by pressablealiassolutionscom
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Welcome to Insights and Implications!
The times they are a-changin’. We don’t have to look too far to see that Bob Dylan was right. Whether it’s the political and social climate, our employer undergoing restructuring, or the simple loss of a much anticipated vacation, things are definitely not staying the same. So how do we navigate all this with grace and success? The good news is, we already have the equipment we need.
All the best,
All of us at Insight Principles
Allowing a Change of Heart
When we have a change of heart – also called insight – our world changes…usually for the better. Yet, how many situations or relationships suffer before we have a change of heart that frees us from our own unhappiness? Life has inevitable ups and downs, but if we deeply realize how insight and thought function within our own mind, changes of heart occur more fluidly and we will suffer and stress less often.
Insight is a naturally occurring function in everyone. True insight happens at a visceral level, not just in our head. Perhaps we see something in a new light coupled with a new feeling. For example, a tricky relationship might start to look like a good opportunity for growth and learning, and a new level of collaboration and caring may open up.
Or we might need to change plans on the fly, like I did while hiking in NH this summer, when my wife Kailia slipped and broke her ankle. We were on a steep rocky spot and she knew it was unwise to move – even the two feet necessary to get to an easier place to sit. It only took a few seconds for my agenda of hiking to fade from my mind. All I wanted now was for her to stay safe and have good medical care. This change of heart was invisible and effortless. Our minds and hearts often change like this, but we rarely attribute it to insight.
After Kailia’s accident, I had to let go of our planned vacation to Ireland. I really wanted to go. I have wanted to go to Ireland for years. All the way to the hospital, I hoped that Kailia had only a bad sprain. After hearing it was broken, I knew we couldn’t go.
As I was applying for reimbursement to the travel insurance company, I noticed I was feeling sad about cancelling the trip, still holding on to my desire even though I knew we weren’t going. The moment I realized my sadness and desire were simply thoughts, I wondered what new thinking I might have. I had a change of heart. I realized the summer would be a different kind of adventure we would share and Ireland would happen (or not) some other time.
I have worked with hundreds of top executives, leaders, and managers, many of whom struggled with difficult challenges or people that appeared to be causing considerable consternation. With insight they were able to let go of their judgments, desires, and resistance (all thoughts), and reconnect with a flow of creative ideas, feeling the freedom that comes with such a flow. This has led to more effective leadership, more enjoyment, and more success advancing their businesses and careers.
The principles behind these changes of heart are the same in everyone. We get stuck on a set of thoughts and think that the physical world has dominion over our inner well-being and creativity. But it doesn’t work that way. The way the world appears is a projection created by our own thoughts and consciousness. We create and experience the world internally.
Those who enjoy the game of life have realized that if we allow wisdom and insight to soften and change what we are thinking, regardless of how challenging life seems, our vision will be smoothly, elegantly, and continually updated, and we will adapt to life’s changes with grace and ease.
-Ken Manning
©Insight Principles, Inc.