a deep understanding of its nature. To do this, you need to take a step back and ask yourself some important questions:
How do I see money? How do I feel about having it or not having it? What does money mean to me? Do I believe there is enough for everyone or that there is not enough for everyone?
It is said that money is the root of all evil. However, this statement could not be further from the truth. The fact is that money is one of the most powerful forces in the world. It can be used to do great things, and it can also be used to do terrible things.
When you have money, you have power and influence over others. Money allows you to make changes in your life that would otherwise not be possible. You can use your money to change jobs, start a new business venture, or even pay off debt and get out of debt once and for all.
Embrace money as spiritual energy and experience more abundance in your life
The way you use your money is a reflection of what’s going on inside of you.
If you’re struggling with debt, then there’s something inside of you that needs to be healed.
Perhaps it’s fear. Or maybe it’s the belief that you don’t deserve to have good things in life because of past mistakes or other peoples’ opinions about who you are and what your worth is in this world.
As a businessperson or executive, give generously
As a businessperson or executive in any organization, the energy of money should be harnessed for the betterment of all involved. This means that if there are opportunities for charity work or helping others out financially or otherwise, then it’s important not to pass up on those opportunities.
Even if they seem small or insignificant at first glance, these actions can go a long way toward making an impact on the world around us and are often much more valuable than we realize.
Conclusion
Learning to view money as spiritual energy is a great way to increase your financial success. It will help you attract more positive energy in your life as well as more money. Your spiritual energy and money need to be considered as part of the same goal. They are one and the same, and no matter your beliefs about money, there is always a way for you to make more of it.
Did you know that Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, is one of the most influential CEOs of 2021? If you look at the list, it’s quite an impressive cohort. But how did they become great leaders? What are the leadership traits they possess that set them apart from the rest? How do they manage to achieve the things we can only dream of?
There is so much we can learn from these iconic leaders.
Let’s explore the mindset of these modern leaders so that we can reach the level of their accomplishments and beyond.
1. A thirst for knowledge
When it comes to leadership traits, ensure you maintain a healthy thirst for knowledge. One of the best ways you can do this is by reading as much and as widely as possible. Seek advice from others, it’s fairly safe to assume that there isn’t a problem or a feeling that hasn’t been written about in some way in the past.
By reading a wealth of books, you can tap into a huge reservoir of knowledge, whether it comes from fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or all of the above. Bill Gates is a passionate reader and he shares a list of his favorite books each year.
It’s not surprising that his list features literature by some of the world’s greatest thinkers, including linguist Steven Pinker, historian Jared Diamond, and civil rights activist Michelle Alexander.
Don’t forget you can also include audiobooks into the mix as well. That way, you can soak up knowledge during your commute, while you wash the dishes, and almost any other time. Audiobooks could even make you look forward to boring chores.
2. Mindfulness
Being mindful and living in the moment is fast becoming a common leadership trait of the modern leader.
Some of the most successful leaders and influencers – think Tim Cook, Satya Nadella, and even Jeff Bezos – engage in mindfulness.
As ambitious people, it’s easy to lose sight of the present as we are often so focused on the future. But the truth is we must always tackle the present before we can reach the future. The biggest reward for our effort is in being mindful of our present.
By increasing our awareness of the present and living in the moment as much as possible, we can reap a wide range of benefits, such as reduced stress, clearer decision-making, and so much more.
While there are many ways you can boost your mindfulness and spiritual levels, practicing meditation on a regular basis is a great way to get started.
This is because leaders with a high level of self-awareness are better equipped to maintain and develop healthier work relationships.
If you understand yourself better and how you are likely going to react to situations in the office, you can manage your emotions, fears, and feelings before they arise.
Spiritual meditation, while not the only way, is one of the most effective ways to increase your self-awareness.
4. Emotional intelligence
Are you still wondering how to be a good leader? The best leaders have strong empathic qualities. Empathy is like a mental muscle, so it’s important to exercise it as much as possible.
In its most basic form, empathy allows you to feel and understand what another person might be feeling. Not only can this make you a more caring leader, but it can also make you more strategic. For instance, how do you know who your target audience is if you can’t envision what another person might feel or think at a given moment?
Be aware though, that there is such a thing as being too empathic. Being overly tuned in to other people’s feelings can drain you on an emotional level.
This is why it’s important to modulate your empathy as needed. It all goes back to honing your emotional intelligence.
Let’s look at Warren Buffet as an example of emotional intelligence, he felt the pain and suffering of his fellow man and knew that philanthropy was the best solution. In fact, he’s promised to donate over 99% of his wealth over the course of his lifetime.
Without the power of empathy, Buffet would never have been able to accomplish their great deeds.
5. Spirituality
Embracing your spirituality in the workplace means bringing your whole self to work. Spiritually energized employees can tap into their spiritual energy for greater business outcomes.
Spiritual leadership supports employees while providing a space for creativity and innovation. This style of leadership translates into strong united teams and employees with a sense of connectedness to one another.
By breathing life into everything you do, you can share as many positive qualities with others as possible, such as enthusiasm, meaning and productivity. You can inspire and influence your employees and unlock their full potential.
6. Bravery
Bravery is yet another indispensable leadership trait. It might sound a bit dramatic, but you may be surprised by how much bravery leaders need.
As a leader, you’ll encounter a variety of situations where hard decisions are unavoidable. Some people’s worst fears involve the judgment of others. Even firing an employee can end up being a traumatic experience if you’ve never done it before.
Courage also comes in handy when your company fails. Sometimes it’s easier to jump ship than it is to stick around for the long haul and turn a failure on its head so that it’s a resounding success.
We’ve all heard at least one story of a leader demonstrating their bravery during times of war, but there are other examples of bravery as well. For instance, there’s bravery in speaking out against discrimination, hostile workplace environments, illegal business practices, and much more.
7. Innovative
Many people repeat the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. While this can be true in a variety of situations, it can lead to complacency.
If you don’t try to innovate your products, services, or marketing strategies, you’ll never know whether innovation is even possible. Nor will you be able to realize any potential success. Innovation and persistence usually go hand-in-hand, and great leaders also need the persistence to see new ideas through.
Imagine where we’d be if CEOs gave up after the first few attempts at establishing an influential brand? What about the first few hundred? Instead, the best CEOS have persevered through countless obstacles to bring us evolutionary products made by Apple, Versaci, and Coca-Cola.
Ready to hone your leadership traits?
Now that we’ve covered seven of the most powerful leadership traits of the modern leader, you can start investing in your own mental and physical well-being. As you create the best version of yourself, you can also create a brand that people will connect with and support for many years to come.
Do you ever find yourself wondering why some people seem to be naturally more successful at work than you are? Do you struggle to understand how they achieve the things they do? If I were to hazard a guess, I would say they are driven by their passions. People who are driven, or even just guided by their passions are more likely to be engaged and happy – not to mention more successful overall. In fact, one of Deepak Chopra’s seven spiritual laws of success, the law of pure potentiality, urges people to pursue their passions in order to find true success.
It works on the basis that successful people are drawn to the things that they are good at.
If you have not yet discovered Chopra’s principles, I strongly recommend you take a look and consider using these principles as a guide in establishing your professional career.
Below I’ve prepared an adaptation of the seven spiritual laws that can be used by executives and other professional workers in their pursuit of success.
What are the 7 spiritual laws of success?
The seven spiritual laws of success are a set of principles that can help guide your business – or yourself individually in your professional career – and encourage you to work in a way that reflects and supports your own values or those of your business.
The principles are based on the combined wisdom of many different cultures and traditions worldwide. They focus on helping individuals and organizations create a work environment where people feel valued for their contributions and are given opportunities to grow spiritually and professionally.
The principles assume that your mind is like a magnet that attracts experiences that match its thoughts and beliefs. When you go out into the world with fear and limitation, you attract those things that elicit fear and limitation. When you go out with love and faith, you attract things that develop love and faith.
Let’s take a look at the seven principles individually to see how they can be applied in a professional environment.
The 7 spiritual laws explained
1. The law of pure potentiality
We all want to be better leaders. We want to be the kind of leader that people follow because they believe in us, not just because we’re the boss. But what is it that makes a great leader?
It’s a complicated question, but there’s one thing we know for sure: great leaders don’t just get lucky. They likely already know how to use their spirituality to their advantage to become better leaders.
Great leadership starts with pure potentiality—the Law of Pure Potentiality, which states that you can have anything you want if you believe in yourself enough. This first law is first and foremost about being aware of yourself. Think of this as the “know thyself” rule. It will be difficult to achieve success if you don’t know where you are starting from.
That’s why it’s essential to take time out to get to know yourself, not just in a superficial way. You need to dig deeper and understand what makes you tick—what motivates you, what makes it hard for you, and what’s holding you back.
Once you understand yourself and believe in your potential, you can then inspire others to do the same. If others can see your potential, they’re more likely to follow your lead.
This law works so particularly well for growing your leadership capabilities.
2. The law of giving and receiving
The Law of Giving and Receiving is also one of the seven spiritual laws of success that can help you become a better leader. The premise is when you give to others, they will want to give back. When you make other people feel good about themselves and their work, they will be more inspired to do their best for you.
By treating your employees with respect and appreciation, they’ll be motivated to return the favor by working hard for you. The Law of Giving and Receiving will help your company grow in ways that are mutually beneficial for everyone involved.
3. The law of karma: cause and effect
The Law of Karma suggests that everything happens for a reason, and the universe always delivers what you deserve. There are consequences for every action you take—even if it’s not immediately obvious.
Sometimes karma is hard to grasp, especially when it feels like things aren’t going your way. But if you keep working hard and doing good, eventually everything will work out—and as a result, so will your business! This law is important because it teaches us how to live our lives. It encourages us to think about how our actions affect others and make sure we’re not hurting or exploiting them.
This law can be applied to business in various ways, but the most obvious is the way in which your company conducts business. Business should be conducted in an ethical and socially responsible way. Don’t break the law, don’t exploit consumers or employees, and be honest and transparent with all parties engaged in the company’s activities.
If you conduct your business in a responsible and ethical way, the law of karma states that this good energy will return to you.
4. The law of least effort: intentional action, unintentional results
At first glance, it might seem like leadership is about taking charge—giving orders and direction. But that’s not necessarily true. True leadership is about inspiring others to be better than they thought they could be.
And what does that mean? It means creating an environment where people want to work hard and do their best work. You don’t have to force or threaten them; you have to give them something worth working for.
Rather than giving your staff strict rules and procedures to follow, instead, give them fewer if you want them to accomplish a better job and be happier at work. The more regulations there are, the more difficult it is for people to work effectively—and they will accomplish less.
It is human nature to take the path of least resistance, to choose less work and more reward. Instead of complicated processes, allow your staff to find their way through instinct. Sure there might be some mistakes, but it is through our mistakes that our best lessons are learned.
5. The law of detachment
In business, we’re all trying to get ahead. Who hasn’t felt the pressure to do more, be more, and have more? We’re always looking for the next step in our career or the next big thing that will make us stand out. But what if there was another way? What if we could detach from all this pressure and just be ourselves?
That’s what the Law of Detachment is about: letting go of what you think you need to be successful in business to focus on what matters. It shouldn’t be about how much money you make or how many employees report to you. It should be about how well your team works together and the result they achieve.
When we let go of our attachment to success, we open ourselves up to new opportunities and ideas. This leads to better leadership and better results for everyone involved!
6. The law of intention and desire
The Law of Intention and Desire states that if you want something badly enough, you can make it happen. If you want your company to succeed, you need to put your intention behind it—and then use all of your resources (including your desire) to make it happen.
As a leader, you need to be clear about where you’re headed and why if you want your team to succeed. They’ll follow you there if they understand why it matters.
7. The law of Dharma: act according to your inner dharma
The Law of Dharma is the belief that you should act according to your inner nature. In other words, if you’re feeling inspired or motivated, it’s probably a good idea to follow through with that inspiration and motivation.
But remember that not all actions are equal—you might have an inner calling to do something that doesn’t feel good at first, but if it’s truly aligned with who you are, then it will ultimately be worth it.
In business, this might look like taking uncomfortable risks that will ultimately align with your goals and values. If you’re inspired by an idea for a new product or service, don’t let fear stop you from pushing forward!
Final thoughts
When you think about spirituality in business, it might seem like an abstract concept—but it’s not! Leadership that embraces spirituality is about the values that drive your company and your decisions as a leader.
It all starts with you. When you properly align your energy, the universe will reflect that back to you. The seven spiritual laws of success, when leveraged correctly, can help you achieve your objectives.
It can be disheartening to realize that you have gained weight. After putting in long hours at work, sometimes by the time you notice it might seem too late. It’s never too late to start taking care of your health though, and it’s incredibly easy to make some simple high fiber, low carb dietary changes.
The sedentary work style of executives can take its toll on the body. Cutting corners when it comes to eating, unhealthy snacks and fast food all have their part to play.
Maybe the latest company health check-up revealed that your cholesterol is high or that you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Whatever the reason, if you’re worried about your health but don’t know how to change your diet because you’re a busy executive, we’ve got some great ideas for you on the easiest ways to get quick results and start resolving your health issues.
Take care of your health to be the best executive you can be. Eat high fiber low carb foods.
By eating high fiber and low carb foods, you can manage both your expanding waistline and your health no matter how many hours you spend pinned behind your desk.
Keep reading to find out how high fiber low carb foods benefit you. Plus, discover which high fiber low carb foods to add to your diet to start the change toward your best health!
Why sedentary people need high fiber low carb foods?
Executives like yourself by default lead a less active lifestyle.
You spend most of your day sitting, trapped for hours and hours at the office toiling away. Health often slips their mind when thinking of things that must get done. This situation can increase your chances of dying by as much as 50%.
You have a greater risk of heart disease and weight problems.
Sedentary executives typically have unhealthy diets which lead to type 2 diabetes, digestive issues, and other health concerns.
With ever-present vending machines or convenience foods during travels, you’re exposed to high carbs that drop your energy levels while at work.
These are the reasons why you’re gaining weight in your executive position. You’re also finding that your sedentary lifestyle leads to health issues like constipation, high cholesterol, or even type 2 diabetes.
Executives never want to hear about the problems though. That’s why we’re here to help you focus on the solution. This is to increase your intake of high fiber low carb foods and keep your waistline and health issues in check!
Now let’s get started with the basics first.
What is dietary fiber?
Dietary fiber is the roughage found in the food we eat. It’s found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates, fiber does not get digested by your body. It simply passes through the body. And while it might seem insignificant, it carries a lot of health benefits.
Fiber can either be soluble or insoluble. Soluble dissolves in water, while insoluble, doesn’t dissolve.
Eating more fiber isn’t difficult, it’s as simple as making better food choices.
The benefits that fiber has on your body depend on the quantity that you eat and whether you eat soluble or insoluble fiber. The more dietary fiber you consume the greater the benefits. Although pay attention, you can’t just add more fiber all at once, introduce it slowly to avoid digestive discomfort -but more on that later.
What are dietary carbohydrates?
Dietary carbohydrates are the carbohydrates that are found in the food you eat. They include sugars, starches, celluloses and gums. While carbohydrates are a major energy source, too many carbohydrates can have adverse effects.
One of the major problems when it comes to dietary carbohydrates is understanding how much you are consuming versus how much you actually need.
What are the benefits of high fiber and low carb foods for sedentary people, like executives?
Technically speaking, dietary fiber is a carb. But there’s a key difference between them. Fiber doesn’t spike blood sugar and simple carbs do. Fiber drastically reduces your body’s absorption of carbs. When that happens, both insulin and blood glucose levels drop. Why you should care: insulin spikes lead to obesity which in turn, makes you more prone to diabetes.
With fiber, you gain control of your weight and your health.
Apart from that, dietary fiber comes from plants and is the indigestible part. It moves through your body rather than becoming absorbed. Luckily, that really benefits you because no matter how sedentary you are as an executive, fiber fills up your digestive system in your intestines, making you feel full. When you feel full, you are less likely to overeat or snack when you aren’t actually hungry.
Because fiber helps you feel good and full, it’s the right choice for executives like you.
Keep reading and you’ll find out even more about the benefits of eating high fiber low carb foods have plus which of those foods to eat!
1. Low carb foods help manage your weight
Low carbs reduce blood glucose and insulin levels and, therefore, fat storage. Fiber also gives you that full feeling to help keep you from overeating.
2. Soluble fiber is a natural appetite suppressant
Because fiber isn’t absorbed into your body or digested, it fills the gaps in your intestines. This makes you feel full for longer, this is a great way to ward of those afternoon snack craving. It will help you stay away from the snack machine or snatching a sneaky donut from the lunchroom. It will also save you from overeating on your business trips when you work high fiber low carb foods into your diet.
Forget dangerous diet pills! Soluble fiber is the natural way to suppress your appetite!
3. Fiber help you lose belly fat
In fact, soluble fiber can help you lose that belly fat. It works by stopping the fat gain. In this study, they found a link with increasing daily soluble fiber and reduced belly fat.
It’s not the only study either. This study (and this one too) proved that those who eat more soluble fiber daily have less chance for gaining belly fat.
4. High fiber low carb foods keep your heart healthy
By eating high fiber and low carb foods, you lower your risk of heart disease. A Harvard study showed that the higher the dietary fiber intake, the lower the risk for coronary heart disease. In fact, the more fiber the subjects had the risk was 40% lower.
While that study was conducted on men only, another similar study, also at Harvard, focusing on female nurses had nearly identical results.
5. High fiber foods watch your digestive health
When you take in more fiber, it helps keep things moving along in your digestive system. This reduces your chances for colorectal cancer.
Plus, the gut is the second brain and it keeps your body healthy with gut-friendly bacteria. That bacteria is responsible for creating short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids guard your colon and in turn, reduce inflammatory diseases from IBS and Crohn’s disease to heart disease.
6. High fiber low carb foods reduce your chances for type 2 diabetes
Fiber slows down how fast your body absorbs digestible carbs, keeping blood sugar on an even keel. Your lifestyle may be busy, but you don’t want to have to make time to take care of this disease in your life. Eat more fiber instead!
7. High fiber foods avoid constipation
No one wants that bloated, feeling that comes with constipation. It’s one of the biggest gastrointestinal complaints in America. More fiber is the answer to this dilemma. How can you lead a meeting with confidence when you feel like you have a pile of bricks stuck inside of you?
In a nutshell, high fiber low carb foods benefit you in many ways. As a busy executive with health and weight issues, you can take control and feel better than ever when you eat fiber and low carb foods.
Best high fiber low carb foods for sedentary people
Wondering what busy executives should eat to get plenty of fiber without bottoming out on carbs? Try the foods listed below.
Plus, below that, we have handy tips on how to make them fit into your hectic schedule.
13 Super foods with high fiber, low carbs
1. Avocados
Not only does this fabulous fruit taste amazing, but it’s versatile too. There’s no end to the things you can make with it. It’s a winner simply spread on whole grain toast!
With tons of benefits including a major roster of vitamins and healthy fats, avocados have more potassium than bananas! One standard-size avocado gives you 7 grams of fiber. That’s 27% of your recommended your daily fiber intake.
Interested in more low carb fruits? Have a look at these proposals:
High in protein, almonds help stabilize blood sugar. While they might not be the lowest carb nuts out there, you don’t need a large serving. In just one ounce, you’ll enjoy 3.5 grams of fiber. It’s important not to eat salted almonds to ensure you’re not destroying their health benefits.
With antioxidants and cholesterol-lowering properties, almonds make for a perfect snack you can take with you to munch between meetings or when you’re traveling.
3. Leafy Greens
For a high fiber low carb diet, executives can choose salads made of leafy greens to maximize good health despite the sedentary lifestyle. With tons of nutrition, the possibilities are endless for these fiber-filled veggies. Plus, you can mix them up with collard greens, turnip greens, kale, spinach, and Swiss chard.
Food
Portion
Amountof Fiber
Brussels sprouts (cooked)
1 cup
6 grams
Broccoli (cooked)
1 cup
5 grams
Collard greens (cooked)
1 cup
5 grams
Turnip greens (cooked)
1 cup
5 grams
Cauliflower (cooker)
1 cup
5 grams
Spinach (cooked)
1 cup
4 grams
Swiss chard (cooked)
1 cup
4 grams
Kale (cooked)
1 cup
3 grams
4. Blackberries
With blackberries, you get plenty of antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber, and folate. While they do contain natural sugars, because of the high fiber content, the sugar spikes are minimized.
Snack on one cup of naturally-sweet blackberries instead of sugary treats and you’ll get nearly 8 grams of fiber!
5. Chia Seeds
If you’re not eating chia seeds, start now. In addition to fiber, they contain tons of omega-3 fatty acids that rid your body of inflammation and prevent cardiovascular disease. They’re easy to use too. You can toss them into smoothies or yogurt or sprinkle them on salads. All you need is one ounce of them, and you’ll get 11 grams of fiber. You’ll barely even notice them when you add it to your favorite foods.
6. Carrots
Carrots are the quintessential high fiber, for low calorie snack food. Dunk carrots in a little hummus, which is made from chickpeas, another item further down on this list, and you’ll have a healthy snack with crunch. One medium-sized carrot will add two grams of fiber to your day.
7. Beets
Beets give you 3.8 grams of fiber per cup. Plus, they’re heart-healthy and benefit your blood pressure too!
8. Broccoli
As one of the leading cruciferous vegetables out there, broccoli is outstanding for sedentary executives.
It features 2.4 grams of fiber in every cup and is loaded with plenty of vitamins, and protein too.
9. Artichoke
Don’t overlook artichokes. They are one of the best sources of fiber you can get anywhere. In just one artichoke, there are 10.3 grams of fiber!
10. Lentils
Choose lentils for a more filling fiber-rich experience. They’re also loaded with protein that will help you power through your busiest days! Lentils don’t need to be soaked before you cook them, they can be cooked quickly and you get 15 grams of fiber into your diet for every cooked cup!
11. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are legumes like lentils that will give you lots of fiber, protein, and minerals you need. Hummus is made from chickpeas, making it a healthier and more productive snacking option during a hectic workday.
In fact, you can knock out half of your fiber intake for the day by eating a cup of cooked chickpeas if you’re a female executive (or one-third if you’re a man). One cup of chickpeas offer a whopping 12.5 grams of fiber!
12. Quinoa
Quinoa eats like a carb but is actually a protein. It also contains plenty of fiber to keep you feeling nice and full. Substitute it for rice! For every cooked cup of quinoa, you’ll enjoy 5 grams of fiber which amounts to 21% of the daily value you should be getting.
13. Oats
Start your executive morning off with oats and you’ll be ready to take on the world. Oats are the healthiest of grains with oat beta-glucan, a powerful soluble fiber. What’s more, in raw form, they will give you 10.6 grams of fiber per each 3.5-ounce serving.
Extra bonus: how to fit fiber-filler super foods into your busy schedule?
We know you’re busy but taking time for your health will make you an even better executive.
Here are our easy-to-follow recommendations to increase high fiber low carb foods into your diet:
Choose brown rice and whole-grain products to round out your meals. Whole grain cereals are your best choice at breakfast. Make sure ‘whole grain’ is listed first on the ingredients.
Stuck behind your desk? Eat more salads! You can make them at home or order them to your office if you can’t get away. Just watch the dressing and other toppings!
Eat the whole fruit. When you choose ready-made juices, they’re full of sugars.
Fiber from wheat bran and oat brain is even more effective than the fiber you get from fruits and vegetables. Yes, you need to keep carbs low, but having the right carbs is fuel for your brain and body!
Add more fiber gradually. If you’re like most people and haven’t been getting enough fiber, slowly integrate more fibrous foods into your diet. This will prevent intestinal distress.
Always drink lots of water. This is especially true when you’re eating more high fiber low carb foods. Fiber absorbs water so drink up and help keep things moving along.
Do you eat enough fiber? Tell us what high fiber low carb foods you eat in the comments!
If you’re at a career crossroads, changing jobs or even starting a new career you might be asking yourself if there is any value in prayer for employment. The answer to this question, however, really comes down to several personal considerations and your existing connection with G-d.
Let’s be honest, prayer for a job is often at the end of a long list of things you might contemplate in your job application process.
Generally, when you think about applying for jobs, you often consider your cover letter, creating the perfect resume, making sure you have great references and highlighting the parts of your life that apply best for the position.
Prayer shouldn’t be the last thing you think about though and I’m going to show you why you should consider changing your process.
The digital job application process
In my opinion, it was easier in the past – in terms of applying for jobs anyway. I remember how we did it back in the day before everything went online. You simply put on your best slacks, a button-down shirt and blazer and waltzed into an employer and requested an application. You would fill out your application, ask to speak with the manager and have the opportunity to make a lasting impression. It wasn’t unheard of to get an interview on the spot, or even get offered a job that same day.
Things have changed dramatically though. I would say that the digital age has made job hunting more difficult and impersonal. You don’t have the opportunity to make a lasting impression, or an opportunity to explain how you are the right person for the job. Even though you may not be qualified on paper.
In this hands-off, impersonal process sometimes it is extremely beneficial to know someone to get your foot in the door.
“If only I knew someone,” you say, “that could help me to move my application from the bottom to the top of the list.”
Prayer as part of your job application process
Well, there is someone who is available to help you. Someone whom you can reach out to for help. And they’re available 24 hours a day. This someone is G-d. And the easiest and most effective way to talk to G-d is with prayer.
When you pray for employment, you connect directly to Him. G-d is waiting and willing to help you with any obstacle you face, and that includes employment.
A word of caution, don’t expect to simply pray and be rewarded with the job of your dreams. Prayer is part of an ongoing relationship with G-d, it would be inappropriate to commence praying solely for the purpose of seeking a job and then ceasing all communication with G-d after finding a job – or failing to do so.
Prayer is part of an ongoing relationship with G-d. To pray as part of your job application process with an open heart and open mind can be truly beneficial.
Prayer for employment
Below is a series of prayers that you can use in your communication with G-d. Depending on your needs, you can use one on its, combine several together or mix components from one into another.
These prayers for employment can be used by believers from various religions. If you are Christian, you may finish each prayer with “In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Muslims can end with “Peace be upon you and God’s blessings”.
Prayer to find a job
Dear God, I thank you that your word says that you know what I need before I ask. I am seeking employment and trusting you to place me in the best position. Not only to meet my financial needs but to contribute to my success in future endeavors.
I ask that this position be in alignment with the schedule I need so that I may remain faithful in all other personal and professional commitments. I know that you have a job for me, and I will trust you in getting me there.
Prayer for a successful job application
Applications can be overwhelming and even intimidating. So G-d, I ask that you help me to be confident in the skill, individuality, and gifts that you have given me. That I may complete my application in confidence knowing that I have something to offer and that you are with me making sure I get the job that is just for me.
Help me gather all the information needed for the application and to relay my thoughts in a way that is personable yet professional. Help me to see what the specific employer needs so that I may tailor my application to fit their qualifications.
Prayer for success at the job interview
Dear God, help me to see the great and undeniable things about myself that are only true to me. Help me to showcase myself in a way that highlights who I am as an individual, but also relates to why I would be an important addition to their company.
May your peace be settled in me so that I can convey my thoughts clearly and professionally during this upcoming job interview.
Help me to answer all questions in a way that is authentic, yet honest and true to who I am and what I have to offer. May I leave a lasting, unforgettable impression knowing that you are always present with me.
Prayer for career guidance
God, I come to you knowing that you know all things and always have my best interest at heart. Lord, I come seeking your guidance today. Help me to understand which career path is right for me right now. I am choosing not to lean unto my own understanding, but to instead acknowledge you, thus allowing you to guide and lead my footsteps.
It can be hard to see the right thing to do from my view within my own circumstances, so I am instead trusting your judgment and your direction to show me what to do and where to go in this season of my life. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear what you would have me to do.
Prayer to receive favor and blessing in your future job
Dear God, I thank you that you have a job for me, and I know that in whatever position you place me, I will be blessed. I am blessed when I come and when I go, and I know that I am above only and not beneath. You have blessed me and called me your own.
I know that my success is found in you and you have given me the ability to perform my job with excellence. It is in you that I receive a promotion, increase and success and I thank you that your blessing and favor will be awaiting me at the new job that you have for me.
I am confident that these prayers for employment will contribute to your successful job search.
And remember that your relationship with G-d and your prayer habit shouldn’t end once you find a job. There is always room for prayer when it comes to other aspects of your career too – whether it be a new client, difficult co-workers or new business ventures.
Did you know that prayer is one of the most underutilized tools for business success? It’s true. We often focus all our energy on our productivity, drive, hard work, and goal-setting. And we overlook one of the most critical tools we have at our disposal – prayer and our connection with G-d. Our connection with G-d, which we achieve through prayer, is particularly relevant when it comes to our business success.
Once you understand this, it can change your entire life, including the way you approach your business.
From here, the next step is learning how to pray to unblock the heavenly channels. Then you can properly follow the key principles of praying to develop effective business prayers.
When you bring your spirituality to the workplace, you bring a version of your “whole” self with you. You approach your tasks as a complete individual—a person with both a spiritual and physical identity.
As you understand your motivations, drivers, and passions, you will increase your spiritual energy and can harness it to set both spiritual and business goals. Over time, you will learn how to transform these goals into actionable items and eventually into success. Your financial goals for your business will not be rooted in your “self,” but rather, in how you can make things better for others or solve problems around you.
You will also find that carrying your spirituality with you into the office increases your happiness in your personal life too. This is because it allows you to be your authentic self all of the time. This increased happiness will translate into more compassion, less stress, better communication, and more energy in the workplace. With these characteristics, you will grow into a higher-quality leader.
Spirituality and religion
Many spiritual people also consider themselves religious. They seek ways to incorporate their religious practices into their professional life.
While prayer is one of those common religious practices, it was traditionally considered inappropriate in professional settings. So many leaders who practiced their religion devoutly at home didn’t bring it to the office with them. But thankfully, times are changing.
Religious executives are increasingly practicing prayer in the workplace, and many see actual results from their efforts. They find that prayer guides their decisions, comforts them, reduces stress, and improves relationships.
Some individuals who recognize that G-d is the owner of their business have even started office prayer impact teams. These teams combine the spiritual and professional goals of their teams and unlock success through the act of many people praying for the same outcome.
Now look at your own business and professional life. Are you placing enough emphasis on prayer, or is it the one thing you are missing out on in your busy day-to-day schedule? Is being mindful and spiritual enough, or do you feel the calling to take it a step further?
Are you ready to incorporate prayer into your business strategy? Start by learning how to formulate specific intentional prayers for business. These prayers will help you in all different aspects of your business life, and yes, they really work.
How can prayer make me more successful?
In the same way, you would consult a mechanic if you have trouble with your car. You should also consult with your heavenly Creator whenever you face challenges in your personal or professional life.
Incorporating daily intentional prayers in your business life can help ensure you remain on track to run your business in a way that aligns with your core values. It can also help you hear G-d’s voice more clearly and make better decisions feeling confident that G-d is on-board with your plans.
For example, if you have a problem that seems overwhelming at work, you can ask G-d through prayer to tackle it with you. Prayer can even help you to find a more satisfying career because G-d alone knows what your heart truly desires and also the capacity of your talents.
Sounds great, right? It is. However, it isn’t always easy. Sometimes, you just don’t know the right words to say or how to make your prayers intentional and specific, so you give up or fall out of practice. When this happens, once again, you may find yourself regulating prayer to just your personal life.
That’s why, although prayer and a connection with G-d are very personal things, strategies exist that you can use to construct more effective prayers and keep your habit of prayer in the workplace until you see the results. Reading “How to Be More Successful in Business with Prayer” will help you understand the proper formula to use.
The book covers the following topics, which are vital to learning how to pray for business success:
How to pray with humility— Learn how to pray without arrogance or pride to increase the chances that G-d will hear and answer your prayers.
How to pray positively —Understand the importance of staying positive and optimistic while remaining humble. You will learn to phrase your prayers positively and avoid any negative thoughts.
How to pray calmly —Learn tips to avoid the “fight or flight” mode in prayer. Learn to focus on calmly setting aside time and removing distractions so you can effectively devote time to proper prayer.
How to pray with intention—Learn how to craft your prayer so that it is intentional and ready to receive the answer from G-d you will need to implement it in your life.
How to pray simply —G-d appreciates simple and heartfelt prayer. As humans, we often overcomplicate things, even our prayer life. Learn how to pray simply and from the heart.
How to pray regularly —As with anything in business, it is through regular practice that you achieve things. The same rules apply to prayer. You will learn how to connect with G-d regularly to show Him he is a priority and make prayer a part of your schedule.
You will also learn the importance of:
Visualizing your prayers —Understand how visualizing the things you pray for will help you have the energy and motivation to achieve them.
Praying Aloud —Enact the practice of praying out loud and see the difference it makes in your prayer life and connection with G-d.
Asking Questions —Identify how to focus the questions you ask G-d the right way and avoid the wrong types of questions in your prayer life.
Start today to pray for success
By now, you’re surely asking yourself whether you are using the power of prayer to make good things happen in your life.
Maybe you do pray about your business but aren’t seeing any results. Changing your frame of mind and the way that you approach your conversations with G-d can make a world of impact on the results that you receive.
Remember, prayer is a powerful tool that you can use to unlock spiritual channels and change the path of your life. G-d is ready to listen if we open ourselves up to Him the right way and formulate our prayers using the right frame of mind.
Are you ready to unlock all the positive things that prayer can do for your business and professional life? If so, why wait any longer? Grab your copy of “How to Be More Successful in Business with Prayer” to learn tangible things you can do today to start unblocking the heavenly channels as quickly as possible.
We guarantee that once you find the right connection with G-d, the results you see will greatly surprise you.
If we’ve learned anything over the last couple of years, it’s that the world can be an unpredictable place. It has been particularly difficult for business leaders to maintain the status quo at work while living and working through a global pandemic and now, more recently, simultaneously with the war in Ukraine. Being a successful and effective leader means you should know how to work under pressure, but all the planning and strategies that we have put in place aren’t going to be helpful during times of crisis if we can’t first manage ourselves.
As we’ve seen, pressure at work can come from many sources. It could be something completely beyond our control like a global pandemic, or something closer to home like the end of a fiscal quarter, preparing for an important client call, or opening a new business. The cause might be out of our hands, but how we manage through these times is within our control.
While it might sound counterintuitive, proper crisis management should start with managing yourself and focusing on your own self-awareness. For leaders to perform at their best they need to practice self-awareness. Highly self-aware leaders are better at evaluating their impact on others and managing their own emotions.
To achieve high levels of self-awareness, leaders need to be able to recharge, recover and stay fueled. Research has proven that people who exercise regularly have better physical and mental health.
Prioritizing restorative activities such as exercise, outdoor recreation, talking to friends and family, meditation, deep-breathing exercises, supporting household activities, and maintaining a proper diet are the best ways to ensure peak physical and mental condition.
I’ve put together a list of things you can do to start building your own self-awareness to help you manage through uncertain times.
Prioritize self care
As I have mentioned, the most important part of mastering crisis management is making sure you are taking care of yourself. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, many leaders had difficulty handling the rapid changes in their lives while also dealing with crisis management at work.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that knowing how to work under pressure includes taking the time to properly manage your own emotional wellbeing.
The most effective way to do this is by investing time in activities that promote your own calmness and happiness. While this will look different for everyone, there are some standard activities that can get you started on the right path.
For example, regular exercise and proper dieting have been proven to increase a person’s physical and mental health, meaning you will be better placed to handle stressful situations. Other stress-reducing activities can include reading, playing games, going to a park or museum, listening to music, or creative activities like painting or writing.
Self-care can also include seeking professional help from therapists or psychiatrists to help process your emotions during stressful work and life events.
Remain connected
When trying to figure out how to work under pressure, it’s common for leaders to become hyper-focused on the problem. In doing this, it’s easy to let other works and personal responsibilities slip.
If you focus solely on high-priority items, the quality of your work and your personal life will likely suffer in the long run.
Staying connected with your friends and family is the best way to help you handle the emotional and physical weight of a stressful issue. Whether you talk about the problem or not with these people, the mere act of being around loved ones is a great way to lighten the emotional load you are carrying around.
It’s always a good habit to remain connected to the people who care about you and reciprocate that love and gratification.
Reexamine the situation
In times of crisis, leaders commonly find themselves stuck with creator’s block or writer’s block. Due to the repetitiveness of work and daily life, it’s easy to look at a set of issues through the same lens. When a complicated or important situation comes and the standard solution doesn’t work, it can be stressful and difficult to solve the problem in a calm and timely fashion.
In these situations, it’s best to approach the problem with new, creative strategies. This can involve brainstorming sessions, applying strategies from other businesses and industries, or other unconventional methods that are typically used in your everyday life. Any way you can get yourself and your team to think outside of the box will help you overcome any challenging problem.
The COVID pandemic taught many leaders to look outside of their own industry for solutions to managing through the pandemic. Harvard Business School examined a series of businesses that took – what became an – opportunity to respond to the pandemic in creative ways. While the pandemic disrupted businesses in different ways, leaders quickly realized that some responses were applicable, with variation, across multiple industries. From product innovation and business partnering to supply chain redesign, business leaders found a way to manage.
Understand your purpose
During stressful situations, leaders can easily lose sight of their purpose. Once again, the pandemic highlighted how little control we have over daily events and it taught us that while having goals is important, it is more important to understand the motivation behind those goals. We need goals that can adapt to external influences while holding strong to our main purpose.
Before the pandemic, many people had established career goals such as a promotion, new projects, or even career changes. Fast-forward a couple of years and the pandemic stripped many of these possibilities away, and with it, the motivating factor many managers relied on.
Many people became disenfranchised, losing value in themselves and becoming stuck with their everyday work.
That is why it’s important to understand how your work goals align with your overall purpose in life during uncertain times. Leaders must make time in their life to evaluate what is meaningful to them and how to effectively work towards those goals.
Be charitable with your time
It can be unsettling to feel out of control during times of crisis. That’s why it can be incredibly helpful to be a powerful force in a situation within your control. And being in control in varied situations can ultimately teach you how to work under pressure in a professional environment.
For example, when leaders take time out of their busy week to help a colleague or a local charity, it can provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment outside their professional work.
By focusing your sense of accomplishment solely on your work endeavors you risk creating a more stressful environment. Breaking this cycle by helping others can alleviate some of the work-related stress you’re feeling. Whether it is volunteering for a local charity or giving your time to a loved one, acts of service can help relieve feelings of stress and anxiety from other parts of your life.
Unplug from the world
The amount of time people spend with electronics is alarming. For some people it means waking up in the middle of the night to check their email, for others, it’s doom scrolling while watching TV.
While it can be tempting to immerse yourself in the daily news cycle of wars, pandemics, political corruption, and so on, this can be harmful to your mental health and professional proficiency. While it’s not wise to ignore these world events entirely, if leaders don’t give themselves a break it can be damaging to their personal and professional lives.
In truth, unplugging entirely is impossible. However, you should make an effort to disconnect from work, social media, and electronics for at least part of every day. Doing so has not only been proven to relieve stress but to also stimulate your creative muscles.
Be proactive in improving crisis management abilities
Crisis management is an important skill that all successful leaders need to master. Effectively navigating yourself and your team through a stressful situation is what will determine whether you’re a good manager or not.
While many leaders focus on learning various business strategies and analytical skills to prepare for a crisis (which are important), most people forget to prioritize their personal well-being at the same time.
If you prioritize self-care, you will be better placed to manage yourself during times of crisis both professionally and personally.
Investing in yourself is the best investment you can make as a leader.
While the reasons people practice meditation can be varied, generally, the motivations are the same. On the surface, it might seem meditation is related to clarity of mind. Meditation is, however, also about seeking one’s life purpose and meaning. Spiritual mediation is particularly good at developing the latter.
I’ve already discussed the importance of spirituality on this blog, but now it is time to discuss how you can use meditation, spiritual meditation specifically, to truly understand yourself and what motivates you. To unfold the various layers of your understanding and beliefs to determine who you truly are.
By seeking to understand who you are and what truly motivates you will be able to harness the power of spirituality in the workplace.
Before I get started on how you can benefit from spiritual meditation, though, let’s take a closer look at what spiritual meditation is.
What is spiritual meditation?
While today the reasons why people practice meditation are wide and varied, historically, the art of meditation was intrinsically linked with spirituality. It was specifically related to the need to discover one’s depth while building self-awareness and connecting to the divine.
At its core, meditation is the practice of focusing the mind internally. To do this, generally, people focus on a thought, an object, or an activity – for example, breathing. If you increase your focus, you can achieve mental clarity, emotional calmness, and stability. However, it also increases your spirituality and through spirituality, you can discover who you are and what motivates you, both professionally and personally.
It’s been scientifically proven that meditation can increase self-awareness and elevate your happiness, mood, and memory, giving you the reigns of self-control, focus, and a clearer mind. It’s obvious that with these cognitive advantages, you will be better placed to achieve your goals.
In terms of your professional life, by developing a greater understanding of yourself by reflecting deeper and going beneath the surface level of your everyday life to discover your true self, you can tap into your true passions. If you identify what really drives you, you will be inspired to do your best.
Spiritual meditation in the workplace
Today, more and more companies are realizing the benefits of spiritual meditation in the workplace. Professionals and employers from all over the world are looking for ways to incorporate spiritual practices into the working environment.
Many workplaces are even actively hiring spiritual leaders or encouraging existing leaders to explore their own spirituality. You don’t need to look far to find successful spiritual leaders, either. Take, for example, Indra Nooyi, retired chair and CEO of PepsiCo after 24 years. During her time in leadership, she became renowned for creating a better working environment with more stability, improved communication, healthier products, and increased mindfulness.
She treated employees as individuals, distinguished them apart, and tended to their needs. At the same time, she nurtured a healthy increase in more compassionate leaders that thrived in the healthiest working environment.
The spiritual benefits of meditation
While the inclusion of spiritual practices in the workplace has been applied to varying degrees, one thing is clear– the companies that decided to incorporate spirituality into their business and apply it in a professional environment immediately realized its benefits.
Including spiritual mediation in the workplace – whether that be on a company-wide or individual level – helps employers and employees experience:
Greater self-awareness
Having a high level of self-awareness has been found to be crucial in maintaining and developing healthier work relationships –starting with yourself but also with your peers.
Increased self-awareness has been linked to being better equipped to manage your emotions, fears, and all your negative – and indeed positive – feelings that can happen in the office.
Although perhaps, most importantly – getting to know yourself also helps you to connect with yourself on a more spiritual level. You will learn how you can function better – as a human, as a person, as an employee.
A greater level of self-awareness translates into greater leadership and, in turn, also better-performing employees.
Reduced levels of stress
Stress can take its toll on your body. And the ongoing stress executives must face in their working lives can be overwhelming. Living in a state of stress is like living in a constant state of awareness. Always “on”, always ready for action. Never in a state of calm, never allowing your body to reach its natural equilibrium.
Spiritual meditation can undo the effects that excess stress has on your body. It works to counter your body being in a state of readiness and instead triggers the body’s relaxation response. It resets the body to a calm state, helping the body repair itself and preventing new damage from the physical effects of stress.
By giving our bodies the opportunity to experience a sense of calm rather than stress, we allow ourselves more opportunities to make better and more logical business decisions.
How to practice spiritual meditation at work
First, find a quiet space where you can comfortably meditate. If you are in your own office, then it shouldn’t be hard to find a spot. If not, then ask the management whether they can provide a safe space for you. A simple technique to follow might look like this:
Find a comfortable position – your chair or the floor.
Let your body loosen and experience the process, letting it to happen.
Don’t try to push aside your thoughts. Acknowledge them.
Take a moment to reflect on yourself and become aware.
How to practice spiritual meditation outside work
While the process is more or less the same, you can choose to meditate for a longer time outside of the office. The beauty of spiritual meditation outside work is the freedom to pick a location. You might choose to practice at home, outside in a park, by the ocean, or in a forest; you could even go to your place of worship and simply close your eyes and begin.
Realizing the benefits of spiritual mediation
Getting to the center of yourself is no easy feat; for most people, it takes time, courage, and determination.
But by committing yourself to the process and maintaining a healthy level of spiritual meditation while in the office, over time, it can become a healthy, productive habit.
Did you know that spiritual leadership has been proven to deliver positive outcomes for employees? And it’s not just at work, it’s in their private lives too. But when we talk about spirituality in leadership, what comes to mind? For me, it’s values. The values that guide us as individuals and the values that also guide our organizations.
They are our motivators, the things that inspire us to do what we do. And when we’re inspired, it shows in our work. It shows in how we treat others. It shows in how we serve our customers and our community.
Essentially spiritual leadership is about being authentic and living in alignment with your values. At its core, it’s about leading from a place of inner strength and wisdom. But it is also about inspiring others to connect with their own sense of purpose and power.
So if you’re thinking about what kind of leader you want to be, think about what values you want to live by. And then inspire others to do the same.
The science behind the success of spiritual business leaders
Employees who work for spiritual leaders are more likely to report higher levels of job satisfaction. On top of that, they report higher levels of life satisfaction as well.
A recent study by the International Journal of Entrepreneurship found a meaningful workplace helped make employees feel valued, purposeful, and driven at work. And often, a meaningful workplace was associated with spiritual leadership.
There is a direct correlation between leader and employee relationships and job satisfaction. And spiritual leaders were found to have better relationships with their employees.
Employees who perceive their leaders to be spiritual were more likely to report higher levels of job commitment and more likely to say that their leader was effective.
Essentially, these studies identified three intriguing possibilities as to why spiritual leaders inspire their employees:
An individual’s spirituality can affect their leadership style: A spiritual person may be more likely to lead in a way that emphasizes collaboration, respect for others, and concern for the common good.
Spirituality-based leadership style is associated with positive outcomes for employees: If you work for a spiritual leader, you may be more likely to be satisfied with your job and to feel that your leader is effective.
These positive outcomes, in turn, lead to higher levels of life satisfaction: If you are more satisfied with your job and feel that your leader is effective, you may also be more likely to report higher levels of life satisfaction.
What spiritual leadership is not
Being a leader, I have often found that there is a lot of confusion about what spiritual leadership is and what it is not. I have also found that many people believe that being a spiritual leader means being a religious leader.
This could not be further from the truth. Spiritual leadership doesn’t have anything to do with religion. It is about creating an environment where people can thrive, regardless of their beliefs.
Nor is spiritual leadership about being perfect – we all have flaws, and we all make mistakes. The key is to learn from those mistakes and always strive to be the best we can be.
And lastly, spiritual leadership is not about being a guru or an expert on everything. It is about being open to new ideas and new perspectives. It is about being willing to learn from others and sharing your own knowledge with them.
Principles of spiritual leadership that will cultivate an environment of success in the workplace
Accountability is a core component of any organization that aims for success. It ensures that everyone is aware of the goals that need to be achieved and that they are held accountable for meeting those goals. This, in turn, fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership, and it motivates employees to do their best work. Accountability promotes transparency and open communication, as employees feel comfortable sharing information when they know it will be used to hold them accountable.
Integrity
Integrity is another essential principle of spiritual leadership. It means being honest and ethical in all aspects of your work. It also means being authentic and true to yourself.
When you are a leader with integrity, people will trust you and respect you. They will also be more likely to follow your lead and support your decisions.
Service
The principle of service is about putting others first. It means that you are always looking for ways to help others, whether it is through your work or in your personal life. When you live your life in service to others, you inspire them to do the same.
When everyone is focused on helping others, it creates a positive and productive environment.
Compassion
Compassion is about caring for others and showing empathy for their situation. It means being kind and understanding, even when others are not.
When you are a compassionate leader, people will feel appreciated and valued. They will also be more likely to trust and respect you.
Respect
Respect is about treating others with dignity and consideration. It means valuing their opinions and ideas, even if you do not agree with them.
When you are a leader who respects others, they will be more likely to trust and respect you. They will also be more likely to follow your lead and support your decisions.
How to be a more spiritual leader in your workplace
If you are interested in becoming a more spiritual leader in your workplace, I’ve put together a few tips on how you can get started.
Show compassion and understanding
A spiritual leader empowers others by modeling tolerant and compassionate behavior. When employees feel understood and valued, they are more likely to be engaged and productive.
Communicate openly and honestly
Spiritual leaders are transparent about their own values and beliefs, and they encourage open dialogue about difficult topics. This builds trust and respect between leaders and followers.
When employees feel like they can openly share their thoughts and feelings, they are more likely to be engaged and productive.
Encourage employees to find their own path
One of the most important things a spiritual leader can do is encourage employees to find their own path.
When employees feel like they can be themselves, they are more likely to be engaged and productive.
Help employees find meaning in their work
Another important role of a spiritual leader is to help employees find meaning in their work. This means helping them see how their work fits into the bigger picture. It also means supporting them as they explore their own values and beliefs.
When employees feel like their work has a purpose, they are more likely to be engaged and productive.
The bottom line
Spiritual leadership is about creating an environment where people can be their best selves. It is being true to your values and principles, and it is about constantly striving to be better. When we do these things, we inspire others to do the same. And that is what leadership is all about.
Great leadership is more than just managing your employees. In fact, it is arguably, first and foremost, more about how you manage yourself. One surefire way to manage yourself better – and indirectly your employees – is by being more mindful. But what is mindfulness, you might ask?
The answer can be both simple and profound at the same time.
Mindfulness in a Nutshell: A Mindfulness Overview in 60 Seconds!
Mindfulness is like a mental workout for your brain, helping you manage stress and increase your focus.
It’s all about being aware of the present moment and accepting thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment.
Mindfulness has its roots in ancient Eastern philosophies but has been adapted to fit into our modern Western culture.
Four key elements of mindfulness are being in the present moment, being non-judgmental, accepting experiences, and observing your thoughts and feelings.
Practicing mindfulness in your professional life can bring lots of benefits: It helps build resilience and mental strength, it enhances your brain function, it encourages a more positive and supportive mindset, it improves leadership skills.
Meditation is a key way to practice mindfulness, but it’s not the only way – you can also incorporate mindfulness into daily activities, prayer, conscious eating, and even career exploration.
Let’s dig in further…
I. What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a powerful mental workout that enhances your brain and increases your capacity to cope with daily stressors and emotional upheavals.
But beyond that, mindfulness also enhances cognitive abilities, fosters authentic leadership, and improves communication and relationships with others.
When you practice mindfulness, you focus on being aware of the present moment. You learn to stop dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. You learn to intentionally focus on what is happening right now, both internally (thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations) and externally (surroundings, environment), with an attitude of openness and acceptance.
Most importantly, mindfulness helps you see the events of your life without bias or judgment. It allows you to simply experience your emotions as well as your mistakes, including the emotions and mistakes of others. You will learn to accept mistakes without associating any negative feelings with them.
Mindfulness will liberate you from small-mindedness and will stimulate you to cultivate a loving attitude towards yourself and the people around you. Mindfulness should be practiced regularly (best daily) to fully enjoy its benefits.
What does mindfulness symbolize: The Chinese symbol for mindfulness and its interpretation
Allow me to digress a little and take a look at what mindfulness means in the Chinese language. Not only will it help us understand some of the elements we will look at going forward, but it will also help us understand the larger meaning of mindfulness.
Interestingly, the Chinese character for mindfulness (below) consists of two different symbols. The upper symbol represents “now”, and the lower symbol represents the “heart.”
The Chinese character for mindfulness
The literal translation of the Chinese symbol is “bring your heart to now.”
For me, however, I interpret the character a little differently. When I look closely at the upper symbol, it looks like a roof, shelter, or protection. While for me, the lower symbol, the heart, symbolizes our emotions. So, I translate the symbol as the “protection of our emotions.”
I feel, whether you use the literal or my own interpretation, it really helps us to visualize what mindfulness represents. Being present in the now while also focused and being aware of ourselves and our emotions.
II. Unravelling the Origins of Mindfulness
Mindfulness comes from ancient Eastern philosophies, especially Buddhism. About 2000 years ago, Buddhists used it to help them understand themselves and the world around them. In the 1900s, people in the West started using mindfulness, thanks to people like Jon Kabat-Zinn, who found ways to use it to reduce stress. Today, mindfulness is a popular way to improve mental health and grow as a person, no matter where you come from or what you believe. Imagine a practice that began in ancient Eastern traditions, slowly spreading its influence across time and geographical boundaries, until it became a universal phenomenon cherished by Western culture. That’s the journey of mindfulness—an ancient art now embraced by people worldwide.
III. The Essence of Mindfulness: ManagerUp’s CALMA Approach
Business professionals often grapple with maintaining focus, making clear decisions, and cultivating a positive mindset. At ManagerUp, we’ve developed a distinctive and impactful strategy to address these challenges, rooted in the foundational pillars of mindfulness.
Our approach, the CALMA principle, embodies five core components: Cultivating Current Awareness, Actively Listening, Letting Go of Judgment, Mindful Speaking with Empathy and Clarity, and Adapting with Flexibility.
By integrating mindfulness and fostering a mindset of growth and positivity, ManagerUp’s CALMA concept empowers you to navigate the uncharted waters of the business realm with confidence and determination. Let’s take a deeper look at each of the core pillars of the CALMA principle.
C: Cultivate Current Awareness
(Practicing mindfulness means being aware of the present moment.)
In today’s digital age, distractions have become an intrinsic part of our daily routine. The pervasive presence of smartphones and social media platforms means that our attention is constantly divided.
Even beyond the digital realm, our minds have a propensity to wander, often reflecting on past events or preemptively considering future implications. In a professional context, this constant mental shifting can hinder productivity and clarity.
Mindfulness offers a solution to this modern challenge. By anchoring our attention to the present, mindfulness counters our natural tendencies to let our minds drift, enabling a more focused and engaged approach to our daily tasks.
Our Objective: To cultivate a heightened sense of current awareness:
No distractions: This entails regulating our interaction with digital devices, specifically smartphones, and periodically distancing oneself from social media. The aim is to ensure that technology is a tool, not a distraction.
Live in the present: Addressing our tendencies to dwell on the past or excessively plan for the future is crucial. While reflection and foresight are valuable, they must not come at the expense of the present.
Fully Engage with the task: It’s imperative that when a task is undertaken, it receives undivided attention. This not only improves the quality of the work but also the quality of the experience.
Mindfulness, in the professional context, revolves around this active engagement in the current moment. It requires a concerted effort to align one’s cognitive and emotional faculties with the task or discussion at hand.
By doing so, one can optimize productivity and enhance the overall quality of work. Adopting such a practice can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling professional journey, with distractions taking a backseat to purposeful action.
A: Actively Listen
(Mindfulness involves listening fully and intentionally to understand rather than to respond.)
Mindfulness means truly listening to understand, not just to reply. In our busy work lives, we often rush conversations and think about our own replies before others have finished speaking. This stops us from really listening, which can cause problems in teams and lead to bad decisions. Mindfulness helps us to listen deeply, focusing only on the speaker and what they’re saying, without judgment.
Our Objective: To become active listeners and understand each other better by:
Focusing on the speaker: Don’t plan your response while they’re talking. Pay attention to their words and body language.
Being empathetic: Try to see things from their point of view and appreciate their ideas.
Checking you understand: Repeat key points in your own words to make sure you’re both on the same page.
By practicing active listening, we foster trust, improve relationships, and enhance decision-making. Professionals who listen mindfully demonstrate empathy and openness, strengthening their leadership and fostering a supportive work environment.
L: Let Go of Judgment
(Mindfulness signifies viewing life’s events without bias or judgment.)
In the fast-paced business world, we often make quick decisions based on our own biases and opinions. This can stop us from really understanding what others are feeling and trying to say. For example, we might automatically favor or dismiss someone’s ideas because of what we think of them, or because of things that have happened in the past.
Mindfulness helps us to let go of these biases and make decisions based on facts, not assumptions. This helps us to be fairer and more objective.
Our Objective: To acknowledge experiences without bias, creating a growth-oriented mindset by:
Make bias-free decisions: Ensuring decisions and interactions remain free from the influence of past experiences or preconceived notions.
Practice Thoughtful Responses: Prioritizing thoughtful deliberation over knee-jerk reactions to situations and decisions.
Adopt the Beginner’s Mind: Approaching situations with a fresh, untainted perspective, ensuring unbiased judgments.
Listen Actively and impartially: Prioritizing genuine understanding of perspectives by setting aside preconceptions and biases.
Mindfulness serves as a beacon, guiding individuals towards a present-focused, balanced approach free from undue influences.
By consistently practicing this neutral perspective, professionals can navigate the complexities of their roles with enhanced clarity, ensuring that decisions are made from a place of genuine insight and equanimity.
M: Mindful Speaking
(Mindfulness encourages speaking with purpose, empathy, and clarity.)
At work, we often communicate quickly, focusing on getting things done. Sometimes, this can make our communication feel impersonal. Mindful speaking means communicating with empathy and taking the time to be clear. It’s about making sure people understand not just your words, but also why you’re saying them. This helps to build stronger relationships and a closer team.
Our Objective: To communicate mindfully by:
Have a reason for speaking: Make sure you have something important to say, and that it’s relevant to the situation.
Think about others: Consider how your words might make others feel.
Be clear and concise: Say what you need to say in a simple and direct way to avoid confusion.
Mindful speaking helps people connect and build trust and respect. When you speak with empathy and clarity, you create a supportive environment where everyone can work together and succeed.
A: Adapt with Flexibility
(Mindfulness involves embracing change and approaching challenges with an open, flexible mindset.)
The business world is constantly changing, and we need to be able to adapt quickly. Mindfulness helps us to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, not as problems to avoid. This positive attitude helps us to deal with uncertainty and change in a calm and confident way.
Our Objective: To cultivate adaptability by:
Be open to change: See changes and challenges as chances to learn and improve.
Be resilient: Develop the mental strength to deal with setbacks without getting stressed.
Be open to feedback: Use feedback from others to help you learn and grow.
To do well in the business world, you need to be flexible and able to adapt to change. When you’re open to new things and can bounce back from challenges, you’ll be more successful.
It’s noteworthy that ManagerUp introduces the CALMA framework as a manifestation of mindfulness. As established previously, studies highlight the calming and restorative effects of integrating mindfulness into daily life, benefiting both psychological and physiological well-being. Importantly, these advantages accumulate over time, making regular and sustained practice the key to reaping the full rewards of mindfulness.
IV. Why is Mindfulness the Game-changer in Today’s Business
In an increasingly volatile business environment, mindfulness might just be the strategic tool organizations need to secure a thriving future in the 21st-century business world. Mindfulness, traditionally a personal development tool, has found its place in the business world, yielding a range of benefits for organizations, and shaping a positive and thriving workplace environment.
First and foremost, it nurtures a culture of innovation by creating an atmosphere where ideas can freely flow. By fostering psychological safety, it encourages individuals to share their innovative thoughts, leading to novel solutions that give the company a competitive edge.
Mindfulness plays a significant role in boosting productivity among employees. Through its practices, it enhances focus and decision-making abilities, mitigating distractions and leading to improved cognitive performance. As a result, employees engaged in mindfulness exhibit higher productivity levels, translating to high-quality output.
By promoting self-awareness and empathy, mindfulness helps employees forge deeper connections with their work and colleagues. This emotional investment leads to higher job satisfaction, motivation and, consequently, a reduction in turnover rates.
Undoubtedly, mindfulness serves as an effective tool for stress management, which in turn reduces absenteeism due to health-related issues. Regular mindfulness practice empowers employees to manage workplace stress effectively, lowering the risk of stress-related illnesses and subsequent absenteeism.
Lastly, integrating mindfulness into an organization’s culture can have a positive impact on its reputation. Companies that embrace mindfulness are often perceived as progressive and caring, making them attractive to potential employees and customers alike. This fosters a positive company culture and solidifies the company’s position in the market.
Implementation of Mindfulness
Incorporating mindfulness in a business context requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. From training programs and mindfulness workshops to the creation of meditation rooms and daily mindfulness practices, a commitment to fostering a mindful culture is paramount.
V. The Impact of Mindfulness on Business Professionals
Mindfulness empowers professionals with resilience, enhanced cognitive abilities, compassionate leadership, and a positive work environment, enabling them to navigate challenges with composure and embrace their visionary selves.
The combination of these four key mindfulness pillars leads to a range of transformative benefits for business professionals:
1. Through mindfulness you build resilience by embracing challenges with inner strength
Through mindfulness, you gain the mental strength to navigate through tough times with composure and adaptability. When challenges arise, you don’t lose your cool. Instead, you bounce back from setbacks and maintain a positive outlook even during turbulent times.
Embracing mindfulness empowers you to build resilience, allowing you to face challenges head-on and emerge stronger and more composed. It’s like having an ally that helps you thrive amidst life’s various demands.
2. Mindfulness enhances your brain and increases your capacity to cope with stress
How many times have you overreacted to a stressful situation at work or at home? Or how many times has your family paid the price for a stressful day at the office? Before I discovered mindfulness, it happened to me many times.
Every time you are confronted with a stressor, your capacity to bear adversity is tested. If the pressure or the negative events are very intense and/or your capacity to cope with the discomfort is low, then the result is an overreaction. That’s why we tend to lose our nerve just before leaving the office or at home when we are physically and mentally exhausted and our ability to cope with stress is at its lowest.
It has been scientifically proven that by practicing mindfulness exercises you can modify your brain. Helping to improve the way you respond to upsetting situations, be it in your professional or private life. Mindfulness makes you mentally stronger.
Scientific studies have demonstrated that mindfulness practices significantly reduce stress levels. By staying present and letting go of worries, professionals can manage stress more effectively and maintain emotional equilibrium.
3. Mindfulness sharpens your mind unleashing your cognitive superpowers.
Let’s talk about the true powerhouse of success—cognition! We all want sharper problem-solving skills and increased creativity, right? Well, guess what? Mindfulness can make that happen!
Picture this: You’re fully present, focused, and in tune with yourself. That’s mindfulness working its magic! With present moment awareness and self-awareness, your cognition levels shoot through the roof!
Professionals like us can optimize our cognitive abilities with mindfulness. We become like superheroes, tackling complex problems with ease and unleashing our creativity to the max!
4. Mindfulness stimulates you to cultivate a loving attitude towards yourself and the people around you
It’s a well-known fact that nobody is perfect. That means everybody you work with has imperfections, you, your boss, your colleagues and your employees are all far from perfection.
Instead of focusing on our imperfections though, a good leader will focus on the strengths of their co-workers.
In a similar vein, you should also avoid comparing yourself to other people. To do so has a harmful effect on your self-esteem and self-confidence. You need to see yourself and other people around you in a friendly, loving way. This will not only improve the atmosphere in your team but also its productivity.
Another thing that can lower self-esteem is anxiety. Mindfulness actually helps to fight anxiety. Anxiety in the workplace can be difficult to manage. It is a negative emotion that increases worry and fear. Being anxious can make you unhappy and lead you to see yourself and the world through a negative lens. By fighting anxiety, mindfulness stimulates a more loving and supportive state of mind.
Mindfulness is a love-creating machine.
Mindfulness fosters empathy and non-reactive observation of emotions, nurturing emotional intelligence. By understanding their own emotions and those of others, professionals can build stronger relationships and cultivate a positive work environment.
5. Mindfulnesselevates your leadership embracing your inner visionary
Ready to take your leadership game to the next level? Buckle up because mindfulness is here to elevate your leadership skills and make you a visionary leader!
Imagine for a moment: You’re a mindful leader, grounded in the present, and fully attuned to your team’s needs. With mindfulness, you can embrace your inner visionary and lead with clarity and purpose.
Through mindfulness, you gain the mental strength to navigate leadership challenges with composure and adaptability. As a mindful leader, you accept hurdles without resistance, bouncing back from setbacks with renewed determination.
Embracing mindfulness empowers you to build resilience as a leader, tackling obstacles head-on, and emerging stronger and more composed. Your team will admire your unwavering presence, fostering a positive work environment.
VI. Do you need to meditate to practice mindfulness?
Meditation is considered one of the key mindfulness techniques, and it plays a central role in cultivating mindfulness. While mindfulness includes various practices and approaches, meditation is often regarded as the cornerstone and primary means to develop mindfulness skills.
Let’s elaborate on why meditation is considered the key mindfulness technique:
1. Cultivating Awareness: Meditation is a practice where you take time to focus your mind and become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. By concentrating on something specific, like your breath, you learn to observe these thoughts and emotions without getting too caught up in them. It’s like watching clouds passing by in the sky without holding onto them. This non-reactive observation helps you understand yourself better and be more present in the moment. With regular meditation, you develop a deeper understanding of your inner experiences, leading to a calmer and more centered mind in daily life.
2. Enhancing Attention and Focus: When you meditate, especially with practices like Focused Attention Meditation, you train your mind to stay focused on one thing. As you keep bringing your attention back to your meditation object, like your breath, you get better at concentrating and ignoring distractions. This improved focus also spills over into your everyday tasks, making you more productive and efficient in your work. By practicing meditation regularly, you can sharpen your mind and stay more attentive to the things that matter most in your business and personal life.
3. Encouraging Non-Judgmental Awareness: Through meditation, you learn to be open-minded and accepting of your thoughts and experiences. Instead of saying if they are good or bad, you simply notice them without getting all tangled up in judgments. This non-judgmental attitude helps you be more understanding and kind to yourself, allowing you to see things as they are without being too hard on yourself. With this newfound awareness, you can approach challenges and decisions with a clearer and more balanced perspective, fostering personal growth and emotional well-being.
4. Stimulating Acceptance. Meditation helps us accept ourselves and our experiences. It teaches us to watch our thoughts and feelings without judging them. We learn that everything changes, and it’s okay to face struggles. By being kind to ourselves, we can embrace our vulnerabilities and be okay with not being perfect. We stop identifying too much with our thoughts and emotions. With mindfulness, we become open to all experiences and less resistant to pain. This practice helps us let go of inner conflicts. Regular meditation brings peace, strength, and a positive outlook, accepting life as it comes, good and bad.
VII. Beyond Meditation: Embracing Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Mindfulness meditation is important, but it’s just one part of a bigger picture. Mindfulness can be integrated into all aspects of life, beyond just meditation.
Mindfulness is about being aware of our experiences without judgment, which helps us interact better with the world around us.
Integrating mindfulness into daily activities
At its core, mindfulness is about fully engaging in the present moment. It’s not limited to specific activities but can be applied to everyday tasks like walking, cooking, or talking. By immersing ourselves in the task, noticing details, and savoring the experience, we practice mindfulness.
Prayer as a vehicle for mindfulness
One powerful avenue for integrating mindfulness into our daily life is through prayer. It allows us to pause, reflect, and connect with something greater than ourselves. By focusing on the words, feelings, and sensations of prayer, we can cultivate mindfulness and enrich our spiritual experiences.
A bite of mindfulness: Conscious eating
Expanding mindfulness to our eating habits can significantly enhance our relationship with food. By slowing down and paying attention to our meals, we can savor each bite and fully experience the process of eating. This involves noticing the colors, smells, textures, and flavors of our food, as well as listening to our body’s hunger and fullness cues. By practicing mindful eating, we can enjoy our food more and develop healthier eating habits, becoming more aware of what and when we eat. Each meal becomes a chance to practice mindfulness and appreciate the nourishment we receive.
Transforming career exploration into a mindfulness exercise
Start by setting aside some quiet time for introspection. As you sit in a comfortable position, take a few deep breaths to center yourself. Then, allow your mind to consider your career aspirations. Instead of attempting to force thoughts or solutions, simply observe what thoughts or feelings emerge as you contemplate your career path. You might consider questions such as “What activities make me lose track of time?” or “When do I feel most fulfilled professionally?”.
As different career paths or options come to mind, pay attention to your emotional reactions. Do you feel excited, anxious, indifferent, or overwhelmed? Practicing mindfulness in this way can provide valuable insight into what career paths might align with your values and interests.
VIII. Conclusion: Mindfulness – Your Secret to Better Business Decisions
Unleash the power of mindfulness in your professional life! By being fully present and accepting of thoughts and emotions without judgment, you can build resilience, enhance brain function, and improve leadership skills.
Mindfulness offers numerous benefits, from reducing stress to fostering a positive and supportive mindset. Embrace meditation and integrate mindfulness into daily activities to savor each moment and achieve personal growth. Experience the transformative impact of mindfulness on your decision-making, relationships, and overall well-being.
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