Magic Monday: Buddha, Twitter and Enlightened Leadership

Where can you find the magic at work today?

In the fall I attended the Wisdom 2.0 conference in New York City. As part of that conference, I got a tour of Twitter’s New York office. While waiting in the lobby, I met a fellow attendee: Joshua Isaac Smith. We got into a discussion about wisdom, yoga and spiritual disciplines.

My point of view was this: Buddha left us with some great spiritual teachings. I love Buddha. What no one talks about is the fact that Buddha left his wife and child to go find enlightenment. Sometimes those who leave us great legacies have difficulty in their daily lives and relationships. It’s easier to feel at peace when you don’t have to be out in the world proving your value, paying the bills, negotiating with your spouse or fit dozens of your kid’s soccer games into your already overfull schedule. And also, sometimes we need to leave relationships permanently or temporarily to experience the love and insight we gain from them.

The times we are living in ask us to find a sense of peace, in the midst of our personal relationships and demanding work lives, not instead of. These are the vehicles through which we find enlightenment, not obstacles in the way. How do you keep your thoughts elevated and focused on the lessons, blessings and joy despite the uncertainty, discipline or struggles you experience? What are these relationships teaching you about yourself? Being fully engaged with life, means navigating all of it – for good growth, not cherry-picking only the feel good experiences.

I am thrilled to see that Joshua took our talk to heart and is using it as part of his application to do a Wisdom 2.0 talk. Please check it out and vote for him. The deadline to vote is tomorrow. We need leaders in the trenches and the boardroom seeking enlightenment, not off in a mountain removed from the daily challenges of life.

If Buddha was alive today, I surmise he would be both engaged in the benefits of technology to connect us, and also disconnected periodically to make sure his tweets were coming from a centered versus frenetic place.

Just because we can communicate 24/7 about anything, doesn’t mean we have to, or it’s good for us. You need to make sure you have our own internal anchor and filter for all this information. No Google search can give you the answers to your own truth and wisdom – this is only found going within and reflecting on your experience.

This week’s reflection questions: Where do you notice yourself getting distracted or looking outside for answers only you can provide yourself? What are some of your most challenges relationships and experiences teaching you?

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