Fires are raging throughout Northern California. I send prayers to the endangered wildlife and people who are losing their homes. I wonder - if I had to evacuate my home at a moment's notice, what would I do? The answer comes to me immediately: First I'd put my two kitties into a carrier. Then I'd grab my address book and throw on a jacket. Into my pockets I'd stuff my wallet, cell phone and a bottle of water. Cat carrier in hand, I'd head out the door. No photographs, no valuables, no change of clothes. This shows me that what matters to me more than anything is relationships.

How often do we pause in our busy lives and ask...."Is this what I want to be doing right now? Is it congruent with my purpose and values? Does it really matter?"

In the beginning of a coaching relationship I often guide my clients through a simple and profound exercise to explore their values and dreams. It's remarkable how many of us have lost touch with what we truly care about. Some of us, particularly those recovering from substance abuse, have never even asked ourselves how we want our lives to look. Executives who struggle to keep up with a business which seems to be running their lives (rather than the other way around), may fear that if they stop and answer these questions, they may discover that they don't even like what they're doing anymore. The passion that inspired them to create their company may be buried under overwhelm, fear of failure, a relentless drive to prove themselves, or an insatiable greed for more.

One of my clients, a stressed owner of a successful consulting firm, described herself as a hamster running circles on a wheel in her cage. Though she had assembled a competent team to assist her, she had fallen into the habit of micro-managing her company. When the pressure mounted, rather than delegating more responsibility to her staff, she would work harder and longer hours, way past the point of exhaustion.

When I asked her "What do you really want?" she went completely blank. So we had a conversation with her "inner hamster". This little being announced that she wanted to get off the wheel, be held by my client, and then freed to go out and play. She refused to go back into the cage.

My client saw that she was describing herself. Though afraid that following the hampster's advice might hurt her business, she took a big risk: She went on a long overdue vacation with her husband, and turned the responsibility of running her company over to her staff. Two weeks later she returned, rested and refreshed, to discover that sales had increased while she was away. Plus her employees had successfully averted two crises in her absence and developed strategies to better manage them in the future. Most importantly, she had re-connected with what matters most to her - being a present, open and loving wife and.... leader. She learned to practice the protocol we're instructed on an airplane - "Should you need oxygen, be sure to place the oxygen mask on yourself before you help another". In other words, she recognized that she needs to take care of herself first before she can be of service to others.

Now she takes time to rest and play everyday, as a way to replenish and connect with what truly matters to her. She is finding that she engages more effectively with her staff and clients, and she has fallen back in love with her business.

This is one of many examples of how a life can transform when we pause and ask some simple questions, and.... wait for the answers. If you would like to experience this process for yourself, feel free to try out this exercise with a friend or partner:

Ask your friend, "What really matters to you?" Instruct them to respond with the first thing that comes to mind - no thinking! Then simply listen until they are finished. Then you ask the same question again, and repeat the process until the question has been asked and answered five times. Then switch roles so you get to take a turn answering.

What I've discovered is that each time the question is asked, we answer from a deeper and more authentic place. What begins to awaken within us is a clearer sense of what makes our life purposeful and rich with meaning.

~Linda

If your body and mind aren't in line, your business can't possibly succeed, especially in today's economy. Take a day off from the hustle and bustle of running your business and the stress of living your life to join us for an invigorating retreat, during which you will learn how to better manage your body and mind while simultaneously better tending your business growth.

Join Linda Landon,
Nora Wallace Walsh and Virginia Ginsburg

Saturday, September 27, 2008
La Canada, California
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Pre Registration: $249* *price includes admission and lunch
More info and to register: www.bmbstrategies.com

Response to Bringing Spirit into Business:

From R in Dubai: "I am increasingly seeing movement in the west towards spirituality while the eastern "growth" economies are pushing spirituality out of their lives in pursuit of material gain. This is interesting when you consider that eastern cultures were grounded in spirituality for decades at the cost of 'quality of life'.

These days I see in Dubai and India that people are not able to take it easy or focus on spirituality in their intense scramble to get a larger slice of the growth pie and not be left behind. It is all probably the cycle of life: Eastern cultures are going where the west used to be and the west is going where the eastern cultures used to be. I just hope they meet each other on the way to stop and chat and learn from each other!

Thank you for filling this important void with your thoughts and newsletters."