This program weaves together the critical skills for optimal performance, across weeks or months to enable measurable improvement. It consists of six segments that stand alone as well as build on each other.
"Productive insight; clear (often sudden) understanding of a complex situation." Free Dictionary
Pop the bubble of conditioned thinking and emerge into the creative realm of "no absolutes," continuous change, uncertainty and unlimited possibilities.
Then, there can be innovation, adaptation and optimal performance.
Performance & Open-minded Mindfulness:
Open-minded: questioning everything, accepting diversity and uncertainty.
Mindful: consciously aware; concentrated.
Foundation for blending process, project, engagement and knowledge management into a cohesive approach to optimize performance.
This Newsletter
Our aim is to stimulate the kind of thinking, dialogue and understanding that leads to optimal performance.
Selfless Service and Performance By George Pitagorsky
"The Bodhisattva Path is about sacrificing your own final enlightenment to help everyone else realize Nirvana first"[1]
This concept is not so different than the examples set by Christ and Ram, taking birth in human form to subject themselves to suffering for the benefit of everyone. On a more mundane level we have Mother Teresa, Mandela, Dr. King and some of the other heroes who dedicated their lives to the benefit of others.
Can you give up your highest aspiration for the benefit of others? If you could, how would it change your life, your behavior and your relationships? Would you be happy; capable of changing the world?
Interesting Question
Can you "learn to live in a way that puts into practice what you have realized, so that you overcome self-preoccupation by working for the well-being of everyone?"[2]
What Selflessness Means
Selflessness does not mean becoming a "doormat", having no opinions, taking no stands for or against anything. It is more about thinking about the consequences of what you say and do. When we are self-preoccupied, we lose the big picture. When we lose the big picture perspective we are less able to choose the right things to do and the right ways to do them.
When one realizes that caring for one's environment and the people who share it is the most skillful way to live, there is a need to decide and act in a way that is driven by the higher values of caring, clarity, concentration, mindfulness.
Of course you are included in everyone, so, self-reflection and fulfilling one's needs is skillful, useful behavior for most of us. In the world of working in organizations, living in our environments, managing our relationships we walk an edge that requires that we balance our aspiration to selflessly serve and the need to be realistic, healthy, prosperous and capable of helping.
Heroes
Those that put their lives on the line, give up material comforts and are capable of having the same level of compassion and loving kindness to even ones who torture and kill them are rather special. They are our heroes, teachers, even, our Gods. But, instead of following their example to the degree that we can we may get lost in that self-preoccupation that creates unnecessary stress in ourselves and in our relationships.
"Less-selfness"
The ability to perform and achieve one's goals is enhanced by selflessness. Perhaps a better way of saying it is "less-selfness". We don't completely lose the sense of self, we just become less preoccupied with it.
On a practical level, suppose we are working on a project with several other people and we will not let go of a position to do something in a certain way that is motivated by self-interest and is at the expense of the others and the project as a whole. For example wanting to use your relative's company as a supplier when there are better suppliers to choose from. Or, pushing for your design motivated by either a desire to get credit for it or by the delusion that it is obviously the best way because it is yours or comes from a source you respect.
When these situations arise we have an opportunity to test our ability to be less self-centric, to see our self from outside. If we succeed and let go of self-preoccupied motivation and become motivated by what is best for the group, do we do better?
[1] Loy David, Interview with David Loy, Insight Journal, Winter 2010, p.8
