Dr Hester O Connor is a Clinical Psychologist who manages a psychology service in the Irish Health Service. She lives in Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland, loves chatting with friends, drinking Darjeeling tea, and listening to pop music.

hester-o-connor-img.jpg

Hester O Connor

<h4>DR HESTER O CONNOR shares some tips on how to support children after a death in the family.</h4><hr>When someone in the family dies, it can be daunting for parents to manage their own grief. How can we help our children face what may well be their first experience of death?Routine Is ImportantWe all need routine and structure. It helps well-being and recovery for all the family. Your children will do better if they keep up with normal routines such as going to school before or after the funeral. More sleep is always helpful and again sticking to the normal routine can help everyone to feel safe at this sad time. The bedtime routine might be a good time to let your child tell you about their day. It’s best if you can listen and not be frightened by what you hear or try to stifle feelings.Attending FuneralsDeath is a natural part of life, and the ritual of a funeral helps. Your child gets to experience an important social ritual. Prepare the child for the funeral by explaining what happens so that there are no surprises. If you sense attending a funeral is going to distress your child it’s okay if they don’t attend. It is very beneficial to have a sense of a spiritual dimension to life. If you have beliefs, share them with your child; if it helps you, it will help them too. There are no rules. It is best to trust your sense of what your child can manage. The most helpful attitude is one of lovingly sensing what is needed and trusting this.Talking About DeathIs your child ready to talk about death? Children aged seven to eight years begin to understand permanency. At this stage they feel a bigger impact of loss as they know it is forever. Before this, a child may be upset because a parent is upset, but they might be fine otherwise, as they do not grasp the permanency of death.Use simple language and avoid euphemisms like “Grandma has gone to sleep.” It is good for children to uunderstand that the period after a death can be a sad time. It is normal to be sad and it will get better. Sadness need not be avoided.<hr>Loss and sadness are part&nbsp;and parcel of life, and if a child is helped to face loss they will be better prepared for other losses in life. It&nbsp;is helpful for a child to know&nbsp;that everyone feels sad or unhappy from time to time.<hr>If you can talk about death in a natural way, a child is more likely to ask questions when they are ready to understand more. Be sensitive to the age of the child and what you feel they can manage. You are not obliged to give all the details. This applies especially to deaths where there are unpleasant details such as a road traffic accident or suicide. You do not want to burden a child with unnecessary details, as the images are likely to stay in their minds. You can give more details when the child asks in the months to come.Don’t pretend, as making up stories will lead to mistrust. It is best if children hear the truth explained simply by you. Avoiding the topic is not helpful, especially as a child is likely to hear stories elsewhere, such as in school.Children Take Their Cues From YouAre you okay speaking about death? If you are frightened or uncomfortable, your child will pick this up and become fearful too. Transmit the understanding that death is part of life. Encourage children to remember good things about the person, and look at photos or make a scrap book.Children often communicate with behavior, not words. If a child’s behavior changes following a death, perhaps they are communicating their sense of grief and loss. Find a loving way to empathize and see how the child is feeling will make a difference. Loss and sadness are part and parcel of life, and if a child is helped to face loss they will be better prepared for other losses in life. It is helpful for a child to know that everyone feels sad or unhappy from time to time.Creating An Atmosphere Of TrustIt is much easier to talk about sadness and difficulties if there is already an atmosphere of openness and trust in the family. One of the best ways to foster such an atmosphere is by spending quality time with children. Quality time with a child will reap more rewards than anything you can give them that costs money.<hr>Article by DR HESTER O CONNOR<hr>

Children and Death

Clinical psychologist, Dr HESTER O CONNOR, offers some insights into keys aspects of having a good relationship with your teenage children.<hr>Did it ever occur to you why flight attendants suggest before take-off, “In the event of an emergency put on your own oxygen mask first before you assist others?” On reflection it is obvious that you will be able to help others in an emergency if your own oxygen supply is stabilised. Similarly, it is important as a parent to try to stay calm during the inevitable turbulence of adolescence when your teenager children assert their autonomy and strive for independence.A NARRATIVE: ANNA’S PLAN FOR A SLEEPOVERIt’s summer holidays and twelve-year old Anna says she is staying over at Poppy’s house tonight. Anna’s mum Judy doesn’t feel comfortable with Poppy’s family, so Judy says, “No”. A row breaks out. Anna finally calls her mum a ‘fat ….’ and leaves the room banging the door. Judy starts feeling very conscious of her weight, and wants to tell Anna exactly what she thinks of her in this very moment.Anna sits in her room sobbing. She feels confused, misunderstood and totally overwhelmed by life right now. She does not know why she feels so bad, but she just feels like trashing things. Judy calls out to Anna that she is taking Beanie the dog for a short walk. She does this to draw breath. Judy feels sad, wounded and fearful but decides to respond to what it must feel like for Anna right now.She wants to give them both space, and so she texts Anna: “I know how hard and frustrating it must feel for you when I say no, but maybe later when we have both calmed down we can have a chat.” Judy plans to explain why she is not happy for Anna to go to Poppy’s for a sleepover.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It is important as a parent to try to stay calm during the inevitable turbulence of adolescence when your teenager children assert their autonomy and strive for independence.</h4><hr>RESPONDING VERSUS REACTINGIn this little story there are a few key elements at play. Anna has gone into fight or flight mode. Fight or flight is what happens instantaneously when we have a response of deep fear to any situation. We are hard wired as humans to have the fight or flight response to protect us when faced with a real threat, such as being chased by a wild animal.Many of us go into fight or flight mode several times a day in the face of minor challenges, such as getting stuck in traffic. We over-respond because our bodies don’t know the difference between the traffic and being attacked by a tiger! They gear up to protect us from real danger.Anna finds herself in a state of heightened awareness, she is fearful and she reacts as if she is under real threat by attacking her mother with strong words. It is very confusing for most of us to know what is going in moments like this.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">We are hard wired as humans to have the fight or flight response to protect us when faced with a real threat, such as being chased by a wild animal.</h4><hr>Initially Judy responds in a similar way to Anna and her own fight or flight response is also triggered by Anna’s anger. Judy does something different though: she catches herself and chooses not to react on impulse, as she remembers that this time a new response is needed. Judy pauses and goes for a short walk. This helps bring harmony with her daughter.BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP OF TRUSTLet’s see the simple things in Judy response that help build a relationship of trust with Anna:By letting Anna know she is going for a short walk, Judy communicates that she will be back soon. This communication is very important for twelve-year-old Anna, who fears the intensity of her own anger.Although Judy is also feeling fearful, she decides not to retaliate and instead she senses what is needed, calms herself and responds calmly.If Judy had yelled back or gone out without telling Anna where she was going or when she would come back, Anna would have felt punished by the withdrawal of love and kindness. Her confusion would have deepened, creating distance. But she didn’t.Judy was also able to stay firm in saying no. By communicating with love rather than automatically falling into defensive mode herself, she kept the relationship open, did not punish Anna, and also was able to explain why she said no, wanting to keep her daughter safe.<img class="image_resized" style="width:661px !important;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/loving_the_teenage_years_1_img_fd491e9ea1.jpg" alt="Loving the Teenage Years">WHO CARES FOR THE PARENT?It is sometimes tough being a parent, and it is vital that you have someone to talk to who will listen to you. Then it is easier to guide your teenager with kindness when challenged by them. Parenting with love and kindness is the base of the security that all children need.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by HESTER O CONNOR</h4><hr>

Loving the Teenage Years

<h4 class="block-heading"
 id="h-dr-hester-o-connor-a-clinical-psychologist-shares-some-simple-ways-to-help-children-know-what-is-going-on-inside-their-hearts-and-minds">
 DR. HESTER O
 CONNOR, a clinical psychologist, shares some simple ways to help children know
 what is going on inside their hearts and minds.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 The ability to recognize and manage feelings and emotions is very protective
 for the mental health and the well-being of children. Yet it is not automatic
 for children to grow up knowing about their feelings and emotions. We teach
 children many wonderful and valuable lessons at home and in school, but there
 is still a big gap in teaching children how to understand what is going on
 inside their hearts and minds.



 With the external stimulation and distraction of social media, it is hardly
 surprising that many children are growing up with little sense of who they are
 on the inside. So when young people face difficulties at home, in school, or
 in relationships, they can find themselves at a loss to make sense of their
 feelings and emotions. Some feel totally overwhelmed and frightened of what is
 happening to them on the inside. Helping a child to develop the ability to
 understand their own mental states and feelings, and to make sense of the
 feelings of others, is a crucial skill that will build their resilience and
 enable them to manage better in the world.


<h4 class="block-heading">
 Why is the
 ability to know one’s heart and mind important?
</h4>


 Research has found that each one of us will experience issues with our mental
 health from time to time throughout our lives. This means we all need the
 skills to know how to navigate our inner world so that when we face
 challenges, when we fall out with friends, fail an exam, or experience family
 hardship, we have the ability to interpret what is going on. If we can make
 sense of the turmoil, we will be able to put our difficulties into perspective
 and learn from our experiences.



 A friend told me a story about a three-year-old, who said to his mum, “I’m not
 cross that you sent me to Liz’s house today, I’m angry.” This is clearly a boy
 who is secure enough in his relationship with his mother to express his
 feelings. She can tolerate his angry feelings so he does not have to protect
 her from them. This preserves their trust in each other.



 It is ideal when children grow up in environments where they are encouraged to
 notice and express a whole range of emotions, including anger, sadness, joy,
 happiness, frustration, etc. The movie,
 Inside Out, from 2015,expresses this theme perfectly.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

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 </figure>
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<h4 class="block-heading">
 How to help
 children know their hearts and minds?
</h4>


 When young children hear their parents say what they think and feel, it helps
 them. The adult saying what is going on gives permission for the child to be
 in touch with what they are feeling. An example is when a parent is curious
 about their baby’s cry and says, “Let’s see, are you hungry or do you need
 your nappy changed?”



 Ten-year-old Claire does not believe in eating vegetables. Her parents can see
 that agreeing to her protest will not be good for her health and will set the
 stage for protests over other issues. Her dad Tom playfully explains the
 reasons why eating vegetables is good for her, and agrees to sit with her
 while she eats them. During the ensuing tears, Tom softens his tone of voice
 so that Claire can let in what he says, even though she doesn’t like it. He
 explains that he knows she is upset, and that it cannot feel nice for her to
 try food she doesn’t like. He reminds her of when she didn’t like swimming,
 but quickly over came her fear.



 Tom’s tone of voice is very important in how he explains to his daughter what
 is going on. He is empathetic, which helps to diffuse her frustration and
 resistance. The crucial part of helping a child to know their own feelings and
 emotions, is to build a loving relationship with the child. The kindness with
 which Tom speaks is central to helping Claire develop curiosity rather than
 fear about what is going on inside her.



 The ability to recognize and manage feelings and emotions is very protective
 for the mental health and the well-being of children.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center block-heading">
 Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE
</h4>

<hr />

Helping children to make sense of their hearts and minds

<h4>HESTER O CONNOR shares an account of her personal research into the experience of a 3-day meditation retreat. How easy it was to look for distraction afterward!</h4><hr>I have been practicing Heartfulness Meditation for almost 30 years, and this September I participated remotely in a 3-day spiritual retreat presented by Heartfulness. In line with many spiritual traditions, we are encouraged to study our meditative experiences and keep a diary of what we feel and discover –in other words, to do our own research.Live-stream meditations were conducted by Daaji, and here is a narrative account of what I experienced during and after the retreat.On Day 2, I was aware of an inner feeling of purity, and a longing to be like my guide. I would describe it as a feeling of wanting to be the absolute best version of myself. There was an inner stillness like a pond with no ripples. I had a feeling of moving closer to my teacher, as if the gap between us was less than it had been in previous days. I was conscious of not wanting anything to spoil this inner atmosphere. I had been ill for a few days with the flu, so I was relieved that I did not have to leave the house and be around others. I did not want to be pulled out from inside into conversation. I was happy to be quiet, savoring and absorbing what I received in the meditations with Daaji.In addition to those <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/expect-the-unexpected" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">group meditations</a>, I meditated twice a day at home. I found myself clearing a corner of clutter in my kitchen, something I had been meaning to do for months. The daily preoccupations that I am so easily caught up in were not present. I went to bed in this state of ease.I woke early for the final meditation of the 3-day event. The rest of the day was filled with inner spaciousness and ease. I did not feel pulled out of this state in the office during the day.<hr><hr><h4>When you couple clean eating with quality sleep, adequate movement, rest and recovery, emotional wellness, and your spirit, you help the natural in-built intelligence of your body to work for you and aid prevention and recovery.</h4><hr><hr><h4>The allure of distraction</h4>When I got home from work that evening, I noticed a shift. I longed to party, to let my hair down as if I was coming out of a period of isolation. I mulled over what I would do to distract myself. I had a moment when I could have chosen to stay with the inner experience and not be distracted, but I wanted distraction. I sat and watched an hour of the UK Channel Four News, and was very distracted by the dire events. I felt like praying for the plight of the suffering in the world. After that, I said to myself, “Enough.”<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/allure_of_distraction2_700x480_a41063dca6.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T11:02:50.507Z" alt=""><hr>Why would I choose to return to the familiarity and comfort of distraction, of thinking and action? What was going on in these moments of choice between the spaciousness and beauty within, an inner gift arising from meditation, and seeking the familiar daily round of thinking and doing?It is helpful for me to question the ideas that underpin how I live my life every day. We all have beliefs that influence how we behave, yet we rarely stop to think about these underlying beliefs, or the assumptions that inform our thinking and actions. What I received from my Catholic upbringing was the trust that all would be well in life. My mother was a fan of the Christian mystics. The Julian of Norwich quote,“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well,” comes to mind when things feel difficult. My father had a simple faith. Where I differ from my parents is that I believe in reincarnation of the soul. I believe that I have the capacity for goodness and destruction. Goodness is expressed as action to alleviate suffering, which includes well-intentioned action for all of creation. Destruction is any kind of harm to anything animate or inanimate – judgmental thoughts, cheating, and wasting resources like time, energy, and so on.<h4>The spiritual purpose</h4>The purpose of my existence is a spiritual one. The journey of my life is for my soul to return to the essence of its origin, which is spiritual energy in its original state. It is my assumption that the spiritual purpose of my life is fulfilled through a silent inner connection with my living teacher. It is through this inner connection, experienced within my heart, that I can evolve to the goal of the highest spiritual level in my lifetime. The effect of yogic Transmission from the teacher is for me evident in how I observe changes within myself and in others.&nbsp;I considered myself to be flaky when I began Heartfulness Meditation in 1994. I now have a grounded-ness within, like an oak tree rooted to the eternal. The deepest longing of my heart is simultaneously satisfied and expands with the simple act of connecting to the core of my human essence. Many unnecessary preoccupations have fallen off over years of practice. Changes happen in a natural manner. The road ahead is still long and many more layers of ego require pruning.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/allure_of_distraction3_700x493_5aefd2ba26.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T11:04:43.371Z" alt=""><hr>So, it is very challenging for me to see how utterly bound I am to thinking and action, because it is how I live my life. It is hardly a surprise then that having an experience of a very subtle and beautiful state devoid of choice-making felt like the satisfaction of my longing. It was so subtle and unfamiliar, and therefore it was hard to rest there. I needed time to adjust to the new inner atmosphere, which was lighter and subtler. I was scared to remain in the unknown, to remain not choosing by being without the churning of thoughts. I opted for choosing the familiar merry-go-round of doing and thinking.<h4>Satisfying your heart’s desire</h4>Does this story shed any light on your experience of your spiritual journey? I invite you to question the beliefs and deeply held ideas that inform how you live your life every day.Does it ring any bells that you might long for something deep inside, yet the distractions of life keep getting in the way?Life is full of endless distraction. It is hardly surprising then that my research into my own experience sheds light on my fear of letting go, despite an intense spiritual longing. Zero has few reference points for me. Distraction on the other hand is the stuff of the material world.<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

The allure of distraction

<h4>
 MARGARET
 SCHENKMAN,
 ROSALIND
 PEARMAIN,
 HESTER O
 CONNOR,
 and
 KRISHNAMURTHY
 JAYANNA
 address some of the challenges of doing research on consciousness, and
 explore the various approaches that give them the best understanding of how
 consciousness evolves.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Throughout the ages, spiritual practices have helped to expand human
 consciousness. This expansion changes our relationships with our selves, with
 others, and with our environment. A few years ago, Daaji encouraged scientists
 in the Heartfulness community to study consciousness, so we took up this
 challenge. Here, a few of us wish to summarize some of what we have learned.



 In order to describe and measure consciousness, we needed to define what we
 meant by the term. Consciousness is defined and measured in very different
 ways, depending on whether it is in medicine, philosophy, or quantum physics.
 Daaji has described consciousness as “the degree of awareness and
 unawareness,” which changes to a large extent according to the refinement of
 three other mental functions – mind, intellect, and ego. Consciousness evolves
 to the extent that mind, intellect, and ego evolve. Mind evolves from thinking
 to feeling, intellect from intelligence to intuition to wisdom, and ego from
 arrogance to love and humility.&nbsp;



 We quickly realized that there were no available measures to capture
 consciousness from this perspective. Therefore, our first step was to
 interview people who practice Heartfulness meditation. Eleven Heartfulness
 practitioners were asked an open-ended question about how Heartfulness
 affected their everyday life. Their responses were surprising and brought new
 insights into how people experience a meditation practice.



 The practitioners gave new insights into the experience of meditation as it
 permeates everyday life, and four themes emerged:


<h4>
 1. Tangible,
 deeply felt effects that give a sense of being true or
 real&nbsp;
</h4>


 Embarking on Heartfulness Meditation can lead to changes that are tangible,
 and recognized as authentic or real. For some, they include the experience of
 a new sense of inner spaciousness associated with the heart focus, and inner
 experiences that are described as sublime, profound, pure, and inspiring.


<h4>
 2. Groundedness
 and a deeper context of existence, altering
 relationships
</h4>


 Sometimes, inner changes led to a feeling of groundedness. Over time, some
 participants experienced a real and authentic inner source that supports a
 more solid sense of self and grounding within. This inner grounding allowed
 for more openness, trust, and honesty with others, and more empathy.


<h4>
 3. Focus on the
 heart as the center in the midst of flux and
 change&nbsp;
</h4>


 Over time, a focus developed on sustaining a connection with the heart center.
 As life brings inevitable tests and changes, this heart focus is like an
 anchor in a stormy sea. It offers a continuous presence, a peacefulness, a
 field of sensibility, and a deeper orientation, in the midst of flux.
 Reconnecting with the heart could be challenging when distracted by daily
 stresses and pressures.


<h4>
 4. Immersion in
 love with less sense of “I”
</h4>


 Increasingly, understanding emerged through the heart field, along with a
 feeling of no separation from others. It was possible to be in two states of
 consciousness at the same time: being completely immersed in the
 practicalities of work and life, and at the same time completely removed from
 daily preoccupations in the sense of expanded understanding, compassion, and
 oneness.


*


 We then faced a dilemma: It is not practical to use interviews with large
 groups of people (50,100, or thousands), yet studying large groups is
 necessary to adequately observe changes in consciousness with meditation. We
 needed to translate what we had learned into something that could be measured.



 The themes that emerged from the interviews, along with specific comments of
 the participants, guided the development of a “Measure of Expanded
 Consciousness.” We tested this measure with over 400 participants, including
 Heartfulness meditators, meditators in other systems, and non-meditators. The
 resulting measure, which is in its final stages of development, is based upon
 the answers to35 questions contained in the following five categories:


<ol type="1">
 <li>Relationship with others</li>
 <li>Judgment of self</li>
 <li>Connection to inner self (heart)</li>
 <li>Greater dimension beyond self</li>
 <li>Acceptance and surrender</li>
</ol>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div>
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="500" height="750" alt="" class="mx-auto d-block lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/conundrum_of_consciousness2_c9d987e9ba.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-13T09:40:54.061Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 The conundrum of measuring changes in consciousness is not trivial.&nbsp; The
 two approaches – interviews and quantitative measures – give very different,
 yet related information, each with strengths and weaknesses, neither of which
 can fully capture consciousness among meditators.



 Qualitative descriptions from meditators tap into personal feelings and
 awareness not previously described. There is a move from a focus on thinking
 to a focus on feeling, and changes in ephemeral constructs such as intuition,
 inspiration, humility, and love. Furthermore, this approach offers flexibility
 and variability of responses, as each person’s lived experience is described
 in their own words.



 In contrast, quantitative data from the “Measure of Expanding Consciousness”
 can easily be used to study groups of people or populations, but the
 information is limited by the very nature of trying to fit abstract feelings
 into concrete words. The data obtained from one measure only provide
 information based on the content and specific wording within that measure; the
 information is necessarily limited.



 Our solution to this conundrum is to combine the two approaches – to obtain
 quantitative data from a large group, while simultaneously obtaining
 qualitative data from a sample of the participants. These qualitative data
 will allow us to add depth and texture to that which is learned from the
 “Measure of Expanding Consciousness.” Using this combination, we will explore
 questions such as:


<ul>
 <li>How does consciousness change with meditation?</li>
 <li>
 How do those changes relate to other important concepts such as loneliness,
 resilience, and depression?&nbsp;
 </li>
</ul>


 Although we may never fully answer the fundamental question of how
 consciousness evolves, we may perhaps begin to approach an understanding with
 increasing precision through combining these two approaches.



 References



 Lanfranco, R.C.et al, 2022. Towards a vision from within.&nbsp;
 Adaptive Behavior. DOI: 10.1177/10597123221080193



 Patel, K.D., 2022.The Evolution of Consciousness. Talk given for the
 150th birth anniversary of Shri Aurobindo.
 <a
 href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=eFMWZ_0hDtA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=eFMWZ_0hDtA</a> 



<hr class="vertical-space1" />

The conundrum of consciousness

Hetty is a portrait and commercial photographer. She emigrated to South Africa where she documented social issues and specialized in editorial photography. Back in the Netherlands, her journey and art projects continue in connecting with others, fostering the spirit of ubuntu.

Hetty Zantman IMG_9197.webp

Hetty Zantman

<h4>Under the Trees&nbsp; Saratoga Springs, New York, 2024 FIONA NEARY</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h4>Finding Joy Saratoga Springs, New York, 2024 FIONA NEARY</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>May Their Innocence and Joy Continue to Flower South Africa, 2015 HETTY ZANTMAN</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>Tree RAMYA SRIRAM</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>In Tune with Nature 2007 BRIGITTE SMITH</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><hr><h4>Expressions of Love 2023 SANTANU CHATTERJEE</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;

Expressions of peace from around the world

The medieval saint, Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath who was a mystic, composer, writer, philosopher, botanist, naturalist, and medical practitioner. Hildegard's spiritual awareness was based on the umbra viventis lucis - the reflection of the living Light.

Hildegard-von-Bingen.png

Hildegard von Bingen

<h4 style="text-align: center;">God is the foundation for everything.</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">This God undertakes, God gives.</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking.</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God.</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">This body is supported in every way through the Earth.</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Thus the Earth glorifies the power of God.</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">-HILDEGARD VON BINGEN</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">

Prayer of awareness

In his sight

Hippocrates of Kos (460-370 B.C.) was an Ancient Greek physician, who is widely regarded as one of the greats in the history of medicine. He is referred to as "the father of medicine."

Hippocrates.png

Hippocrates

Food as medicine

The 14th Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Rinpoche, is the spiritual leader of Tibet. He is considered a living Bodhisattva; specifically, an emanation of Avalokiteśvara in Sanskrit and Chenrezig in Tibetan. He is highly awarded, including the Nobel Peace Prize, the Templeton Prize, and the U.S. Congressional Medal.

dalia-lama.jpg

His Holiness, 14th Dalai Lama

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">HIS HOLINESS the 14th DALAI LAMA met with UNESCO Artist for Peace, Dr. GUILA CLARA KESSOUS, on May 8, 2023. Evoking her commitments to UNESCO, Dr. Kessous asked about issues such as equality and women’s rights, intercultural dialogue, the societal role of art and the importance of yoga for mental health. Here is an excerpt from the conversation.</h4>GCK: Your Holiness, do you think yoga has a real role to play in addressing the mental health and psychological suffering felt by so many people on the planet right now?HHDL: Yes, I do. Yoga, which is an art of discipline, has its place in responding to the complexity of our world. If I make a gesture, I go beyond my intellect, which makes me suffer, by concentrating on that gesture. If this gesture is followed by ten people, not only do those people go beyond their intellect, but they each release an awareness of belonging to a whole, to a collective gesture. This is the genius of yoga. We think it’s gesture, but it’s humanity.GCK: In your book, New Reality: A Manifesto of Collective Responsibility, co-written with the remarkable Sofia Stril-Rever, you describe yoga as a kind of new language that would enable us all to communicate differently, to transcend our physical and mental boundaries. How can we achieve this degree of understanding, of “interdependency,” as you like to call it?HHDL: You are a UNESCO Artist for Peace. You know what it means to want to help others, to want to save others. This can only be done if we leave behind the desire to perform. Many people think that doing yoga implies doing the right postures. ... Many people think that doing meditation is forcing them to absolutely think about nothing. But in fact, everyone should be their own barometer. Each of us is capable of knowing where we stand today and where we stand right now. That’s what being “mindful” is all about. It’s being there, fully there, with what you are today.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/yoga_mental_health2_07eed9dc30.jpg"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The only thing that will keep us going&nbsp; in our difficult times is the awareness that we are all products of generations and links in the human chain.&nbsp; By being aware of this filiation,&nbsp; of this feminine part within us,&nbsp; we return to our healthy matrix,&nbsp; and heal ourselves.</h4><hr>GCK: So, for mental health, yoga is not a way of distracting from illness, of pretending it doesn’t exist, but of living this moment of painful life. So, how can we avoid sinking?HHDL: By connecting with our universal mother being. I’m aware of your commitment to women’s rights, and you’re right – as long as we don’t recognize our being connected with our inner mother, there will always be war. By connecting to that part of us that honors us and makes us worthy of being human. We all have two eyes, a nose, a mouth. ... We each and every one of us can say we are crazy. The only thing that will keep us going in our difficult times is the awareness that we are all products of generations and links in the human chain. By being aware of this filiation, of this feminine part within us, we return to our healthy matrix, and heal ourselves.GCK: Does it mean that our disease comes from the way we function in the world? Does our state of mental health depend on our ability to extract ourselves from this world of efficiency?HHDL: Absolutely. We have to get out of the vicious circle of performance, profitability, and productivity. Our being is not made for that. Our being is unique and needs to be treated as such. Leaning toward ourselves gently with a smile, as we would do toward a newborn in the cradle who is discovering his body’s capacity for flexibility, its treasures of suppleness. This is what yoga is all about. This is what heals.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/yoga_mental_health3_cc9ae3956c.jpg"></figure>GCK: Can this healing be achieved through artistic or cultural means?HHDL: This healing comes through attention. Attention to oneself. Attention to others. That’s what art and culture are all about. A way to be attentive, to capture a moment of oneself in otherness. It’s what we should cherish above all else. It’s what makes us human ... and it’s why your UNESCO home is so important.&nbsp;For more information: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLmzlBurfNM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLmzlBurfNM</a><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Photographs courtesy of GUILA CLARA KESSOUS</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Yoga and mental health

Interdependence

The point of life

Our survival

Hopi Proverb

The new dawn

Seven generations

defualt-profile-image.png

Hugh Jackman

The pursuit of nothingness

Dr. Adizes is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading management experts. He has received 21 honorary doctorates and is the author of almost 30 books that have been translated into 36 languages. Dr. Adizes is recognized by Leadership Excellence Journal as one of the top thirty thought leaders of America.

ichak-adizes-img.jpg

Ichak Adizes

<h4>DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the differences between the inanimate and animate, and among different lifeforms, to discover what are the qualities that distinguish us as human beings. Read on to discover what he thinks truly makes us human.</h4><hr><h3>JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h3>I claim that everything has a life, even stones. There are old stones and new stones. There are young stars and old stars. And by the same token, there are new and old cars. What is the difference between, say, a stone and a tree and an animal? And what is the difference between us humans and animals?Here is my insight: The difference between inanimate objects and animate objects is, among other things, that inanimate objects do not reproduce themselves. When a stone breaks into pieces for whatever reason, or a star explodes, it is not reproducing itself, it is just falling apart.Now, what distinguishes trees and vegetables from animals of any kind? It is the brain: the capability of processing information using the brain, which is called reasoning. Next: what distinguishes us humans from animals? We have lungs and hearts and reproductive organs, as they do; and brains, as they do. Admittedly, the human brain is bigger, but is that the major difference – the size of our brains? Then, what about disabled children, who are born with brains that are deficient by human standards? Should we describe them as animals? I would say no.So what&nbsp;is&nbsp;the difference? Have you ever seen an animal build a temple in order to worship something? Obviously not. We&nbsp;have a system of beliefs: we believe in God (those guys on Wall Street pray to the god called Mammon, and those that deny God exists have their own god they believe in). What distinguishes us from animals is that we serve the god or <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/simplify-your-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">belief system</a> of our choice.What about the Nazis? They had a system of beliefs, too. Their belief was that they were called to dominate the world. Were they human, then? They had all the ingredients of being human – eyes, reproductive organs, brains, symbols, the ability to write and read – that animals do not have, but they were not all human. Some of the Nazis&nbsp;had&nbsp;no heart. Otherwise, there is no explanation for how they could have taken innocent children to the ovens.This brings me to the conclusion that not all gods are equal. There are false gods, idols. Mammon is one of them. The Nazi swastika, which symbolized the superiority of one race over all others, was another idol. The&nbsp;true&nbsp;God is the God of love, the one we serve with our hearts. Those who worship idols, false gods, are animals disguised in a human body. The more we reason – not just with our brains but with our hearts – the more human we are. We have more than consciousness; we have a conscience.<hr><hr><h4>The more we reason – not just with our brains&nbsp; but with our hearts – the more human we are.&nbsp; We have more than consciousness;&nbsp; we have a conscience.</h4><hr><hr>Animals focus on survival. We feel for what is around us, not only for other human beings but also for the suffering of animals and the health of trees, rivers, mountains, the air, and the ocean. We care because our thoughts and feelings transcend the necessary needs of finding a reproductive mate (long-term survival) and finding food and shelter (immediate survival). Our hearts ache and our consciences bother us, because we have interests, goals, and a sense of right and wrong. We go&nbsp;beyond&nbsp;survival. The listening to the heart is what makes us HUMAN.Just thinking and feeling,Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes<a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-makes-us-human">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-makes-us-human</a> ichak@adizes.com

What makes us human?

<hr class="vertical-space1">



 <h2 class="has-text-align-center">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2>



 <hr class="vertical-space1">



 <h4>
 DR. ICHAK
 ADIZES explores the needs of customers, clients, shareholders, and management, and raises a few
 realistic questions that will bring focus and purpose to any organization.
 </h4>



 <hr class="vertical-space1">



 In order to be healthy, you have to be effective. In order to be effective, the system works, the system produces
 what it needs to produce. But in order to be effective, you have to identify the clients you are serving. Who
 are the clients? Clients are not necessarily those who consume the product or the service. They are customers.
 Clients are the ones who decide to buy. Who decides? That is your client.



 When my kids were young, I used to take them every Sunday for brunch. I liked to go to a restaurant called Love
 because they had baked beans, which I liked. Guess where we went? McDonald’s. Who decided? The kids. So who are
 the clients of McDonald’s? I was the one carrying the wallet. That’s why McDonald’s is very good at marketing.
 It is oriented to the kids. They promote to the kids. They have playgrounds for the kids in front of the
 restaurant. The menu focuses on the kids.



 Who decides is the client.



 If you are a real estate developer in a developed country like the United States, go to New York. Look at their
 apartments. The kitchens are very small. What’s going on? People eat out. Who is the client? The wife. That’s
 who decides what to buy. So, when you ask yourself, I want to be effective, I want my company to be effective,
 focus on who decides. In the B2B business, there are multiple people who decide. The finance people, any one of
 them can veto. Now you have to look at all the different needs and develop a separate pitch for each one of
 them.



 What about the shareholders? Are they not the clients? They want to get a return on their investment. And that,
 by the way, is economic theory. For them, the client of the business is the shareholders. That’s why we aim how
 to produce profits for them. But what happens? We are forgetting the customers. We are forgetting the clients.
 Sometimes we undermine the needs of the clients to satisfy the needs of the shareholders. We end up selling
 clients food that is not healthy.



 So what are the shareholders? For me they are stakeholders. There is a goal, we have to satisfy the needs of the
 stakeholders. There is no question about it. Why? So they continue to cooperate. So you can satisfy the needs of
 the clients. You have to satisfice. Herbert Simon called it satisficing: to do enough to satisfy. We have to
 satisfy the needs of the stakeholders so they give you the resources to satisfy the real needs of your customer.
 That is your focus. The clients.



 Stakeholders should be happy enough, but with clients, more is better. For stakeholders, enough is good enough.
 For whom do you exist? For your clients. And how do you know if you are satisfying their needs?



 Look at a restaurant. If you own a restaurant, and the clients, the customers, are not coming back, you’re going
 to run out of customers. Unless you are a tourist trap, because there are always tourists. The client in a
 tourist trap is the owner. And the customer is just a vessel to make money for the owner. That is why in tourist
 traps the food is so lousy.



 Whom do you want to satisfy? Whom do you want to come back?



 If your spouse is not coming back, there is a need you did not satisfy. If the children are not coming back,
 dispersed around the world, there is a reason.



 <hr class="vertical-space1">


 <div class="block-image">
 <figure><img decoding="async" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_are_the_clients2_fddc82e8f8.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-29T11:59:18.502Z">
 </figure>
 </div>


 <hr class="vertical-space1">



 Are you a client too? You have a need too, right? Yes, but watch it. You should not be a client. You should be a
 stakeholder. Satisfy your needs sufficiently, so you can serve that for which you exist – as a parent, as a
 leader, as a scientist, as an innovator – whatever it is. If you are the client, everything is to satisfy your
 needs, you are egocentric.



 And by the way, it doesn’t have to be an external client. Every department, every unit inside the company has
 clients. They have to buy your services. Accounting has external clients for information but everybody inside
 also needs information. But they cannot decide because we have a monopoly over their needs .Accounting has to
 buy my services, they cannot go outside. In that case, be honest. Just honest.



 Close your eyes and ask yourself, who needs my services? Next, what do they need? And would they buy outside if
 they had the choice to do so? Would my spouse stay with me if they had a choice not to stay with me? Be honest.
 



 And now we have an exercise I would like you to do. Who are the clients of a hospital? Who are the clients of a
 prison? Who are the clients of a school? Who are the clients of the government? There is a lot of confusion that
 creates a lot of problems and inefficiencies and bureaucracies, so we’d better discuss it.



 Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes ichak@adizes.com 



 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/who-are-the-clients">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/who-are-the-clients</a>
 



 <hr class="vertical-space1">

Who are the clients?

<h4>DR ICHAK ADIZES explores the topic of a meaningful life and what really brings us happiness in the material world.
 It is not what you may think …</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
The pursuit of happiness is a right given to us by the US Constitution. Is there any
 sane human being who does not yearn to be happy? But be careful. Not all roads to happiness are functional. There is
 evidence that seeking pleasure as a way to be happy could actually be the wrong focus in life.
A new book by Emily Esfahani Smith presents the research that inspired this articles. It
 is called The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters1.
Seeking and living a life of pleasure might make you happy in the short run, but without
 deeper meaning it could make you miserable over time. Like sugar, it is sweet and gratifying while consumed, but has
 undesirable side effects in the long run. Drugs, sex without love, and rich food all provide short-term
 gratification; they might make you happy for a while only to be followed by a feeling of emptiness over time.
Why?
People who pursue happiness are takers. They take from life as much as possible, in any
 way that will gratify them, and as soon as possible. When a person who is dependent on instant gratification is not
 given the pleasure they insist on having, they feel like a baby who is pulled away from their mother’s breast. They
 cry with or without tears. Depending on the age.
So, what does make people happy in the long run? A meaningful life, the author says.
People who have a meaningful life are givers and not takers. At times they may be
 miserable. Giving and sacrificing are hard work, but in the long run they fulfill. Take parenting as an example. It
 does not make you happy to have a rebellious teenager, but over time there will be moments of absolute happiness,
 like when grandchildren arrive. You know the joke: grandchildren are the reward you get for not killing your
 children.
So, pursuing happiness by seeking immediate rewards is instantly gratifying, but can
 make you miserable in the long run.

<hr class="vertical-space1">

<h4>Read the complete article in <a style="color: #bf8f26;"
 href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/category/volume2/volume2issue4/">Volume 2, Issue 4</a> 
 </h4>
Published with permission from www.ichakadizes.com. Learn more about Dr Adizes at //adizes.com/dr-ichak-adizes/
<h4><a href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SUBSCRIBE &amp; DOWNLOAD</a></h4>

<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by DR ICHAK ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

On happiness

<h4>
 DR ICHAK KALDERON ADIZES
 challenges the corporate world’s concepts of leadership and management
 and shows us what is required for really effective leadership in
 companies.
 </h4>
 <hr class="vertical-space1" />
 
 Over the years I have observed how the concept of solving problems for
 organizations has changed its name. First it was called administration,
 but when business administration programs did not produce the desired
 results, the concept of administration was relegated to a lower rank
 within the organization. Administrators just coordinated and supervised,
 and a new concept emerged: management. Gradually at first, and then
 rapidly, schools changed their name to ‘Graduate School of Management’.
 
 
 Apparently that did not work well either, and management was relegated
 to the middle level of organizations. It lost its appeal and a new word
 was needed: executive. Graduate programs for executives and the concept
 of ‘Chief Executive Officer’ were born.
 
 
 That shift did not produce the desired results either, so recently a new
 theory appeared: leadership.
 
 
 I believe ‘leadership’ is just another fad. Soon, we will have another
 buzzword. Why? Because we are searching for an all-encompassing concept
 that will cover the skills necessary for running an organization.
 
 
 We are all looking for a model that will describe and identify the
 specific kind of person who can provide the functions an organization
 needs so that it is effective and efficient in both the short and the
 long term, and that person simply does not exist.
 
 
 The mistake in this way of thinking lies in the expectation: we expect
 all the roles to be performed by a single individual, whether he is
 called the administrator, the manager, the executive or the leader. In
 reality, one person, even someone extraordinary, can perform only one or
 two of the roles required to manage and lead an organization.
 
 
 The terms ‘leadership’, ‘executive action’, and ‘management process’ are
 one and the same for me, because they follow the same wrong paradigm.
 The paradigm assumes that a single individual can make any organization
 function effectively and efficiently in both the short and long term.
 
 
 An individual who can make all decisions required for an organization to
 be effective and efficient in the short and long term simply does not
 and cannot exist.
 
 
 The roles that produce those results are internally incompatible. The
 ideal executive does not exist.
 
 <hr />
 <h5 style="text-align: center">
 Building a company requires 
 a complementary team. 
 It needs collaborative leadership, 
 a team of leaders who differ in their styles yet 
 complement one another.
 </h5>
 <hr />
 
 A single leader, no matter how functional, will eventually become
 dysfunctional. Over time, as an organization changes its location in the
 lifecycle, proceeding from early success to a booming position within
 the corporate field, that single executive will falter. The qualities
 that made her or him successful in the past can be the reason for
 failing in the future.
 
 
 Building a company requires a complementary team. It needs collaborative
 leadership, a team of leaders who differ in their styles yet complement
 one another. But here is the problem: a complementary team, since it is
 composed of different styles, generates conflict. So, although conflict
 is good, although it is necessary and indispensable, it can be
 destructive and dysfunctional. What is needed to avoid this potential
 dysfunctional and destructive conflict is collaborative leadership based
 on mutual trust and respect
 
 
 This is an excerpt from Dr Ichak Adizes’ revised and updated
 book,
 Mastering Change – Introduction to Organizational Therapy, and edited for publication in Heartfulness Magazine. More
 information can be found at www.adizes.com. Copyright 2015.
 
 <hr />
 <h5 style="text-align: center">Article by ICHAK KALDERON ADIZES</h5>
 <hr />

Mastering Change: The Need for Collaboration

It took me fifty years of trial and error to realise that my mother, who did not have even an elementary
 education, was absolutely right. More about that later. But it starts with a question. What is the secret of
 success of any system? There is a formula:
<img decoding="async" class="lazyload"
 src="//cdn-prod.heartfulness.org/hfnmag/images/2015/oct/success-formula.jpeg">
External integration is the way in which the organisation, any system, is integrated with its environment. No
 system, person, family, business or country exists in a vacuum. We measure external integration in business by
 market share, profit margins, repeat sales, EVA, ROI, earnings per share, etc. When we refer to individuals, we
 calculate external integration by their career success as reflected in status, earnings, or rate of ascending in
 the hierarchy of the organisation. For a nation the determining factors are balance of payments, average income
 per citizen, trade conditions and economic growth. Same concept, different forms of measurement. Internal
 disintegration is all the internal fighting that occurs in organisations: the rumours, misunderstandings, back
 stabbings, frustrations with the job and turnover of people, among other manifestations of disintegration. In
 our personal life, internal disintegration is a function of all the confusion in our head: the self-doubt,
 self-disrespect and mistrust coupled with some of our most destructive behaviour. In a nation the disintegration
 is marked by a society where discrimination frequently occurs and where confrontations are the norm, whether in
 terms of gender, creed, religion, nationality or colour.
The question is: why does this formula predict success? We know from physics that energy is fixed. I discovered
 that the fixed energy is allocated in a predictable way in every system. It moves first to deal with internal
 disintegration and only then does the surplus overflow to external integration. For example, if you are ill and
 falling apart you will have little energy available to discuss, plan or organise how to handle the changing
 market. In a company riddled with internal disintegration, most of the energy is dedicated towards protecting
 one’s back, preserving one’s political and managerial power, along with a place in the system. For instance, a
 manager decides to sit in committee meetings he does not want to attend in order to protect his interests. So
 what is wanted is less internal disintegration. When that occurs there is more energy available for external
 integration and much greater opportunity for success of the system. But what does internal disintegration mean?
 Let us understand it through its opposite. How do you minimise internal disintegration? By integration.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">And what is integration?&nbsp; What is an integrated organisation? A healthy system.
</h5>
<hr>
Integration is synonymous with health and disintegration with sickness. What do we say about a mentally healthy
 individual? He is all together. What do we say about a physically or even mentally sick person? He or she is
 falling apart. Same for a sick family or a sick country. Falling apart. Disintegrating.
So, now, what is the secret of success? Not external integration. That is the result of having success. That is
 the output. We need to understand what makes success? Which is to recognise the value of the input.
Success is internal integration i.e. being healthy. Don’t we say in all languages, “Be well”, when we wish
 something for the other person as we part company? Don’t we raise a glass and wish each other “Na
 zdravlje”, “Salud”, “To your health”: the same expression in different languages.
What is the value of having a lot of possessions, or whatever success we might measure ourselves by, if we are
 sick? Have you ever been very sick? You were probably most willing to surrender all your possessions just to
 become healthy again.The real secret of success resides in how healthy you are.&nbsp; You personally, your
 family, your business, your country.
Focus on the health of your organisation and how integrated it is, how aligned the subsystems are. Profits are a
 measurement of how well you have perfected aligning the inputs. It is the scoring board of the tennis match. It
 tells you how well you played. Focusing on the scoring board and ignoring the balls will not help you win the
 game.&nbsp; The point rather is to focus on the game, which in turn reflects positively on the scoring board.

So, what is the role of management? Of leadership? Of a parent? Of a national leader? To make and keep the system
 they are managing, or leading, or parenting, healthy.
My mother, whenever I would tell her about some incredible success I had with a client or with my book, would
 sigh and say, “Ha ikar ha bruit (What is most important is your health),” as if to say, it is nice all
 you are telling me about your success, but watch it son. What is really most important is your health.
Thank you mom. Just thinking.
Sincerely, 
 Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes 
 CEO/President, 
 Adizes Institute 
 www.ichakadizes.com 
 www.adizes.com
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Article by ICHAK KALDERON ADIZES 
 Reprinted with permission</h5>
Artwork by ALI GHAEMI
<hr>

The Secret of Success of Any System

<h4 class="text-justify">DR ICHAK ADIZES shares his thoughts on the most important need for all human beings.</h4>

There are a lot of theories on human needs, like to reproduce and to feed, where the common denominator is the survival of the species.
Then the McClellan theory that there is the need to achieve, to control, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs from survival to self-actualization, etc.
I have not seen it but I believe someone must have identified the need to love and be loved.
<hr>
<h5 class="text-center">We are trying to solve our problems with our brain, 
analyzing cost benefit ratios. 
The real, sustainable solution is processed by the heart, 
where we feel without having a clue of the ratios.</h5>
<hr>
We know from research that babies that are not caressed do not gain as much weight, and children that grow up in an orphanage deprived of parental love, develop all kinds of mental problems.
And we all know from personal experience, I bet, how lonely and depressing it is not to be in a loving relationship.
It is not the need for affiliation. That need is from your brain, to socialize, to interrelate. It is not the need for sexual release either. It is to love with your heart; to ache with your heart for someone.

<h5>Reprinted with permission from ‘Dr Adizes, insights on personal growth’, Adizes Institute, www. ichakadizes.com.</h5>

<h4>Read the complete article in Volume 2, Issue 2
</h4>
<h4><a href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SUBSCRIBE &amp; DOWNLOAD</a></h4>
<hr>
<h4 class="text-center">Article by DR ICHAK ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

The need to love

<h4>DR ICHAK ADIZES takes us into his experience of feeling to be present, and the way it has changed his life.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
It has been a common message in New Age thinking: be present, stop only thinking about the past or the future. Be present.
This made sense to me in light of my own experiences. While I was developing my methodology and testing them with my clients around the world, my mind was 100% occupied thinking about the future (thinking of ways to improve the methodology for the clients) or the past (diagnosing what went wrong and why). My sons used to complain to me that I was not with them. I used to get upset. How can that be? I had flown from all over the world to&nbsp; be with them. But they were right. My body was there but not my presence, my mind, my spirit.
When my children start reminiscing about something that happened between us and ask me if I remember it, I go blank. It is not that I am struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. It is that I was not there. My mind was with a client or with a theory problem I was struggling with. I was where my mind was and my mind was not there.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">If you want to be present, 
stop&nbsp;thinking and just feel. 
Feel&nbsp;what is going on. 
Ask yourself,&nbsp;“How do I feel? 
How does&nbsp;whatever is happening 
at this&nbsp;moment make me feel?”</h5>
<hr>
Not being present has repercussions. Without the present, there is only the past and the future. Because the past does not exist anymore and the future has not happened yet, when you are not living in the present, you are not actually living. Instead, your life is what you imagine has happened or will happen, but your life is not happening.
When you are not present, your life flies by very fast. When the Christmas carols start playing in piped-in music, I stop and wonder, “Hey, hey, how did a year already pass? Where was I this year?” It is all blurred because I was not there. My mind was everywhere else.
So yes, we need to be present more to enjoy life because living in the past or in the future is living in your head and not really experiencing life. But how can one be present? I struggled with it.
People told me to meditate. That is how you become present.
I tried probably half a dozen meditations: sitting meditations, walking meditations, you name it. Meditating stopped my brain from terrorizing me, but it did not make me present. Recently I think I found the answer: feel.
If you want to be present, stop thinking and just feel. Feel what is going on. Ask yourself, “How do I feel? How does whatever is happening at this moment make me feel?”
The more you feel, the more present you are. Feel what is happening here and now.
I tried to practice it. Close to my home in Carpinteria are the Carpinteria Bluffs. The bluffs are a piece of land along the coast that the local community bought and donated to the city, to be kept in perpetuity natural and free of development. So, I go there for a walk. In the past, my brain would be working overtime. I would think about work, about books, family issues, you name it. For me, if I did not think I did not exist. My mind must be active all waking hours (and probably while dreaming, too).
But thinking, as I’ve said, takes me away from the present and into the past or future. So, I tried out my new insight. Feel. Stop thinking and feel where you are.
I stopped and looked at a tree. I tried to feel how the tree felt and how I felt about it. And it was very interesting. It was as if the tree spoke to me. Each branch had something to say: that they are struggling to get to the sunshine, how they depend on the roots to feed them, how the birds find respite among their leaves.
Then I looked at the clouds. How does it feel to be a cloud?
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">I stopped and looked at a tree. 
I tried to feel how the tree felt 
and how I felt about it. 
And&nbsp;it was very interesting. 
It&nbsp;was as if the tree spoke to me. 
Each branch had something to&nbsp;say: 
that they are struggling&nbsp;to get to the sunshine, 
how&nbsp;they depend on the roots to&nbsp;feed them, 
how the birds find&nbsp;respite 
among their leaves.</h5>
<hr>
And for a moment I identified with the cloud. How wonderful it is to be floating effortlessly far away from details and obstructions on earth, carrying the wetness that will turn into rain and feed the earth with life-giving water.
I looked at the ants rushing in a line to get somewhere.
By directing myself to feel what I see rather than to think about what it is I see, I became present. I was not in the future nor in the past, I was there and then. In the present.
The more I feel and the less I think, the longer I live.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by DR ICHAK ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

How to be present

<hr class="vertical-space1">
 <h4>The guru of change management, DR ICHAK ADIZES, shares some thoughts on how to make the most of the current world crisis and prepare for the future – as individuals, families, companies, nationals and humanity as a whole.</h4>
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 Humanity is facing a major challenge with the coronavirus crisis. It is estimated that millions of people might die worldwide. Beyond those who will die, scientists predict there will be many more millions of sick people who will not be productive for some time, until they recuperate.
 This prediction is based on the estimate that between 50 to 70% of the population will get sick, out of which 80% will have a mild flu-like sickness, 17% will be very sick and hospitalized but will recover, and only 3% will die. They will be those with compromised health and the old.
 One does not have to be a rocket scientist to realize that 20% of the population of any country going to hospital will lead to the collapse of the health delivery system, and it will be a challenge to bury or cremate 3% of the country’s population.
 But that’s not all.
 With 80% sick, 17% feeling like they will die any minute, and 3% actually dying, it will cause a major reduction in active customers and, thus, consumption. When people experience fear, they are not inclined to separate themselves from their cash. Furthermore, people sheltering at home to avoid getting sick will lead to a stoppage in factory production and delivery from logistics companies. As revenues shrink, companies are going to fire part of their workforce, and all these changes cumulatively will cause the health crisis to result in an economic crisis, heading to recession and predictably depression. Ah, not necessarily so, some might say. The government and the central bank will pump cash into the market to stimulate the economy, as they have done in the US in trillions of dollars.
 This will not work because, no matter how much money is pumped in, only a small portion will be spent on the truly indispensable items like food and medicine. People will put the rest under the mattress, and companies in the bank. Why? Fear of the unknown. More money will not bring about more spending. What drives consumption is not how much money you have but how confident you feel, how safe you feel. But when the coronavirus is defeated, that money will eventually be used to buy and invest. It will be put to use. Just imagine those so far unused trillions of dollars entering the market all of a sudden. Potential outcome: serious inflation; The money is already in the market to be used, while to increase supply will take time. While inflation might rule the nest, the government, by now in serious national deficit for pumping those trillions of dollars into the market, will have to increase taxes.
 <img class="img-float-left lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Do_What_needs_to_be_done2_3354e8b07a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T05:36:57.688Z"/>
 
 Welcome to the next serious crisis.
 As the economic crisis worsens, people in the lower strata of society will suffer the most. There will be social unrest, making the health and economic crises become a social crisis too. The ensuing unrest will call for strong government intervention and regulation, that some liberal-oriented people will consider anti-democratic and too authoritarian, bordering on dictatorship. That will make the medical-economic-social crisis into a political one as well. The coronavirus crisis is an earthquake of major magnitude which, inevitably, will have its aftershocks. This might last a few years, so the coronavirus is not the only challenge we have.
 I hope and pray I am totally or even partially wrong. I would rather be laughed at for being so pessimistic. But in case I am even partially right, the question that should concern us is: What are we supposed to do in the light of such dire predictions?
 In times of crisis, cash is king. Watch your cash. Cut fixed expenses and postpone variable expenses. But be careful not to produce side effects which are worse than the disease you are trying to control. What are they?
 The biggest and most important asset a company has is not money. You can borrow. Bring investors. Postpone paying. It is not technology. If you have money you can buy or develop technology. It is not people. You can get new and better people if you are unhappy with the ones you have. It is human energy. Human energy is fixed. There are only 24 hours in a day. Period. The more you waste it, the less you have to use for functional purposes.
 Now note that the more integrated a company is, the less energy is lost trying to make things work. In a disintegrated company, energy is lost internally and thus less is available to achieve results in the external environment. The more disintegrated the company is, the less energy it has to compete, to satisfy clients, to adapt to the market, to manage technological, social, legal and other changes that the company does not control and needs to deal with.
 Okay, so, we want integration, but how to go about it you might ask?
 <img class="img-float-right lazyload" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Do_What_needs_to_be_done4_add8de5d53.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T05:38:40.182Z"/>
 Observe your culture. Do you have a culture where people trust and respect each other, especially those who lead? Positive constructive culture is the most difficult to develop and the easiest to lose. Thus, while cutting fixed and postponing variable costs, pay attention not to destroy your culture, to cause disrespect and mistrust. Do not fire people. Instead, cut everybody’s salary, and not equally either. From the best paid cut the most, starting with yourself. Postpone paying suppliers, but be sure you are fair – you don’t want to cause their bankruptcy. Do the best you can for yourself, but pay heed to how it impacts others.
 With the work burden down, this is your opportunity to fix and improve how your company operates. Now is the time to have meetings, even daily, using apps that enable distant communication. It is analogous to a person who loves playing golf, who dreams of playing on Saturday. Saturday comes and it’s raining cats and dogs. No way to play golf. What should he do? One alternative is to sit and watch TV and feel miserable. The other is to fix the faucet, clean the house, do the administrative work he had no time to do when he was busy chasing work. When the rain stops his house will be in better shape than it was when the rain started.
 Do the same with your company. Unite the company to work on the internal organizational environment while the outside is frozen. This is your opportunity to improve. To shine. While your competition is watching TV and feeling miserable, while your competition is suffering from the internal struggles and fighting caused by the pressures of the crisis, unite your company, polish your company to be the best diamond it can be. The diamond is the hardest mineral there is, and the hardest means the most integrated. And guess who will be better equipped to compete in the market place when the crisis is over?
 The same applies to personal and family life. You might be in a closed, small compartment, the whole family, or just you and your spouse, or even you and yourself. There are two choices: polish the diamond or disintegrate. The crisis is a test. How strong are you as a person? How strong is the family? The marriage?
 As a person how do you polish yourself to be a diamond? Meditate. Meditation unites. Integrates. Your heart is one, only one. Your mind is left, right, front and bottom, and whatever else, and you suffer a lot listening only to your mind, because the mind argues with itself all the time. The heart unites. You are at peace when you listen to your heart, and Heartfulness Meditation does exactly that.
 <img class="lazyload w-100" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Do_What_needs_to_be_done3_2e03db5244.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T05:39:35.015Z"/>
 
 The purpose of meditation is not to avoid panic or to fill the time that the coronavirus has freed by taking you out of work. The free time should be welcomed as a great gift to be a better person. A more together person. A better together family, company and society.
 Stop the mad rush for more, more and more of more, as if more is better. Change direction. Change the lifestyle to better is more. Better health, better education, better protection of the environment. Better international cooperation. Better protection of family sanctity. Better dedication to spiritual growth rather than to bank accounts. Better quality of life rather than standard of living; they are not the same.
 <hr>
 <h5 style="text-align: center;">The purpose of meditation is not to avoid panic or 
 to fill the time that the coronavirus 
 has freed by taking you out of work. 
 The free time should be welcomed 
 as a great gift to be a better person. 
 A more together person. 
 A better together family, company and society.</h5>
 <hr>
 As a matter of fact, may I suggest that in the last hundred years our standard of living has gone up but our quality of life has gone down. Our ancestors were happier than we are. See for yourself. The more developed the country, the more therapists and life coaches and divorces there are per capita. We are materialistically and technologically way better off, but miserable. Our ancestors were poor but relatively happy. They had time to enjoy life. We struggle with having a balanced life.
 This coronavirus crisis is reminding us what life is really all about. Sitting quarantined we have to face ourselves and ask a very valid point: What have we done to our little world we live in? To our environment. To our family. To our country. To our own health. What the hell was the crazy dash to catch the rainbow all about? What kind of a world are we leaving for our children and grandchildren to inherit? Is the answer in finding a way to move to Mars, Mr. Musk? Or rather slow down, change direction and fix the Earth?
 We should each review our priorities as a person, as a family, as a company and as a society. Should the real goal of a leader of any country be to be the biggest and strongest, and be the leader of the world, or is it to make that country the best place to live, the healthiest place to live, the most peaceful place to live and raise children? And exactly the same applies to being a CEO or a parent. What is really, really, really important?
 <hr>
 <h5 style="text-align: center;">Nature is giving us repeated warnings. 
 And like a good parent, 
 if we do not listen, 
 it increases the punishment until 
 we do hear the message 
 and do what needs to be done and change.</h5>
 <hr>
 I pray and hope that the massive crisis we are experiencing will call for a paradigm shift in how we work and manage, how our economic and political systems operate, and how we can be more human, rather than continue to be an organism that is in the process of accumulating planned perishable assets, destroys the physical and social environment it lives in, and, in doing so, brings an irreversible doomsday on humanity.
 Coronavirus is not the end. It is the beginning. Like SARS was not the end. Nature is giving us repeated warnings. And like a good parent, if we do not listen, it increases the punishment until we do hear the message and do what needs to be done and change.
 Sincerely, 
 Dr Ichak Kalderon Adizes
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 <hr>
 <h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by DR ICHAK ADIZES</h4>
 <hr>

Do what needs to be done and change

<h3 class="text-center my-5">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>

<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >In this month’s column,
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the two
 emotions of fear and anger, and how they color our experiences in life. He
 shares his own mantra for working with these emotions so that life becomes
 more purposeful and joyful.
</h4>


 <spanundefined
 >How did it happen that the prophet Daniel walked into the lion’s cage and
 the lion didn’t do anything to him? Did God do something to the lion so that
 the lion did not attack, or was it Daniel who did something so that the lion
 did not attack?


 <spanundefined
 >My insight: Daniel believed in God with all his soul, and trusted that God
 would protect him. There was no signed agreement between God and Daniel that
 God would do that. Daniel simply trusted God. Because he trusted God, he
 felt no fear, and when you feel no fear you do not project that you might
 attack proactively to defend yourself. If you do not project aggression,
 there is no need for the other party, in this case the lion, to attack you
 proactively in its defense.
 


 <spanundefined
 >I learned this taking a walking safari in Africa many years ago. We walked
 through the reserve without guns, without any protection. I admit I was
 scared; we might be attacked. There were lions, there were many wild animals
 left and right. The guide calmed us down, telling us that every animal has a
 perimeter within which that animal feels secure, and as long as you do not
 cross that boundary, they leave you alone. If you don’t threaten them, they
 will not threaten you.
 


 <spanundefined
 >I took it with a grain of salt, because if an animal like a lion is hungry,
 its radius is probably much bigger. The fact, however, is that we walked
 that safari for days and nothing dangerous happened. When you feel
 confident, have no fear, it vibrates, and those that could feel threatened
 by you, have confidence that you’re safe and they do not need to attack you
 proactively.


 <spanundefined
 >This has applications for personal life and married life. Something happens
 and one of the partners in the marriage feels that maybe they are not loved.
 Maybe it happened because the spouse raised their voice or did not show
 attention, or whatever. Now, the one that feels that way has a fear: I am
 not loved. I’m not appreciated. I’m being ignored. The fear activates an
 attack. It will show in their negative attitude, in their tone of voice, and
 now what happens? The other person feels attacked and develops his or her
 own fears of not being loved. Because of the fears, they attack in return.
 And what happens now? Escalation. Bigger attacks yield bigger fears, that
 provoke even bigger attacks, that provoke bigger and bigger attacks and
 fears and the result could be appearance in court for a divorce or a
 separation.


<img
 class="w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/on_fear_anger2_img_9f1f48bfe0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T06:19:08.731Z"
 alt="on-fear-anger2"
/>

<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >My mantra:
 
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >Speak without offending, Listen without defending, Love without depending,
 and Live without pretending.
 


<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >Speak without offending:
 
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >If you’re offending, it is because you are scared. You’re scared of losing
 an argument. Or, you might be scared of not being heard, not being
 appreciated, you fear that your feelings or ideas are not given the weight
 they deserve. It could be generated by past experiences which have nothing
 to do with the present situation, but “past music” in your head does
 interfere with the present music you hear now.
 


<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >Listen without defending:
 
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >Why are you defending? Fear again. Fear that you might lose an argument,
 and if you lose an argument its proves that you’re not as smart as you would
 like to project yourself to be; or, again, you perceive you are not being
 listened to, or being dismissed. Fears. Fears. Fears.
 


<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined
 >Eliminate fears.
 Eliminate expectations.
 Trust God, or, 
 if you are an atheist, trust yourself.
 
</h5>
<hr />

<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >Love without depending:
 
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >Once you depend on other people giving you love, you’re living in fear that
 they might leave, and that’s painful. Now what happens? You fight in order
 not to lose the love that you so much depend on, and as you fight you might
 be suffocating the other person. You might be limiting the other person to
 love you of their own volition. Your expectations, your demands, turn them
 into suppliers of love, whether they want it or not. They might resent it
 and there we go into fears and anger that destroy relationships.


<img
 class="w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/on_fear_anger3_img_5a967b2c92.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T06:19:08.751Z"
 alt="on-fear-anger3"
/>

<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >Live without pretending:
 
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >Why are you pretending? Fear. Fear that you’re not good enough, and you
 have to wear make-up to look more beautiful than you really are naturally.
 


 <spanundefined
 >Eliminate fears. Eliminate expectations. Trust God, or, if you are an
 atheist, trust yourself. Be calm, and you can walk into a hostile meeting
 and survive like the prophet Daniel did.
 

<spanundefined>Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Adizes

<hr />

<h4 style="text-align: center">
 Article by <spanundefined>DR. ICHAK ADIZES
</h4>
<hr />

On fear and anger

<h4>
 DR ICHAK K. ADIZES shares his
 thoughts on integrating opposites through Yoga, and how this has helped
 him in the corporate world.
 </h4>
 
 One can learn from anything and everything. Not just from books, right?
 
 
 Years ago, Yoga taught me the need to be flexible and in control at the
 same time. That gave me an insight into understanding lifecycles that I
 explore in my book, Managing Corporate Lifecycles. When an organization
 is young, it is flexible but does not have much control. Once the
 organization ages and reaches the later part of the lifecycle, it has
 developed control but lost flexibility. To be in one’s prime, one needs
 to have both flexibility and control.
 
 
 While practicing Yoga today, I had a new insight. I learned how one
 might successfully handle two other incompatible forces: in this case,
 rigidity and relaxation.
 
 <hr />
 <h5 style="text-align: center">
 I usually fail to relax when I need to be 
 rigid with people working for me. 
 So, I come across as being inflexible. 
 I should be rigid in my request 
 but deliver it in a relaxed manner.
 </h5>
 <hr />
 
 These seem like naturally incompatible states: when you need to be
 rigid, like when you are keeping your leg tight in Yoga, you
 automatically ‘tighten’ your mind – you take a hard breath in and hold
 it. The opposite is true as well. When you relax your mind and your
 breathing, you typically also relax your body and lose your rigidity.
 
 
 But in Yoga, instructors encourage you to tighten your body while
 working to relax your mind and to tighten your mind while relaxing your
 body.
 
 
 <img
 class="has-img-center lazyload w-100 h-auto"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/learning_from_yoga2_fae2f3be1d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T06:42:18.456Z"
 alt="learning-from-yoga2"
 />
 
 
 This instruction gave me insight into how we should lead. I usually fail
 to relax when I need to be rigid with people working for me. So, I come
 across as being inflexible. I should be rigid in my request but deliver
 it in a relaxed manner. Or as someone smarter said: “Speak softly but
 carry a big stick.” In other words, when I need unwavering
 implementation, I get tense. According to this insight, this is the
 wrong way to approach implementation.
 
 
 I should be able to make a firm request and insist others impeccably
 implement my decision while using a relaxed tone of voice. I can be
 casual, even friendly, while at the same time being firm in my request.
 
 
 What a challenge! But, as in Yoga, it can be done by controlling your
 breathing. Breathe slowly in and slowly out, and do not hold your
 breath.
 
 
 There’s always much to learn, but in order to really know, we need never
 to stop practicing.
 
 <hr />
 <h4 style="text-align: center">Article by ICHAK K. ADIZES</h4>
 <hr />

Learning from Yoga

<h4>DR ICHAK ADIZES is a change guru. He has mastered the art of navigating the ups and downs that life brings us as individuals, families and organizations. Here he shares some simple ideas on the importance of failure and mistakes in the learning process.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Life is never smooth and free of troubles. Life is change, and change produces new challenges one needs to address. To address them, one needs to make decisions in situations of uncertainty, and the implementation of such decisions is risky.
Thus, change spells: problems.
So?
I, for one, have never heard of a person who overcame all problems without ever making a mistake. Even God admits to making mistakes by bringing on the flood; God admits to being powerless to make us all righteous, thus the flood was the wrong decision and God makes a covenant to never repeat that mistake again, and since God admits of being forgetful he brings the rainbow to remind him to stop the rain (Genesis 6:9-9:19). To me, God has such incredible human characteristics, so who is this human who is better than God and never makes a mistake? We consider mistakes to be failures because we assume our decisions should have succeeded in meeting our expectations.
Since life (change) produces a string of problems and their solutions are often mistakes, one can say life is full of failures.
Right?
Not so.
It depends on how you handle failures. If you brood, accuse and judge yourself for being a failure, then you are right. You are a failure. You failed yourself. You were the victim, the prosecutor, and the judge, all in one.
Real success depends on how successfully you handle your failures. Success is not how little you fall. It is how fast you get up. Getting up means that each problem, each failure, is an invitation to learn something you did not know before, thus your mistake.
The more you learn from mistakes, the wiser you become. The wiser you become, the fewer mistakes you will repeat. A fool who thinks he or she wise is the ignorant one; a wise person who thinks he or she is ignorant is the wise one. Thinking you are wise and thus there is nothing more to learn is what makes you an ignoramus. A person who admits that he or she is ignorant and is constantly learning is the wise person. And how do you really learn? By experience, and that means not being afraid to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them.
Just thinking, 
Ichak Kalderon Adizes
https://www.ichakadizes.com/success-is-to-havesuccessful-failures/
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by Dr. Ichak Adizes</h4>
<hr>

Success is to have successful failures

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>DR ICHAK K. ADIZES shares his perspective on the notion of wanting to be happy
 all the time, and balancing faith, fear and acceptance.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
We all want to be happy. Does anyone disagree? It is even a constitutional right in America to pursue happiness. But
 the reality is that we are not always happy. We are often miserable and anxious.
I claim that being happy on an ongoing basis is unnatural. It is more likely that being in pain is the natural state.
 Here is why.
When there is change of any kind in our lives, what happens? It means there is something new happening. Now you have
 to decide what to do about this ‘new event’. Should you do nothing or do something? And if you choose to do
 something, you may have several options to choose from.
Choosing what to do, including the decision to do nothing, is a process of handling uncertainty. You are not sure
 what will be the right decision. By definition, you do not have all the information because the new event has not
 been dealt with yet. We will have full information only after the fact.
You have to spend some energy which, in difficult situations, can be exhausting. To decide to make a decision in
 itself can be painful. I do not mean physically painful, I mean emotionally and intellectually painful. And when you
 move to implement a decision, whatever decision you make, you are taking the risk that it might not work out as you
 anticipated it would when you originally made the decision. Taking risks is also painful.
Some pain stems from being in conflict. Not necessarily with other people. Rather, being internally in conflict. Part
 of you is liberal. Part of you is conservative. I suspect the liberals start from the point of faith, thus they are
 liberal in their choices. The conservatives start from a point of fear, thus they are conservative and the conflict
 one feels in one’s head is this conflict between fear and faith.
Weighing the pros and cons of each decision consumes mental energy. Thus, the pain of those sleepless nights and
 anxiety, which in critical cases manifests as panic, that accompany our decision making.


<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">When you move to implement a decision, 
 whatever decision you make, 
 you are taking the risk that it might not 
 work out as you anticipated it would 
 when you originally made the decision.
</h5>


<hr>
These types of pain are inevitable because change is inevitable. You can avoid the pain if you can avoid change, go
 to the Himalayas and meditate the rest of your life in a cave. Or if you become oblivious to the world you live in.

The more ambitious you are, the more you expect from yourself and from others, the more change you allow for in your
 life, the more pain you are likely to experience.
If your goal is to be happy – you can’t be happy all the time, slow down. Expect less, want less, strive for an
 informed balance between faith and fear. Enjoy what you have and leave the rest to God.
Hmmmmm. I should re-read carefully myself what I say here …
Just thinking and feeling,
Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Reprinted with permission from the author: http://www.ichakadizes.com/
 the-inevitability-of-pain/
<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by DR ICHAK K. ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

The inevitability of pain

I was born into a secular family. I never learned any prayers. I did not learn any of
 the rituals of the Jewish religion. But I was intrigued and willing to do the best I could to join my ‘tribe’,
 wherever in the world they may be. Today I have been thinking about the Sabbath, about the Friday evening dinner,
 about the prayer before the meal. I arrived at some insights I want to share with you.
What is the prayer all about? What is the Sabbath all about?
It is about showing gratitude, about taking time to integrate and express our love for
 each other and to the world.
All week long we work. We struggle. We have conflicts. But for one day, one day, we
 stop. We show gratitude to God and to each other. And we integrate ourselves, the family, and the community.
On the Sabbath day, we integrate ourselves first by stopping work. We make the time to
 reflect, to pay attention. We do not drive, which means we stay around the home for the family. We do not cook, so
 the lady of the house can also rest and integrate.
It is this rest that distinguishes us from all other living things. Trees do not
 differentiate between one day and another. Neither do animals. We do – that is what makes us human. Humans are
 conscious. They can distinguish between the secular and the holy. Through self discipline. By being conscious. We
 thank God for making us different from all other animals, for making us human.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Humans are conscious. 
 They can distinguish between the secular and the holy. 
 Through self-discipline. By being conscious. 
 We thank God for making us 
 different from all other animals, 
 for making us human
</h5>
<hr>
The Friday evening prayer is a thank you to God for showing us how to act, like all good
 leaders should, by example: God created the world in six days and, on the seventh day, rested. God is endlessly
 powerful. Does God need to rest? God was offering a personal example for us to follow. He was inviting us to take a
 rest.
If you analyze the prayer, what does it really express in many different ways?
 Gratitude.
We thank God for showing us the way to be human. We thank God for a creation that
 produces the bread that feeds us, for leading us out of slavery in Egypt, for making us free people. The prayer sung
 at the end of the meal is full of gratitude for God feeding not only us, but all the people in the world without
 expecting anything in return. The prayer is, “Ha zan et ha olam kulo be hen be hesed u ve rahamim.”
In that prayer is more than a demonstration of gratitude. The gratitude is accompanied
 by a ritual of integration. We bless a glass of wine and all at the table share the glass. We share. The head of the
 table carves pieces of the special bread, the challah, and shares it with all the people around the table.

So, the Sabbath is not just a day of rest. It is a day of integration and showing
 gratitude.
On Friday evening, the whole family gets together around the table. Before anything
 else, the father sings a song of praise to his wife in front of the whole family, appreciating her for who she is.
 There are two words that describe her values: she is “Ezer ke neged,” which means “Helpful against.” This
 is kind of strange, is it not? How can she be helpful if she is against? Well, think about it. Do you realize that
 when you lean on something, it is working against you? If it did not push back, you would fall. Her advice and her
 wisdom support can be leaned upon. So, we listen to the wife. We respect her. We acknowledge her. We appreciate her.

<img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Gratitude_prayer2_min_6e72224841.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T11:25:13.022Z">

In the Sephardic tradition, the father says, “Bendichas manos,” which means,
 “Blessed are the hands that prepared our meal.” 
 The mother responds, “Bendichas bokas,” which means, “Blessed are the mouths that will eat it.” 
 What do you hear? Again and again, gratitude. Appreciation. Respect. The father and the mother walk around the
 table, put their hands on the heads of each of the children and bless them. In the Sephardic tradition, the
 children, regardless of age, kiss the father’s hand, the hand that fed them. Then, he goes to his wife and kisses
 her. Do you see the respect? The expression of love? The integration?
If you go to the synagogue on Friday evening and listen to the prayers, you will hear
 that they all share a common denominator: Gratitude. They thank God for keeping us healthy, for healing the sick,
 for freeing the prisoners, for freeing us from slavery. At the end of the prayers, people hug each other, shake
 hands, and say, “Shabbat Shalom.” Shalom comes from the word ‘shalem’, which means ‘whole’. What
 is whole if not fully integrated? The word ‘shalom’ means peace, and there is no peace unless you are integrated.
 ‘Peace’, meaning no more wars. No more fights. No more conflict. Peace.
<img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Gratitude_prayer3_min_b0ce1a7b64.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T11:25:52.145Z">

On the Sabbath, the whole family goes to the synagogue. You can see the father walking –
 not driving, but walking – to the synagogue, holding the hands of his children. In the synagogue, the whole
 community becomes integrated. Because one walks to the house of prayer on the Sabbath, Jewish people often live in
 proximity to their synagogue. That, to me, is community building. They know each other. They bless each other.
Ahad Ha’am, a Jewish author, said, “More than the Jews have kept the Sabbath, the
 Sabbath has kept the Jews.” The Sabbath has kept the Jewish people together, integrated.
A day to show gratitude, to integrate, and to express love is all that is needed to have
 peace. And what more can we wish for?
Peace to us all, 
 Ichak Kalderon Adizes
Reprinted with permission from Why a Sabbath? at
 http://www.ichakadizes.com/why-a-sabbath/
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ICHAK K. ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

Gratitude & prayer

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>DR. ICHAK ADIZES shares some thoughts on maintenance and how to make the most
 of the current corona crisis to prepare the foundation for the future.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
In the 1970s I was consulting for the US Agency for International Development on health
 planning in Ghana. One of the major issues was that a lot of the hospital equipment was not working. Costly equipment
 donated by well-meaning philanthropic organizations from Europe and the US was abandoned in the corridors unused. When
 I asked my hosts why, they said, “Oh, it broke down.” Why did it break down? There was either no maintenance
 or bad maintenance.
As I travel the world, I stay in hotels. I was once in a beautiful hotel in a developing
 country. But the bath did not work, the toilet did not work, and not all of the lighting did work. They spent a lot of
 money building this hotel, so what went wrong? Maintenance.
It is not enough to invest, build, and develop. You still have to maintain what you
 developed, built, or invested in. The same thing would be true for your garden or car.
While we are accustomed to performing maintenance on cars, buildings, gardens and
 machines, it is practically non-existent when it comes to human relations. As one of my clients said, “One honeymoon
 is not enough for a lifetime of marriage.” Love needs to be maintained. A wonderful wedding and newlywed love are not
 enough. That’s a great “investment,” but what about maintenance? What do you do to maintain love? Do you go on an
 annual honeymoon? How much time do you spend just the two of you? Loving.
Do we maintain our own health? Some of us go to the doctor for an annual check-up. Is
 that all? What do you do to maintain your health?
You’re building, managing, leading a company. That organization in which you have
 invested so much energy and money, are you maintaining it? Or is it falling apart right before your eyes? Why is it
 falling apart? Well, why did your car fall apart? Why did the life-saving equipment in the Ghanaian hospital fall
 apart? Lack of maintenance.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/maintainance2_4e3e53a5f7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T13:09:13.865Z" />

<hr class="vertical-space1">
You need to do an annual check-up of your organization, like you would of a car or
 plane, so that it doesn’t fall apart. Everything needs a periodic check-up: What’s working, what’s not working, and
 what can we do about it? Don’t wait until the system breaks down to make a diagnosis. Put in your calendar: on this
 date, every year, we’re going to have a company check-up. Not just an accounting audit. A managerial, organizational
 audit of the processes by which we manage the company. Now, during the coronavirus crisis, when no one works or buys,
 is the perfect time to do this maintenance, repair what is broken in your company and come out of the crisis stronger
 as a company than how you came into the crisis.
Following the diagnosis, have a plan for maintenance. What do you have to fix? Do you
 have to redo your mission? Do you need to redesign your company’s outdated structure? Maybe you need to realign your
 budgeting system. Maybe your rewards system needs improvement.
Everything needs maintenance. With time and change, all systems start falling apart, be
 it your garden, car, self, family, or organization.
The more accelerated the rate of change, the more frequent should the maintenance be. It
 is not good enough to focus only on strategic planning, new products, tactical alliances. They are all needed but
 don’t fall victim to the space syndrome: Expanding on the margins, collapsing at the core.
Maintain the organization, because if it is maintained well, it will be
 healthy. If it is healthy, it will be sustainably successful.
Just thinking, 
 Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes

The importance of maintenance in your life

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the nature
 of being human, of perfection, and the necessity of complementarity in
 teams. He encourages us to loosen up and acknowledge our strengths and
 weaknesses so that we can work better with others in a more harmonious
 atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 No one is perfect.


 What is new in saying this? Everyone knows it.


 Okay, so everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Some of us are creative.
 We see the big picture, but not the details. Others are detail-oriented to
 the point they miss seeing the forest but take in each and every tree.
 Some of us are liberal, while others are conservative. Some are
 people-oriented, sensitive. Some are not.


 So? What is new?


 My present insight is that although people say that it is obvious no one
 is perfect, they do not walk their talk.


 There is a whole industry of life coaches and business consultants, men
 and women who teach, preach, plead, and push you to work on your
 weaknesses. Be a better person. Improve. I am not referring to
 pathological deficiencies of character or mental disorders. Just normal
 imperfections that we all have.


 What is wrong?


 If you work on your weaknesses, it means you believe that if you succeed
 in removing them you will be approaching perfection. In other words, you
 say no one is perfect, but you nevertheless try to become so, probably
 like your mother pushed you to be.


 Working on your weaknesses means you harbor the hope, you have faith that
 you might succeed and be perfect.


 Since none of us are perfect, no matter how hard we try, those fruitless
 efforts make us feel like a failure. And no one likes this feeling. So, we
 become defensive. Then, when someone points out our limitations, we become
 furious or defensive. We are offended, upset, because we have this hidden
 assumption that we can and should be perfect, although we say the
 opposite.


 If we accept that no one is perfect, including ourselves, criticism would
 be nothing more than pointing out the facts. So, when someone points you
 to your weaknesses next time, say, “Thank you for sharing,” and keep
 going.


 Anything else?


 If you truly accept that you are not and cannot become perfect, work on
 your strengths. Capitalize on them. And for your weaknesses, get yourself
 someone who complements you, someone who is strong where you are weak.
 Together you achieve the elusive perfection. Alone it cannot be done.
 Don’t we introduce our spouse: “Please meet my BETTER HALF.”


 It is in teamwork that we find the perfection no star can provide by
 himself or herself.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img alt="no-one-is-perfect2" class="w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/no_one_is_perfect2_img_4bad31b379.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:13:38.388Z">

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Building a team of people who complement one another is easier when each
 member of the team knows and accepts their weaknesses and cherishes the
 corresponding strength that someone else provides.


 That requires breaking down managerial elitism created by hierarchy. If
 you complement yourself with someone who is strong where you are weak, it
 means that the person “reporting to you” might be better than you are on
 some aspects. Thus, he or she should not be working FOR you but WITH you –
 a true colleague.


 With mutual trust and respect, based on knowing and not fighting our
 weaknesses, in appreciating those who complement us, a team is built and
 success is forthcoming.


 Just thinking and feeling. 
 Dr. Ichak Adizes

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Originally featured in the Huffington Post on June 23, 2015, and
 reprinted with permission from the author and Adizes Institute.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">
 Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES
</h4>
<hr />

No one is perfect. Really?

<h4><hr class="vertical-space1" /></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >DR. ICHAK ADIZES shares his passion
 for meditation, and explains why he meditates, how it benefits him in
 day-to-day life, and the importance of love, which arises from
 meditation.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >Physics tells us that when the Big Bang happened, time and space started,
 which means that what existed before the Big Bang had no time or space
 limits. It was infinite. Likewise, love has no time nor space limits. Love
 is what created everything.


 <spanundefined
 >Imagine any act of creation: a musician writing music, a painter
 painting, or an entrepreneur starting a company. What makes them write
 music, paint, or start a company is love. They love what they are
 creating, or they would not do it. Behind all creations is love.


 <spanundefined
 >Babies grow stronger with love and are underweight and sickly looking if
 denied love. All organic systems grow better with love: flowers and trees,
 not to mention dogs, cats, or horses. Notice how love gives you energy and
 hate leaves you exhausted? Notice how people in love look younger and
 people who hate look old? Look at a little baby. When it meets an unknown
 person, it’s either going to cry or it is going to smile. For few seconds,
 the baby is watching this foreign person and tries to decide, should I
 cry, or should I stretch my hands to that person to be hugged? How does a
 baby decide? It’s sensing: Is there love in the other person or not?


 <spanundefined
 >Opening our hearts and spreading love, I believe, is essential if
 humanity is going to survive. Unless we open our hearts and engage love in
 our behavior, Nazi Germany will turn out not to have been a fluke of
 history but a preamble of what is to come: strength and brain with no
 heart. It is imperative for humanity to work diligently, continuously, and
 doggedly in opening our hearts and centering love as the driving force in
 our behavior. And that is where
 <a
 style="color: #333333"
 href="http://www.heartfulness.org"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noopener"
 >Heartfulness Meditation</a
 >
 comes to play a serious role where we focus on our heart and search for
 light which is infinite, with no space or time limits. We focus on
 love.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />


<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined style="color: #65ab91"
 >It is imperative for humanity to work diligently, continuously,&nbsp;and
 doggedly in opening our hearts and centering love as the driving force in
 our behavior.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >In my meditation, I seek the feeling of love spreading through my body.
 Love yourself and feel love beyond yourself. Eventually you will lose any
 sensation as if asleep without being asleep. You are nowhere and
 everywhere. You are now part of infinity.


 <spanundefined
 >Heartfulness says we find infinite love in the silence of meditation.
 Why? Have you ever fallen in love or felt love in a noisy railway station
 or airport, late for your departure? Do you find love in noisy, deafening
 music? Probably not. We fall in love when we are at peace, when we are
 walking on the beach at sunset. When our energy is united into one big
 core. When there is noise, we get distracted, and distraction
 disintegrates us. It is an antithesis to love, which is total integration.
 


 <spanundefined
 >Note that Moses found God in the desert.
 <spanundefined
 >Notice that Buddha was enlightened sitting under a tree in solitude.
 Mohammed got his insights about God in the Saudi desert where silence
 reigns. You will not find spiritual inspiration in a noisy airport.


 <spanundefined
 >During meditation, there will be temptations to scratch our nose or hand.
 For instance, to move a leg, or thoughts will cross our minds. These are
 temptations to take a detour from feeling love. And this reflects the
 reality of life. It is not easy to love. There are endless temptations to
 feel rejection, anger, and sometimes even hate.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<img
 class="has-img-center"
 srcset="
 https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/why_I_meditate2_43a9b6fefb.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T13:55:34.254Z
 "
 alt="why-I-meditate"
/>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 <spanundefined
 >In Heartfulness Meditation we are allowed to scratch if that is what the
 body asks for, observe thoughts without getting attached to them, and go
 promptly back to meditation, to feeling love. In Heartfulness Meditation
 we are practicing not to allow those tests, those distractions, to ruin
 our feeling of the infinite, our connection to the sublime.


 <spanundefined
 >The second ingredient of Heartfulness is the practice of Cleaning, where
 we imagine for a few minutes at the end of the day how all the experiences
 we had that day – experiences that undermine love – evaporate through our
 backs like vapor. If we don’t expel them every day, they accumulate and
 develop into negative feelings that displace love.
 


<hr class="vertical-space1" />


<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined style="color: #65ab91"
 >Practice the routine, and with time it becomes our personality, and we
 will not need to work to recall the feeling of love anymore. It will be
 who we are.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >We need to free ourselves from shame, from self-judgment, from
 accusations; we need to love ourselves and from there love all those who
 God loves, and since He created it all, we aim to love it all too.


 <spanundefined
 >The third component of Heartfulness practice is &nbsp;to constantly
 remind ourselves to maintain the meditative state throughout the day. To
 me that means recalling that feeling of love generated during meditation.
 And if we practice it continually, eventually it will become a routine.
 Practice the routine, and with time it becomes our personality, and we
 will not need to work to recall the feeling of love anymore. It will be
 who we are.


 <spanundefined
 >Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 style="text-align: center">
 Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES
 <spanundefined
 >Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL
</h4>

<hr />

Why I meditate

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-shares-his-experience-on-what-we-find-attractive-in-other-people-and-the-importance-of-humor-in-relationships"
>
 DR ICHAK ADIZES
 shares his experience on what we find attractive in other people, and the
 importance of humor in relationships.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h3 class="has-text-align-center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 If you ask a man what makes a person attractive, you will get a different
 answer than if you ask a woman. Men, as I understand, usually focus on
 physical attributes – the legs, the breasts, etc. Women tend to focus on the
 brain and on a man’s ability to support and defend, etc. I have another idea,
 which I hope both sexes can agree to. And if you predict that it has something
 to do with integration, you’re right.



 When a person has it “all together,” that is, they are integrated, none of
 their energy is wasted. This person&nbsp;exudes&nbsp;energy, while a
 person who is “falling apart”&nbsp;takes&nbsp;energy from the people
 around them. Who is attractive? Those that give you energy, not those who take
 from you. People who “have it together” are attractive. Those that are
 “falling apart” are not.



 Years ago, I hired a young woman as my assistant, who I felt was rather plain
 and unattractive. On purpose. I assumed that attractive women would distract
 me from work. We started working together, and over time I found her to be
 smart, intelligent, and easily receiving and granting respect and trust. I
 frequently sought her opinion and respected it: I found her opinions very
 valuable. I learned a lot. And I trusted her word. If she said something would
 be done, it&nbsp;was&nbsp;done.



 Over time, I stopped noticing her crooked nose or protruding chin. I now
 thought she was beautiful, and I was hopelessly attracted to her.
 Unfortunately for me, she was in a committed relationship. On the other hand,
 I remember dating a woman who was knockout gorgeous. She had a perfect figure,
 a face that was hypnotically lovely. She was also well educated and came from
 a respected family. But I lost interest in her within weeks. My endless
 enthusiasm ended up in endless disappointment. What happened? She had no
 self-trust or self-respect. She was not “together.” And because of that, I
 believe, she had no trust and respect for others – in this case, for me.



 She could not make a decision on her own and acted totally dependent on me.
 But when I decided anything, she did not trust that decision. We had endless
 debates about what to do and who was right. This kind of person, often called
 a “high-maintenance person,” is not integrated. As a result, a lot of their
 energy is wasted. They usually look tired –
 emotionally&nbsp;tired, not necessarily physically tired. They will
 tell you in a debate, “Never mind,” or “Fine,” but, as I came to learn, this
 only means the debate is being postponed, not actually resolved.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 Being attractive depends on the flow of personal energy, which is a function of physical, emotional, and spiritual integration – in other words, being healthy in body, mind, and spirit.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Although such people can be physically stunning, they often become
 unattractive to the people they are with, despite being intelligent, highly
 educated, powerful, and successful. Being attractive depends on the flow of
 personal energy, which is a function of physical, emotional, and spiritual
 integration – in other words, being healthy in body, mind, and spirit.



 Now, a personal hypothesis: It appears that humor needs energy; to be funny
 requires creativity that consumes energy. Thus, it appears to me that people
 with a healthy sense of humor are more attractive than those who have none. My
 experience is that if you can make a woman genuinely laugh, she will find you
 attractive. The same goes for men. What do you think?


Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes


 <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-makes-a-person-attractive"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-makes-a-person-attractive</a
 >


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 width="700"
 alt="what-makes-person-attractive2"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/what_makes_person_attractive2_251c53f3b2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T08:15:56.398Z"
 />
 </figure>
</div>

What makes a person attractive?

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>DR. ICHAK ADIZES shares what true success really means and what is needed to find success in everything we do.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
My son was visiting me. Sitting next to the pool on my ranch, surrounded by the beautiful valley and the high mountains beyond, he said, “Daddy, you made it.” 
I’ve been thinking about what he said. Did I make it? In many aspects, yes, I did. I have a great family, a happy marriage, great kids who are working and making their living while also contributing to society. I am proud of them. I am financially secure and contributing to society myself through my thoughts and writings. What more could I ask for? I am successful, right?
We can analyze success with the Adizes PAEI code: Have we achieved physical (P), intellectual (A), emotional (E), and social/spiritual (I) success?
On the intellectual side, I think I have exceeded what would be deemed success, due to my writing contributions as well as my career achievements. On the emotional side, I have put in the work and I believe I am beyond the threshold level. I also believe I have surpassed the threshold on the social/spiritual side. I have great friends and have developed a spiritual orientation through meditation that exceeds the threshold level.
So, if the intellectual side exceeds expectations, and the social, spiritual, and emotional sides are beyond the benchmark, where does that leave the physical side? Alas, this is the one that I totally neglected! I have gone on a healthy diet from time to time. I have exercised sporadically but I’m overweight and chronically tired due to lack of sleep. Is that success?
Success is a balance of all the subsystems that comprise us. None of them should be neglected at the expense of the other; and yet I did this with my intellectual side, my career side. I sacrificed my health. Am I happy with this? Absolutely not. Come to think of it, the price was too high and not at all worth it.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Success is a balance of all the subsystems that comprise us. None of them should be neglected at the expense of the other.</h5>
<hr>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
We don’t know the value of the most important things in our lives until we are deficient in them – until we miss them. We don’t know the value of life until we are dying, or the value of health until we are sick. We don’t realize the value of love until we are lonely. 
I have neglected the most important factor, I believe, which is the platform, the foundation for the other subsystems – my physical health.
If one is not successful in physical health, eventually the intellectual side will suffer, as will the emotional side, and in turn, the social side. PAEI is a pyramid. At the bottom are the physical needs of food, shelter, and health. Next is the intellectual side, which also encompasses materialism (the feeling that we are secure and financially safe). Resting on these is the emotional side, which includes the most exciting parts of life. And still higher, at the top, is the negating of oneself, the taking of oneself out of the equation, seeing oneself as part of the totality of humanity and thus as a part of something bigger than oneself. The need is not only for self-actualization, but for a sense of being part of something bigger than oneself. This is the “I”.
If the foundation is weak, everything above it in this pyramid will be shaky. Start with physical health. Eat right, sleep right, exercise right. Only then will you find success with everything else. 
Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes
<hr class="vertical-space1"> <a style="color: #398585;" href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-success">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-success</a> <hr class="vertical-space1">
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

What is success?

<h4>DAAJI introduces DR. ICHAK ADIZES to the audience at the international
 Heartfulness Center at Kanha Shanti Vanam: “It’s such a pleasure this morning to have Dr. Adizes amongst us. I would
 call him a guru of management. He has many tricks, which are not spoken, not written, but which he delivers based on
 his personal experience and personal intuition. However complex any protocol may be, he will dissect it and simplify
 it for any organization – a university, an industry, a government, a spiritual institution, or a family. His
 principles are mind-blowing. His Adizes Methodology is very worthwhile if you are in the field of management, if
 you’re a game changer.</h4>
<h4>“So we’ll have a taste today. I always want to listen to him because he has very refined ideas when he speaks. If
 you watch his words, his style and his attitude, you will learn a lot. Welcome Dr. Adizes.”</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Namaste and greetings to you all. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share with
 you some experiences, thoughts and insights that I’ve been developing over 50 years of working with companies, prime
 ministers, and generally with people.
What is it all about? It’s about change. This is nothing new. Change has been going on
 forever, from the Big Bang (maybe even before that) and it will go on forever. So what?
Whenever there is change there are problems. Why problems? Because, what is change?
 Something new. And then when you’re confronted with something new, you have to decide what to do about it. It’s like
 coming to an intersection in a foreign country – something new – and now you have to decide, “Do I go left? Do I go
 right? Do I go back? What do I do?”
Some people cannot make a decision. They say, “I don’t know what to do.” Uncertainty. “I
 don’t have enough information. I’m not going to decide.” But you just decided. What did you decide? To stay where
 you are. And maybe that’s the worst decision you can take. Why? Because even if you are on the right road, even if
 you’re comfortable, “Everything is good, I’m on the right road,” if you don’t move, a truck may come from behind and
 run you over. Why?
You’re not changing. You say, “I’m fine, I’m not going to decide. I’m not going to go
 left, I’m not going to go right, I’m going to stay where I am.”
But the world is continuously changing. The world is not stopping. The world is not
 saying, “Since you’re not changing, nobody will change. We’ll all wait until you change.” That’s not going to
 happen.
We need to change, because there is change. But there is a problem now. Something new is
 happening that did not happen in the past: Change is accelerating; the world is going faster and faster and faster.
 With new technologies there are tremendous changes: in medicine, in technology, social changes, political changes.

As change is accelerating, what is accelerating? Problems! If our grandparents were poor
 but relatively happy, we in the modern world have a better standard of living but a lower quality of life. Why? Too
 many problems, too much stress, too many decisions to make, and people are falling apart. It’s called stress.
The biggest disease of the modern world is depression. Too many people don’t know what
 to do. The world is changing too fast and they don’t know what to do. So I asked myself the questions: What to do?
 How do you handle change?
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">We need to change, 
 because there is change. 
 But there is a problem now. 
 Something new is happening 
 that did not happen in the past: 
 Change is accelerating; 
 the world is going faster and 
 faster and faster.</h5>
<hr>
Well, you need to do two things. First you have to decide what to do. You have to
 decide, but decisions are not enough. Many of us decide. Many of us, especially me, decide to go on a diet; so I
 decided to go on a diet. Or I decided to go for meditation. Decision is not enough; you have to implement the
 decision. And success is not really in the decision. Success is in the implementation. Do you implement your
 decisions?
But now there is a difficulty. What is that difficulty? In life, making a good decision,
 especially in change, and always making the right decision, does not happen. Will you never make a mistake? Good
 luck. If you know the Old Testament, even God makes mistakes. He was very upset with the world because people were
 not righteous. So He brought the flood; for 40 days it was raining. God killed everybody to teach us a lesson to be
 righteous. And then God said, “I made a mistake. I cannot make people righteous.” Do you hear? God admits he is
 helpless with us; the God that created everything. The most powerful thing is helpless with people, and cannot make
 us righteous.
Also God is forgetful. He says, “Next time we start the rain,” so as to remember not to
 make the same mistake again, “I’ll bring the rainbow to remind me to stop.” Look how human God is. He admits He’s
 helpless. He admits He’s forgetful. So who are we to be more than God, never to make a mistake?
<div class="text-center">
 <img alt="love-alone-can-save world" class="lazyload has-img-center mb-4"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_alone_can_save2_549da0997a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:19:04.943Z">
</div>
So the first thing is humility. We are not perfect; nobody is perfect. So if nobody is
 perfect, does it mean that the whole world will be badly managed? Will we always make mistakes? No. What we need is
 a complementary team to work together. I’m not perfect, you’re not perfect, but together we can be perfect. Where
 I’m weak, you’re strong. And where you’re weak, I’m strong.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">What we need is a complementary 
 team&nbsp;to work together. 
 I’m not perfect, you’re not perfect, 
 but together we can be perfect. 
 Where I’m weak, you’re strong. 
 And where you’re weak, I’m strong.</h5>
<hr>
Like this wedding I just observed now, if you look at it, all marriages are a
 complementary team. We always say, “My spouse is different.” Why did you marry somebody who is different? To
 complement you. Together as a family we’re better than we are alone. That’s why, at least in Western society, when
 you introduce your spouse you say, “May I introduce you to my better half?” Why is she your better half? Because she
 is better in those areas where you’re weak. And she will say, “No, he is my better half.” Together we are better
 off. Not only in a marriage, also in a company. If any one of you is in business, you want to have a complementary
 team. You want to have a team that works together.
Look at this hand. Do you see my hand? If you go to any church they have sculptures like
 this [gestures with his fingers], the&nbsp;thumb is touching a different finger. You may not realize it, but it is
 symbolic. You go to any church and you will see the saints standing with their hand like this. This symbol is called
 the hamsa. Women wear it as jewelry, and put it on the door at the entrance of their house. You know what
 it’s telling you? Be different – different fingers together. Be different together.
Some religions and political ideologies say: Be together, be the same. Don’t dare to be
 different! When the fingers on my hand are all the same [he scrunches them all to the same height], this hand is
 paralyzed. Those ideologies paralyze us. Nothing grows in a desert where there is sameness. Everything grows in a
 jungle – it’s called ecology. Differences together. It’s nice, but it is not reality. Because of change, over time
 these fingers open up. Why? We’re different. The fingers open up. Unity breaks down. Because we’re different there
 is going to be conflict. We think differently; we’re different. And what happens in marriages? What happens in
 companies? What happens in countries? They start falling apart over time.
Conflict happens in decision – making. Because we’re different, we’re going to have
 conflict when making decisions. You want this, I want that. You think this way, I think that way. You want fast, I
 want slow. You want everything, I want little. Welcome to the real world! Conflict.
Another source of conflict is on the implementation side. Why? Because in order to
 implement something, you need the cooperation of other people. You’re not in a vacuum. You need the cooperation of
 your neighbors, you need the cooperation of the people of your company, you need the cooperation of your children.
 You need cooperation!
In order for people to cooperate, there must be common interest: “We’re together, we’ve
 common interest.” Well, guess what? There is no common interest – don’t hold your breath – it changes. Even in a
 marriage, we started together and things happen, so there is no common interest. Even I have no common interest: I
 have a conflict in my head right here between my brain and mouth, six centimeters from each other. My brain tells
 me, “Don’t eat that cake! 30 seconds on your lips, but a lifetime on your hips. Don’t eat that cake.” And my taste
 buds say, “Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat …” So I have a conflict right here [pointing to his head]. Life is conflict.
 You want to sleep and there is work to do. You want to go on vacation, but … Conflict!
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">In order for people to cooperate, 
 there must be common interest: 
 “We’re together, we’ve common interest.” 
 Well, guess what? 
 There is no common interest 
 – don’t hold your breath – 
 it changes.&nbsp;</h5>
<hr>
Now hear me well: The more change, the more problems, the more conflict. The world is
 falling apart. Yes, the world is falling apart because of the rate of change. There is more crime than ever before,
 more divorces than ever before, more diseases than ever before. We have diseases today that we never knew about
 before. What to do? It’s a serious question. We are falling apart. There is a high rate of change. It is
 destructive. Conflict can be destructive, but it doesn’t have to be. I ask myself the question: Why did Yugoslavia,
 a country that does not exist anymore, fall apart? Why did the Soviet Union fall apart? And look at Switzerland –
 they should fall apart – French, Italians and Germans together in one country should be a disaster. That country
 should have fallen apart, but it has not.
<img alt="love-alone-can-save world" class=" has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_alone_can_save3_349370bce0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:19:55.763Z">

I look at one marriage and they have conflict, but at the end of it they love each other
 even more, not because of the conflict, in spite of the conflict. Wow! And in another marriage they’re ready for
 divorce. What is the difference? Why is the first marriage like Switzerland, and the second like Yugoslavia? Here is
 the difference. Let’s start from the beginning: Why does change create problems? Because everything in this world is
 a system. You as a human being are a system. And a system by definition has sub-systems. And the sub-systems have
 sub-sub-sub- sub-sub-sub-sub-systems. You’re a subsystem of your marriage, your marriage is sub-system of the
 community, the community of the country, the country of the globe. A company has subsystems – marketing, sales,
 production, finance, human resources.
When there is change, the subsystems do not change together. Some change faster than
 others. For example, your heart may be 80 years old and your kidney is already dying. This is my case: I lost my
 kidney. It changes faster. If you drink too much, your liver will go faster. They don’t change together.
In a company, marketing changes fast, production changes slower, and finance and
 accounting take forever. The most difficult is to change people. Because of that, the system develops cracks, gaps.
 It’s called disintegration. Things fall apart. Change causes things to fall apart. As we get older we fall apart. An
 old car is falling apart.
If this disintegration is the cause of all the problems, what is the solution?
 Integration. Now the question is: How to integrate? Why was Yugoslavia disintegrated, and Switzerland, in spite of
 having all the ingredients to be disintegrated, integrated? What’s the difference?
To cut a long story short I’ll give you the bottom line. We’re different; you think
 differently than I do. How will we not fall apart? When we respect each other. And what does it mean, respect? I
 respect your differences; you don’t have to be like me.
You’re Italian, fine. I’m French, fine. You don’t have to be like me. You’re a Muslim,
 fine. I’m a Christian, fine. You’re a Hindu, fine. We don’t have to be the same; I respect your difference. Why?
 Because I learn from your difference. You don’t learn from people that are like you. They’re boring, there’s nothing
 to learn. You learn from people who disagree with you.
Now you ask, “Why do you disagree with me? What can I learn from you?” So what makes
 conflict on the decision side positive? What causes integration? Mutual respect. I accept your difference because I
 can learn from you, and you accept my difference because you can learn from me.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">“What’s the future of the world?” 
 The world needs love. 
 And what is integration? 
 Integration through the heart. 
 Something bigger than us. 
 And what is Yoga? 
 The word “Yoga” is integration, unity. </h5>
<hr>
And on the other side, where there is a conflict of interest, how do we make it
 positive? When we have a conflict of interest, what you want I don’t want, and what I want you don’t want. Now what
 do we do? There is an expression in most languages that says: Life is give and take. A good marriage is give and
 take. You have a conflict of interest in a business deal, but the relationship is more important to you: “Do it your
 way. It’s not a big deal. Next time we’ll do it my way.” It doesn’t always have to be my way; it doesn’t always have
 to be your way. Give and take.
Once I was lecturing in a particular country and an executive came up to me and said,
 “Dr. Adizes, here we don’t say ‘give and take’. We say ‘take and give’.” 
 Oops, I got it. 
 When you give, eventually it will come back. You trust. When you say, “First I will take, and then see what I want
 to give,” there is no trust.
So what makes a conflict of interest positive? When there is mutual trust. Do we trust
 each other? Can you integrate when there is mutual trust and respect? It is not good enough.
Now we come to Heartfulness. That’s why I love this organization with all my heart. I
 learned a lot from Chariji and I thank him. What is the utmost, absolute integration? Love. Love is not give and
 take. You just give.
<img alt="love-alone-can-save world" class=" has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_alone_can_save4_70cc9c6fa4.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:20:48.464Z">

You don’t take your children to play somewhere and feed them because they’re going to
 give it back to you. You do it because you love them. In the giving is the taking. In the giving is the taking. You
 enjoy them when they’re laughing and happy, and that’s your happiness. You’re not waiting for something later on,
 it’s continuous. When you love you don’t think. You don’t do accounting, there is no cross-value relationship. “How
 much am I giving? Am I getting it back? Will you return it back to me?” There is none of that. Love is absolute. And
 love solves all problems.
So what’s the solution to the world falling apart? Love. That’s why all of you
 Heartfulness Trainers have a big job – to save the world from falling apart. To save marriages, to save companies.
 And I believe India has a role in the world. Somebody has to be the beacon. Somebody has to spread the&nbsp;message
 to a world that’s falling apart. India has that role. Unfortunately, India is falling apart too. I come from the
 West where everybody is saying, “What’s the future of the world?” The world needs love. And what is integration?
 Integration through the heart. Something bigger than us. And what is Yoga? The word “Yoga” is integration, unity.
 India has that message for the world. So the trick is not to stop change. The trick is to make change constructive.
 And that we can do with love. Thank you very much.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Talk given by DR. ICHAK ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

Love alone can save the world

<h4>
 On the International Day of Peace, September 21, 2021,
 DR ICHAK ADIZES
 shared his experience on the future of management with members of the
 Heartfulness Institute, USA. In part 1, he explores the way societies and
 businesses have changed through human history, and what are the qualities we
 need in today’s world to take us into the future.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h3 class="has-text-align-center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Hello, namaste, shalom, peace. I don’t think I’m saying anything new if I say
 that there is change. It started with a Big Bang millions of years ago,
 nothing new. There is something new, however, because humanity is experiencing
 a rate of unprecedented change driven by technology and science. There are
 more scientists alive today than cumulatively in the history of mankind. So
 what?&nbsp;



 Everything in this world is a system. You as a human being are a system. A
 family is a system. A country is, and so is business. The planet is a system
 called an ecosystem.&nbsp;



 Every system is comprised of subsystems. A company has a marketing subsystem,
 sales subsystem, production subsystem, financial, human, capital subsystems. A
 human being has the nervous subsystem, the blood flow subsystem, the
 respiratory subsystem, etc. And a country has the legal subsystem, the
 economic subsystem, the technological subsystem, the social subsystem. &nbsp;



 When there is change, the subsystems do not change at the same speed. In a
 company, marketing changes relatively fast. How long does it take to change a
 sales effort? A little bit longer. How long does it take to change the
 production to adapt to the changes? Much longer. How long does it take to
 change people’s attitude, mind set? People are the most difficult to
 change.&nbsp;



 Because the subsystems do not change at the same speed, gaps and cracks
 develop in the system. The system gets disintegrated and the higher the rate
 of change, the faster it gets disintegrated. Show me a house in a climate that
 has a lot of changes – cold, hot, cold, hot – it requires more
 maintenance.&nbsp;The higher the rate of change, the faster the
 disintegration. And disintegration is manifested in what we call problems.
 &nbsp;



 Production has a problem matching sales. Sales has a problem matching
 marketing. Finances says, wait a moment, we don’t have the money. So, hear me
 well: change means disintegration. Disintegration is manifested in what we
 call problems. And the faster the change, the faster the disintegration, the
 faster the problems attacking us, and that’s called stress.



 You have to solve problems. You have to decide what to do. And that means
 uncertainty. You don’t always have all the information, and if you implement
 the decision, there is a risk. It might not work. Now you are stressed: What
 should I do? Should I take the risk or not take the risk.&nbsp;



 So, what has change done to us? Increased our rate of stress exponentially.
 There is probably more stress in New York City than in North Dakota or
 Montana, because of the rate of change. And the disintegration is manifested.
 Companies fall apart. Countries are falling apart. Look what happened to the
 Soviet Union. Look what happened to Yugoslavia. Families are falling apart.
 There are more divorces in New York than in North Dakota. The higher the rate
 of change, the more disintegration. And people are falling apart. The fastest
 growing mental disease in the developed world is depression. Underdeveloped,
 they don’t have time to be depressed, they have to survive. The more
 developed, which means the more change, the more people are mentally sick. Or
 they escape to drugs.



 What does it mean?&nbsp;Because of technology, because of the advancements in
 science, our standard of living has gone up. Our quality of life has gone
 down. We are much more stressed than our grandparents. Our grandparents lived
 shorter lives, true, with a lower standard of living, but you know what? They
 were happier. There was a certain level of stability, predictability. The
 family was predictable. The hierarchy was known. You knew who wore the pants.
 In today’s world, I really am not so sure. Sometimes I think my kids wear the
 pants. They’re telling me what to do because they know more about computers
 and more about iPhones and more about technology than I know. I’m the idiot.
 They’re knowledgeable.



 The world is falling apart. If change causes disintegration, and
 disintegration gives birth to problems, which give birth to stress and the
 disintegration of human being, companies, countries, etc., what is the
 solution? Stop change? That, by the way, is what some religions are trying to
 do. All the fanatic religions are trying to stop change. Is that the solution?
 No. Nobody in the history of mankind has succeeded in stopping change.



 They tried to stop technological innovation in England. It started in America
 and England missed it. The Middle Ages were interrupted by the Renaissance.
 So, we need to learn to manage change. We don’t have a choice, or we’ll fall
 apart. Our families will fall apart. Our companies will fall apart. We will
 fall apart as human beings.



 We need integration, but what does that mean? What should I do tomorrow?&nbsp;



 Look at the history of humankind. We started, if you are Darwinian, as
 chimpanzees. The strongest were leaders. Then we were nomadic societies. The
 best hunters were leaders. Then we became agricultural societies. Those with
 the most sheep, cows and land were leaders. The common denominators were
 muscles, power, possession. The more the better. It gave birth to an economic
 theory which promoted colonialism: The more land, the more assets, the more
 markets I have, the stronger I am. That was imperialism and colonialism based
 on a mindset that more is better. We still have it – we measure economic
 growth, even though more is not better. We are destroying the environment. We
 are destroying ourselves. More is not better.



 We must change from “more is better” to “better is more”: To quality of life
 instead of standard of living. Being less is better. A simple life is
 better.&nbsp;


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 We must change from “more is better” to “better is more”:
 To quality
 of life instead of standard of living. Being less is better. A simple
 life is better.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Then came the industrial revolution. Strength was not good enough anymore. We
 needed brain. We needed to plan, budget, hire people, organize, and develop
 supply chain management. In the industrial society, muscle and brain were both
 important. Muscle first, then came brain, so then we had muscle and brain.
 Empires. The strongest, the most possessive, were the best. That was success.



 Today we live in what’s called the post-industrial society, and what’s most
 important? It’s not muscle. Brain is everything. Some of the most valuable
 companies on the stock exchange have no physical assets. Airbnb does not own
 one hotel; Uber does not own one car. What do they have? Computers and
 information. Today, success is in the brain. What does Amazon have? An
 incredible brain system. What are they collecting? Information and artificial
 intelligence to manage that information. The same with Facebook and Google.
 All you businesspeople, watch it; if you do not digitalize your company and
 develop databases and manage information, you are outdated. Brain is the
 power.&nbsp;



 Well, today the brain is on its way out, too. Artificial intelligence and
 quantum computers are going to replace the brain. Even today, when I ask some
 of my students at university, “How much is seven times nine?” they say, “Where
 is my calculator?” They don’t know. They ask Siri. We are relying more and
 more on computers and not thinking.



 They want to put a chip in your brain so you don’t have Alzheimer’s anymore –
 connect you to the Cloud and that’s it. We don’t even have to talk; my chip
 will talk to your chip. Then you will have an artificial heart, a mechanical
 heart, then mechanical kidneys and mechanical knees. What is a human being
 now? What is the future after the brain? We went from muscle to brain; now
 what?


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<figure class="block-image">
 <img decoding="async" width="700" alt="Future_of_Management2" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Future_of_Management2_700x459_1260c21b74.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-09T05:11:27.891Z" />
</figure>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Consciousness, soul, the heart. If we do not develop the heart and
 consciousness, we are doomed. Nazi Germany was not a fluke in the history of
 mankind: Highly educated powerful people with no heart. Is that our future?
 India should be the beacon to the world – Yoga, meditation.



 Why? We already said we need integration to overcome the disintegration caused
 by change that cannot be stopped. What is absolute integration? No boundaries
 of time and space. Love. The consciousness of love, which supposedly lives in
 the heart. The heart is a symbol of love. Absolute integration. And it’s not
 strange the diamond is a symbol of love. It’s the most integrated mineral
 there is. That’s what love is about. Unless we develop our consciousness of
 love, disintegration is going to destroy us. Our heart and our consciousness
 of love will save humanity.



 Well, how do we do it so it’s not just empty words? That’s what I’ve spent
 fifty years of my life on: How to bring love to companies. I don’t talk about
 it, because I would never have made a cent if I’d said, “I sell love.” They
 would say, “Go home, or tell us how to make more money.” I help them make more
 money with love, without them realizing it.&nbsp;



 If you love what you do, the more integrated you are, the less energy is
 wasted. When there is disintegration, you waste a lot of energy. “What should
 I do? Who am I? Where am I going? Why is it happening to me?” You’re
 disconnected. It takes energy. That’s why you’re exhausted. When you do what
 you love, you have so much energy, don’t you? It keeps you young.


Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes


 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-the-future-of-management-presented-to-heartfulness-mission-the-day-for-peace">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-the-future-of-management-presented-to-heartfulness-mission-the-day-for-peace</a>


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

To be continued.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE</h4>

<hr />

What is the future of management?

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >DR. ICHAK ADIZES challenges us to
 reorganize our lives so that we are able to be in charge of how we spend
 our time, and thus create balance and well-being. As he points out, it is
 easier said than done! It requires a radical shift in our way of thinking
 and working.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >In my work as a consultant to top management, I come across the same
 question over and over again: “Doctor Adizes, how do I balance my
 professional career with my personal life? I am not just a corporate
 leader, but also a spouse, a parent, and a community member. What do I do
 when my work totally absorbs all of my time and my personal life
 suffers?”


 <spanundefined
 >I hear this question mostly in countries experiencing rapid change.
 Change causes problems. Problems call for solutions. Business solutions,
 to be developed and implemented, consume lots of time and personal life
 suffers. 
 In order to balance life, ask yourself, “What do I truly value the
 most?” 
 People usually discover what is of value too late. On their death bed. Or
 when they get sick.


 <spanundefined
 >Why? Because we recognize the most important things in life by their
 absence.


 <spanundefined
 >You do not know the value of health until you get sick, the value of
 democracy until you live in a dictatorship, the value of love until you do
 not have it, or the value of living until you are dying.


 <spanundefined
 >We take for granted the most important things in life because we normally
 have them. But not really. Health, democracy, and love are not static,
 fixed. If not maintained, they deteriorate. With time passing, they do not
 stay the same. There is nothing you need to do for love or health or
 democracy to deteriorate. Just do nothing and they will diminish with time
 on their own. Consider this metaphor: Build the best garden money can buy.
 Do not do anything to this garden for two years. What happened to the
 garden? It is the same with love, health, democracy, and thus the quality
 of your life!
 


 <spanundefined
 >Just to maintain it, not to mention to enrich it, you need to dedicate
 time.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined style="color: #f3583d"
 >Open your calendar and budget time.&nbsp;Like you budget money. 
 Budgeting time is more important than budgeting money 
 because time is absolutely fixed while money is not. 
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >Here is what I suggest my clients to do: Open your calendar and budget
 time. Like you budget money. Budgeting time is more important than
 budgeting money because time is absolutely fixed while money is not. Every
 hour and every minute that passes will not come back. Money might. Time
 does not, and there is no bank of time where you can ask for time to be
 loaned to you.


 <spanundefined
 >Usually, people spend time as pressurizing problems require, until they
 have no time left for what they really want to do. It is the equivalent of
 spending money without a budget as opportunities to spend arise, and then
 being surprised when there is no money left for what they really need the
 money for.


 <spanundefined
 >
 I believe we do not budget time because to really accept that time is
 fixed is tantamount to accepting that we will die. We know we will, but we
 do not want to look at the topic of death in the eye and accept it; it is
 too scary. So, we spend time freely as if we will live forever.


 <spanundefined
 >You know the truth, so have courage and get to work. Budget your
 time.


 <spanundefined
 >To help us budget time I am going to use my
 PAEI model –
 Producer, Administrator, Entrepreneur, Integrator:


 <spanundefined
 >First, realize what most people do wrong: They usually spend their time
 on P first, because it is a short-term focused role and
 the immediate needs always take precedence over what needs to be done
 later or in the long run.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 decoding="async"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Calendar_mirror_values2_3edb55c01e.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T05:01:51.160Z"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined style="color: #f3583d"
 >If you are going to balance your life,&nbsp;you need to change 
 and address&nbsp;what is really of value to you. 
 Since success is from the inside out 
 and not from the outside in.
</h5>

<hr />


 <spanundefined
 >Next, people’s focus turns to
 A, taking care of the details of paying bills, answering emails or
 inquiries, etc. Another short-term focus. Unless you are the
 entrepreneurial or creative type,
 E is attended to if
 time is left, usually when it robs us of sleep, or we are on
 vacation. I gets
 attention during a crisis: If our spouse threatens us with divorce,
 someone in the family gets sick, or children are abusing drugs, for
 example.


 <spanundefined
 >If you are going to balance your life, you need to change and address
 what is really of value to you. Since success is from the inside out and
 not from the outside in, I suggest:
 


 <spanundefined
 >I should be
 first, 
 E second, 
 A third, and 
 P should be the last.
 


 <spanundefined
 >If you handle the long term issues right, the short term problems down
 the road can be proactively prevented.


 <spanundefined
 >Let us begin with
 I.


 <spanundefined
 >Your first priority is time for yourself, like exercise, practicing Yoga,
 meditation, reading a book, playing some music, and maybe having some time
 to do nothing whatsoever. Just contemplate your navel. This will remove
 the need for late night insomnia.


 <spanundefined
 >Now, I for your
 spouse. Open the calendar and plan one evening per week for going out for
 a
 d<spanundefined
 >ate. To a candlelit restaurant. It must be the same day of the week and
 not when time permits. It is planned; the time is safely secured like
 Christmas. You do not decide when to celebrate Christmas. The date is
 known year after year. The same should be true for having a date with your
 spouse. Your spouse can count on it. And go out just the two of you, no
 one else, and reconnect. And agree to have no computers, TV screens, or
 smartphones in the bedroom so you can have pillow talk nightly.
 Furthermore, I suggest a re-honeymoon on each anniversary of your wedding
 day because, as one client of mine said, “One honeymoon is not enough for
 a lifetime of marriage.”


 <spanundefined
 >Next, I with your
 children. Every child gets scheduled undivided time, the same time, the
 same day, for just the two of you. Not with all the kids. One kid at a
 time so that each child gets your undivided attention. Each child is
 <spanundefined
 >different. Dedicate the time to something that that specific child
 adores. Perhaps one likes horseback riding, another might prefer ballet, a
 third child skateboarding or stamp collecting.


 <spanundefined
 >Now, schedule one long weekend per month or at least per quarter, for the
 whole family, starting Thursday evening and ending Monday evening. Go
 somewhere, away from home, without computers or smartphones. During that
 long weekend, have a family meeting and establish rules of not
 interrupting each other. Discuss whatever is bothering anyone that needs
 to be addressed by the family.
 


 <spanundefined
 >

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 <img
 decoding="async"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Calendar_mirror_values3b_bff57bac43.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T05:03:18.066Z"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined
 >Go somewhere, away from home, 
 without computers or smartphones. 
 During that long weekend, have a family meeting 
 and establish rules of not interrupting each other. 
 Discuss whatever is bothering anyone 
 that needs to be addressed by the family.
 
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >PUT ALL OF THIS IN THE CALENDAR. If you do not, it will not happen. It
 will be difficult to honor these commitments as is. Without the
 <spanundefined
 >calendar reminder, my experience is that it has no chance of being
 implemented.


 <spanundefined
 >You might want to extend the
 I one more level, to
 integration with the community. Explore allocating time for social
 community work.


 <spanundefined
 >Now schedule time in the calendar for
 E, time for discussing what changes need to be made in the company or in
 your life. Do not mix executive committee meetings, which are usually for
 A purposes, with
 strategic planning, which is for
 E purposes. If you
 mix the two, A will
 take up all of your time and
 E will suffer.


 <spanundefined
 >Now that you have taken care of
 I and
 E, in the long run, allocate time for
 A in your calendar.
 This is when the executive committee will meet
 <spanundefined
 >or you will hold one-on-one meetings with your subordinates to follow-up
 on decisions.


 <spanundefined
 >Of the time left, use it for
 P – to call clients,
 sell, or perform responsibilities that produce actual results.
 P can be delegated as
 much as possible.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 decoding="async"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Calendar_mirror_values4_ac47d590a7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T05:04:31.259Z"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined style="color: #f3583d"
 >Never ever have your calendar full. 
 This allows no time to think, no time to just reflect, 
 or to be available when someone needs you unexpectedly.
 
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >When you finish it all, look at your calendar. You should still have
 thirty percent of the calendar empty. Reserve this time for unexpected
 demands. Never ever have your calendar full. This allows no time to think,
 no time to just reflect, or to be available when someone needs you
 unexpectedly. You are a lousy executive if your secretary has to tell
 someone begging for your time that you are only available next month or
 worse, in two or three months.


 <spanundefined
 >I can imagine that in allocating the time you found that there are simply
 not enough hours in a day, week or year to give each
 PAEI role the time
 you would like to dedicate.


 <spanundefined
 >Back to the drawing board. Just like when you budget money, you have to
 make choices. You need to decide what to cut. You need to decide what is
 in the “need to” category or in the “nice to” category.


 <spanundefined
 >Every quarter, have your secretary give you a report of how much time was
 budgeted for each
 PAEI role and how
 much time was actually spent on each role. Next quarter, you can take
 corrective action just like you do when budgeting money.


 <spanundefined
 >It is normal that you might have difficulties implementing these
 recommendations. You might be too close to the action and have a hard time
 making choices, a problem I have difficulty with myself. If this is the
 case, then ask somebody close to you, someone you respect, to support you
 in budgeting your time.


 <spanundefined
 >Notice the difference between being in control of how you spend your
 time, to the usual practice where time is spent as dictated by the
 problems.


 <spanundefined
 >Who should be in charge?
 


 <spanundefined
 >You of your Life? 
 or 
 Your Life of You?


 <spanundefined
 >Just thinking and feeling, 
 Dr. Ichak Adizes


 <a
 style="color: #4ca6a6"
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/your-calendar-the-mirror-of-your-values"
 ><spanundefined
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/your-calendar-the-mirror-of-your-values</a
 >

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 style="text-align: center">
 Article by
 <spanundefined
 >DR. ICHAK ADIZES
</h4>

<hr />

Your calendar – the mirror of your values

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 In his latest column, DR ICHAK K.
 ADIZES
 challenges us all to learn to listen to
 what feels right and wrong in the heart. He encourages us to find God’s will
 within ourselves.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 It is a corner stone of many religions and spiritual practices to prescribe
 surrendering to God or His representative. For instance, in the Catholic
 religion it is the Pope. His decision is final and to be adhered to. In
 India, there is a proliferation of gurus who claim that they know God’s
 will, and people follow their decisions religiously.
 


 There is a benefit in surrendering to the wishes of a guru. Once you
 surrender, you emancipate yourself from the terror the ego imposes on you.
 You surrender to the Master who will make the decisions for you. The danger
 is that you subordinate your will to someone else, and retreat from being an
 adult and taking responsibility for your actions. Furthermore, what if the
 person we surrender to is corrupt, like the guru of Jonestown, who ordered
 all his disciples to commit suicide, and they did? Is that what we
 want?


 The true Master to surrender to is God. I believe all religions share this
 prescription. But what does it mean to surrender to God’s will? And what is
 that will? To whom to surrender if not to a human guru? Some interpret it to
 follow religiously the “manual,” whether it is the Koran or the Torah or the
 New Testament.
 


 That is blind surrendering to the written word, and the danger is that some
 people go through the motions, follow the rituals, but not the spirit. Some
 of the most corrupt people can be the most “religious”; they attend church
 or the mosque or the ashram, but do not practice the spirit.
 

So how can we surrender to God? 

 To “hear” God’s will, do not follow blindly the “manual,” the book of
 instructions of the organized religion. Do not think what it is. Just let
 the heart tell you what feels right or not.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 Just let the heart tell you 
 what feels right or not.
 
</h5>

<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Some people think that their thoughts are theirs. They truly represent
 them.
 


 I suggest our thoughts are not just ours. We absorb what the media tells us
 is right, what our peers tell us is wrong, we pick up thoughts on the
 street, we pick up thoughts derived from experiences good and bad starting
 with our childhood, from our dreams about the future, and from who knows
 where else. So, not all our thoughts are just ours. What is genuinely ours
 is not easy to carve out by thinking. That is why many people wonder, even
 for a lifetime, “Who am I, really?” and “What do I really want?”
 


 I suggest that what we feel in our heart is uniquely ours. That is
 who we really are. And through the heart we connect to God, to whom we
 should surrender.


 When we meditate and listen to the heart, we get an answer to problems we
 did not know the answer to. For this, we need to block the interrupting
 noise of our thoughts.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/surrendering2_b657108bc5.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T05:19:11.747Z"
 alt="surrendering2_b657108bc5"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 And what is that voice that is whispering to us from the heart when we are
 calm enough and willing to listen? What is it telling us? It tells us which
 decision feels right and which feels wrong. Your heart
 knows. You know.
 


 Never disempower yourself. We need to unite with the Guru, with the human
 Master. We might choose to practice the rituals of a religion, but not at
 the cost of nullifying ourselves or, worse, not listening to God’s will communicated directly to us through the heart when
 we meditate.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 Never disempower yourself. 
 We need to unite with the Guru, with the human Master. 
 We might choose to practice the rituals of a religion, 
 but not at the cost of nullifying ourselves or, worse, 
 not listening to God’s will communicated 
 directly to us through the heart when we meditate.
</h5>

<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Bottom line: Listen to your heart. When in doubt, let whomever you trust
 interpret the absolute values of God and help you understand His will. In
 the process, grow spiritually, but never ever do anything your heart tells
 you not to do.


 I think organized religion has failed us, and many gurus are false
 spiritual leaders. The true portal to God is not the prayer books nor the
 guru’s darshan. It is time we decentralized religion and each person finds
 for himself or herself God’s will by meditating through the heart. Try
 Heartfulness.
 <a
 style="color: #20a3c7"
 target="blank"
 href="https://gumroad.com/l/uBhXl"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 >https://gum.co/uBhXl.</a
 >
 I do.


 Just thinking and feeling it, 
 Ichak Kalderon Adizes

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES</h4>

<hr />

Surrendering to whom?

I have been observing long-term marriages that seem to be happy marriages, and wondering what it is that keeps them together in this turbulent world we live in, where the divorce rate is high.
I found a common denominator: they laugh a lot. The couples have incredible senses of humor.
Then, I watched some successful executives. The culture in their companies was not as stressed as one would expect.
They were really not that sophisticated in their management or leadership either. The common denominator? They had a great sense of humor.
What is going on? Humor disarms.
Laughter is evoked when one exaggerates a phenomenon until it looks ridiculous. The phenomenon has, at its core, something which is true, which is then exaggerated. It becomes like a cartoon. Thus, it is funny.
Humor relaxes. Humor releases negative energy.&nbsp;If you can laugh at your destiny, you can be happy because nothing is so serious that it calls one to suffer.
I said to myself, “I’d better try that in my marriage.” While in the past I would get into an argument with my spouse over something that might become increasingly heated, I now try to see what is funny in it and react in a way that makes her laugh. When I succeed, she laughs and then hugs me.
What in the past was a cause for not speaking to one another for days is now a cause for hugging and laughing, and realizing nothing is worth being in pain over. All problems are laughable if you put your mind to it (I am not referring to tragedies).
If you can laugh at yourself, you can overcome much of the travails of modern life.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Humor relaxes.&nbsp;Humor releases negative energy. 
If you can laugh at your destiny,&nbsp;you can be happy 
because nothing is so serious&nbsp;that it calls one to suffer.</h5>
<hr>
It is interesting that most comedians come from minority groups or oppressed groups that survive oppression with laughter. For example, the Jewish people. Yiddish humor is well-known all over the world. The same goes for African Americans.
The more serious you are, the more you take the world as a burden. The more critical you are, the more stress you bring to your life and to your marriage.
It is the same with work. Can you take problems not as crises, but just as problems that can be laughed at? If you can make other people laugh, you can disarm them and remove aggression.
Be careful though. When some people laugh, they are not really laughing. They are actually crying. Laughing is their way to release tension.
Also, be careful with cultural differences. More than once I’ve had to beg pardon from my audience because I used a joke which was supposed to make a point about the material being presented and I heard the audience gasp. All jokes are culturally based. They do not easily translate from one culture to another. In America and in Scandinavian countries it is not okay to make any jokes at the expense of women. But it is okay to laugh at men. This custom is totally not accepted in Serbia, where jokes about women are accepted but jokes about men are rejected.
Obviously, you have to be very careful and know when to laugh and when not to laugh, such as in tragic moments.
Dare to think, and even more, 
dare to share what I think,
Dr Ichak Kalderon Adizes
Reprinted with permission from <a style="color: #000080;" href="http://www.ichakadizes.com/therole-of-laughter-in-a-marriage/">http://www.ichakadizes.com/therole-of-laughter-in-a-marriage/</a>
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ICHAK K. ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

The role of laughter in a marriage

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 In this month’s column,
 DR. ICHAK K. ADIZES challenges us all to
 slow down, and create space and time for self-evaluation and change, at a time
 when change is a prerequisite for success.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Every day in the modern world poses an increasing number of problems and
 opportunities in our lives. There are so many existing and new
 oppor-threats, that we simply don’t have enough time to address them all.
 We are all busy, and if we slow down for even a second, we feel guilty
 because “there is so much to do.”But if you stop for an interval of time
 and do nothing, you might find it has its benefits.


 Firstly, doing nothing gives you the time to reminisce; to review what
 you are doing and analyze whether or not you should continue doing it. You
 get to see the value, or the futility, of doing something or
 anything.


 Doing nothing for a moment is like pulling yourself out of a picture, so
 that you can see the picture from a different perspective. We all know how
 difficult it is to see the picture when you are in it.


 When you do nothing, you give yourself the opportunity to ask, “Is it
 time to change?”

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 Another benefit of doing nothing for an interval of time 
 is that it provides space for creating
 something new. 
 When your brain is fully engaged it is not available to be creative.
</h5>
<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Filling your time with something to do is a perfect escape from yourself,
 while doing nothing forces you, sometimes painfully, to face yourself and
 your concerns.


 I have noticed an interesting phenomenon among people who ask for a
 divorce. I asked them, when did the idea germinate; when was the final
 decision to make a change “born?” It often happened when the person was on
 vacation or sick in bed with nothing to do. When you do nothing you give
 yourself a chance to review everything.


 In the Hindu tradition, zero and infinity are related. Everything is
 nothing. Nothing is everything.


 Another benefit of doing nothing for an interval of time is that it
 provides space for creating something new. When your brain is fully
 engaged it is not available to be creative.


 I have found an interesting common denominator among my entrepreneurial
 clients: When they were young, they were either sick for a long time or,
 for some other reason, they were alone with nothing to do.


 Having nothing to do, they had to create something by themselves. Often
 they did lots of daydreaming, and over time, they developed their dream,
 which became their reality.


 With nothing to do, they had the time to evaluate their past and make
 plans for the future.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 <img
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 alt="doing_nothing2_ae626b6150"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/doing_nothing2_ae626b6150.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T05:56:10.571Z"
 /> 


 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 What I have been saying so far boils down to this: Having nothing to do
 is a prerequisite for making a change. Have you ever had the resolve to
 make a strategic change when you were stressed to catch a plane?


 Look at a train. To change the rails it is riding on it needs to slow
 down, or even stop all together. Full speed ahead and changing direction
 are not compatible activities. The management styles of a Producer and an
 Entrepreneur are incompatible. You need an Integrator in the middle to
 enable change.


 Having nothing to do can create the opportunity to make a strategic
 change in one’s life. What may seem to be a problem could be a blessing in
 disguise.


 Many entrepreneurs, for example, started their companies after they were
 fired from their previous jobs and had nothing to do for a while. Being
 employed, and struggling to remain employed, used all the limited energy
 they had; they simply didn’t have the energy to even think about starting
 a business. Getting fired was the best thing that could have happened to
 them. It gave them the time and energy to analyze what they really wanted
 to do with their lives and what strategic changes they wanted to
 make.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 Doing nothing is doing something very important. 
 It enables you to change, and in the hectic world 
 in which we live, change is a prerequisite for success.
</h5>
<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Recession might also be a blessing in disguise. Falling sales, falling
 production and less pressure to fulfill orders, all provide a window of
 opportunity for the decision makers to re-evaluate the past and implement
 strategic changes for the future.


 Now a word of warning: Watching TV or reading a book in the shade of your
 sun umbrella or swimming or surfing or biking … none of them count as
 doing nothing. They could be classified as vacation, but not as “doing
 nothing.”Nothing means nothing.
 


 Nothing means having no agenda, no goal to achieve, nothing that engages
 your mind in any way. Nothing means that your mind is allowed to be free
 to wander.


 In yoga, lying relaxed on the floor (the “dead man pose”) is a pose in
 itself and a very important one. One has to know how to do nothing. It is
 a science and an art in itself.


 How, then, should you go about doing nothing?


 Here is what I believe is the answer: You will never find the time to do
 nothing; you have to consciously and intentionally take the time to do
 nothing.


 The easiest way to implement this philosophy of life is to meditate. I
 meditate twice a day for an hour.


 If you do not want to meditate, make a commitment to sit and do nothing
 every day for an hour without feeling guilty about it. Have a pad and a
 pen available; you may be surprised by what you will think up.


 Doing nothing is doing something very important. It enables you to
 change, and in the hectic world in which we live, change is a prerequisite
 for success.


 Just thinking and feeling it, Ichak Kalderon Adizes

&nbsp;
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES</h4>
<hr />

The benefits of doing nothing

<h4>ICHAK K. ADIZES shares his views on the importance of symbiosis and synergy for the success of any system, be it organizational, social or individual.</h4>
There is need for a culture of mutual trust and respect, a culture of cooperation and collaboration. I am talking about the introduction of synergy, where two plus three is not five but six. In the interaction of diverse entities, two being different from three, something new is created through cross pollination; it is a value that couldn’t have been created unless there was an interaction among diverse opinions or know-hows. For collaborative interaction to exist in diversity there must be mutual respect.
This interaction must be based on perceived commonality of interests. If the diverse parties do not share interests, do not share in the value they have created, why would they constructively interact? It must be symbiotic. There is, however, a problem: Since over time, as conditions change, commonality of interests get threatened, so to endure mutual trust is required.
But Mutual Trust and Respect (MT&amp;R) seem to be internally incompatible. For mutual respect there must be disagreement, a byproduct of diversity. On the other hand, for mutual trust, we should be in agreement. How to resolve this catch-22?
What should we agree on? 
On our common interest. 
And what can we disagree on? 
On what to do and how to create value for the benefit of us all.
We should agree on what we are prone to disagree about (what are our common interests), and we can disagree on what we are prone to agree in order to avoid the pain imbedded in arguing (disagree on what and how to do).
MT&amp;R is the foundation of a true socio-democratic system. It is democratic, which means we learn from each other’s differences of opinion. It is socio, in the sense that there is a social consciousness to share obtained, added values with everybody, not just a certain part of the society at the expense of other parts of the society.
So how should we grow as a society, or as a company, or as a family? 
By growing jointly. 
By capitalizing on each other’s differences for the benefit of everybody.
That is what Adizes Methodology is all about. 
That is why I call it a Symbergetic™ system – symb from symbiotic, for mutual interest, and ergetic from synergetic, which means growing.
How do we make that happen? 
Not just with good intentions. There is a tested well-documented program. It takes between one to three years to bring companies to full utilization of the system. The results have been exceptional. It produced exceptional sustainable growth.
If you have: 
The right people who welcome disagreements because they learn from them, i.e. people who have controllable egos, 
The right collaborative disciplined team decision-making process, 
The right organizational structure that fosters diversity and not sameness, and 
Have unifying common vision and values, you will create and foster a culture of mutual trust and respect.
It has been proven with evidence, working with thousands of companies in over fifty-two countries, from start-ups to the largest on earth. It will minimize disintegration and maximize the freed energy from internal destructive conflicts to be devoted to the external market for a competitive advantage. It applies to any system, whether it’s a country, a business, a family, or an individual human being.
Just sharing, 
Ichak Kalderon Adizes
This blog post was featured in the Huffington Post on March 13, 2017. 
Republished here with permission from the author: http://www.ichakadizes.com/why-we-need-mutualtrust-and-respect/.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ICHAK K. ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

Why we need mutual trust and respect

<h4>
 On the International Day of Peace, September 21, 2021,
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES
 shared his experience on the future of management with members of the
 Heartfulness Institute, USA. In part 2, he highlights the need for
 differences, integration, and complementary teams based on mutual trust and
 respect.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 To manage change, you have to make decisions, and you cannot make decisions
 alone. Would you agree with me that nobody’s perfect? So, what do you need? A
 complementary team. Look at your marriage. Look at your partner. You are with
 somebody who’s different from you. Why?



 You need complementary teams to make good decisions. But the moment you have a
 complementary team, it means difference. Then what’s going to happen?
 Conflict. And to implement a decision, you need the cooperation of the people
 whom you need. Why should you all cooperate? Because you have a common
 interest.



 Do we have common interests? Often we don’t. So, that’s another source of
 conflict – conflict of interest. So, we have conflict of personalities and
 conflict of interests. The more the differences, the more the conflict.&nbsp;



 How do we integrate a complementary team? And how do we integrate common
 interests? That is, how to integrate diversity of styles, diversity of
 nationalities (if you are looking at the world), diversity of religions,
 social diversity, any diversity? For that we need mutual respect. Look at this
 extended hand with five fingers together. This is a symbol. You see it
 everywhere; in all religions the saints are standing like this. What do you
 see? Different fingers together. That’s a blessing. Different together.



 If we’re together and there is mutual respect, we learn from one another. And
 as we learn from each other’s differences, there is synergy. And when there is
 synergy, it’s constructive. And you get integration through mutual respect.
 You don’t get integration – real, sustainable, successful, constructive
 integration – unless there is mutual respect. And that is not what happens
 with all the radical religions. They say, “We’re going to be together by being
 the same.” Here, we are talking about being together but different, and
 accepting, valuing, and appreciating differences, because we learn from
 differences.&nbsp;


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 If we’re together and there is mutual respect, we learn
 from one
 another. And as we learn from each other’s differences, there is
 synergy. And when there is synergy, it’s constructive.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 So, what keeps it together? Why should they be together? Because all benefit
 from what everybody contributes. That’s why there is a hand. Each finger
 contributes to the hand. There is symbiosis. That will happen only if there is
 mutual trust. I contribute to the system, and I trust that the system will
 benefit me, otherwise, I’m not going to contribute. If there is corruption,
 I’m not paying taxes: “Why should I pay taxes to a corrupt government? They
 steal from me; I steal from them.”



 Peace and love mean united diversity based on mutual trust and respect. It is
 inclusive prosperity. There is prosperity, there is success because of synergy
 and growth. Because of symbiosis,&nbsp;it’s inclusive. We want integrated
 interests with diversity that is honored and respected because we learn from
 one another.&nbsp; Peace is not sameness. Peace is harmony. Pay attention
 to the word “harmony.” Different voices creating a harmony. If they’re all
 singing in the same voice, it’s not harmony.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 Peace is not sameness. Peace is harmony. Pay attention to
 the word
 “harmony.” Different voices creating a harmony. If they’re all
 singing in the same voice, it’s not harmony.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 So, if God is love and love is based on mutual trust and respect, there is no
 love unless there is respect for differences, and there is trust that there is
 a common interest. There is faith that there is a common interest despite the
 differences. If God is love, what is God’s will? What does love mean?&nbsp;
 Respect one another’s differences and share the benefits you create together.



 To me, God is a conscious, value-loaded, loving energy, locomoted by mutual
 trust and respect. God’s will is recognizing each other’s differences and
 sharing what you create together.&nbsp;



 Remove mutual trust and respect, and you’re removing God, you’re removing
 love. What do you get? The devil. Many of the exclusive religions, exclusive
 political ideologies, are serving the devil in the name of God because they
 don’t recognize diversity and they don’t integrate for common interest.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="349" alt="what_is_future_of_management2"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/what_is_future_of_management2_700x349_f17c538be4.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T07:20:00.035Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 We all want peace. In peace there is no more stress. There is harmony,
 peacefulness. Peace and love start with yourself first. That’s why meditation.
 Not to get attached; to recognize differences; to recognize problems and let
 them pass. In meditation, you experience tolerance, patience, and peacefulness
 in the middle of turmoil. And as you find tolerance and self-respect, analyze
 the problems and let them pass. Don’t get attached to what you cannot control.
 Learn through meditation to surrender and go with the flow of life. Learn
 humility and find peace and happiness, respecting and trusting yourself.



 Is there respect and trust in your family? That’s called love. Absolute
 respect, absolute trust is love. But love without knowing what to do
 might end up serving the devil in the name of love. Promote mutual respect and
 trust; nourish mutual trust and respect. Ask yourself: What causes disrespect
 in your family? What causes mistrust? Forbid those things. That’s how you
 raise your children to have self-esteem, to trust and respect themselves.



 It is the same thing with your personal life. What causes you to disrespect
 yourself, so that you feel guilty and self-accusatory? Remove it. What causes
 you not to trust yourself? Remove it. Love yourself, love your family, bring
 mutual trust and respect to your company, which means bringing love, bringing
 peace, bringing harmony, etc. And the same thing on a country level.
 Hopefully, if we work hard enough from the inside out, we might bring peace to
 the world – or we are doomed. This pandemic is a sign of disintegration and
 it’s another call: Get united or you will destroy yourself.


Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-the-future-of-management-presented-to-heartfulness-mission-the-day-for-peace">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-the-future-of-management-presented-to-heartfulness-mission-the-day-for-peace</a>


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

More on the future of management

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h3 class="has-text-align-center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the relationship between feelings and breath, and feelings and
 posture. He looks at their interdependence, and how to use this awareness to
 improve our state of being and our level of happiness, as well as the
 analogous functionality of organizations.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 You can detect how a person is feeling by their breathing. Please try the
 following exercises so you can experience what I am trying to communicate:



 First, take a deep breath, inhaling slowly. Now exhale quickly. Repeat several
 times. How do you feel? You are probably feeling angry. The faster you breathe
 like this, the angrier you get.



 Next, try the opposite breathing technique: inhale quickly, exhale slowly.
 Repeat several times. How do you feel? You’re relaxing, right?



 Next, try breathing with a fast inhalation and fast exhalation. Do you feel
 panic?


Finally, inhale slowly and exhale slowly. You are sleepy or very relaxed.


 If you want to control your emotions, first be aware of your breath. If you
 feel angry, change how you are breathing. Change from a slow inhalation and
 fast exhalation to fast inhalation and slow exhalation. Notice that your anger
 is subsiding.



 If you are anxious, change your breathing to a slow inhale and exhale. Your
 panic will slowly diminish.



 If our feelings impact how we breathe, manipulating our breath should change
 how we feel. Breathing and feeling are interdependent.



 Dr. Ida Rolf, the founder of Rolfing massage, discovered a similar
 relationship between posture and feelings. When we are worried, depressed, or
 insecure, our shoulders slouch. In talk therapy, as the therapist tries to
 improve how we feel, we eventually straighten our shoulders. It takes time to
 see improvement. Rolf took the opposite approach. She straightened the posture
 by massaging the fascia that developed between the muscles and bones in the
 shoulders by slouching. Stand upstraight and, voilà, something interesting
 happens. You feel better about yourself. You are not as depressed.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div>
 <figure>
 <img
 width="400"
 height="495"
 alt=""
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Form_Function2_0a4dccb7fc.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T11:24:01.111Z"
 />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Process impacts structure, but structure impacts process, too. Or in other
 words, function impacts form in the long run, and form impacts function in the
 short run.



 I understand it through an analogy: a riverbank controls how a river flows,
 but, over time, the flow of the river also affects the structure of the
 riverbank.



 Riverbanks are formed over a long period of time, whereas the structure of the
 riverbanks immediately impacts the flow of the river. The short run impacts
 the long run, in the long run.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 class="has-text-align-center">
 If you are going to balance your life, you need to change and address
 what is really of value to you. Since success is from the inside
 out and not from the outside in.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Likewise, the long run impacts the short run, in the short run.


 By changing the riverbank, we can change how the river flows. By changing the
 structure, we can change how the water flows.



 By strengthening the shoulders of a person so that they stand up straight, we
 change how the person feels. How we breathe changes how we feel, too.



 In the Adizes theory and practice of managing change, we can change strategy
 by changing organizational structure. Trying to implement a new strategy with
 an old organizational structure is like trying to redirect the flow of the
 river within the old riverbank.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div>
 <figure>
 <img
 alt=""
 width="400"
 height="433"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Form_Function3_2ae7fb8948.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T11:25:34.811Z"
 />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 If you want to know how a person feels right now, watch them breathe. If you
 want to know how they have been feeling for some time, watch their posture or
 walk.



 You need to change the riverbanks first. By changing the riverbank first, you
 redirect the flow of the river, which, in the long-run, will reinforce and
 possibly adjust the initial riverbanks you developed.



 If you want to know which strategy a company is really following, analyze its
 organizational structure.



 If you want to disrupt the strategy in your company, you first need to disrupt
 its structure.


Just thinking and feeling, Ichak Kalderon Adizes


 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/how-to-control-feelings-form-function-interdependence"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/how-to-control-feelings-form-function-interdependence</a
 >


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4>

<hr />

How to manage feelings: form-function interdependence

DR. ICHAK ADIZES is an expert in change management for
 organizations. Here he shares his
 experience of how to bring new strategy into an organization by first meeting
 the organization where it is at, honoring the existing structure and
 personnel, and building new strategy collaboratively.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h2 class="has-text-align-center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h2>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 The professional literature and the consulting industry, by and large, promote
 the following sequence in treating problems: structure follows strategy.



 On the surface, it makes sense. How do you know what structure you need in
 order to fulfill a function unless you first know what that function is? The
 same sequence is practiced in architecture and in new product development.



 My experience as an organizational therapist for more than fifty years, as
 well as that of my associates at the Adizes Institute serving clients in more
 than seventy countries, say this sequence makes sense if you’re starting
 totally from scratch. Then, in theory, without an already established
 organizational structure, you decide where you want to go and organize it to
 get there.



 The reality, however, is that there is usually an already established
 structure with people who have individual interests that are embedded by the
 roles they have in that organization. You cannot ignore what already exists.
 Imagine you already have a building on the ground. Now you want the building
 to serve different needs. Should you flatten the old building and start from
 scratch, displacing those who inhabit it?



 Many consulting firms do that in their practice. They ignore the existing
 organizational structure, define a strategy, and design an organization to
 deliver the new strategy. The leadership of the company has the role now of
 abolishing the old structure, implementing the out-of-the-blue new structure,
 and displacing a lot of people. Implementing the new structure involves
 radical — and unnecessarily painful — surgery. Or the company adapts the
 recommended structure to its reality. What often happens, is that the
 consultant recommends a racehorse but the company delivers a camel.



 The protocols of the Adizes Methodology for Organizational Therapy are
 different. We do not consult for the client organization. We
 do it with the client organization. This poses a challenge.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 We do not consult for the client
 organization.
 We do it with the client organization.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" alt="why-structure-first2-700x478" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/why_structure_first2_700x478_1498e6364d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T10:00:37.008Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 For people in the existing structure to design and to accept a new strategy,
 they need to free their hold on their existing power and responsibilities.
 Otherwise, they will design the strategy based on the interests they have,
 which are derived from the positions they occupy in the present structure. A
 new strategy is not going to emerge. It will only offer some minor improvement
 to the present strategy.


What to do?


 We first do a diagnosis of the situation with the leadership of the company.
 During this process, the executives come to their own realizations that
 changes need to be made. The diagnosis yields a conclusion that a new strategy
 — and subsequently a new structure — is necessary in order to survive or
 succeed in the ever-changing marketplace.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 Once the mindset of the organization is amenable to
 accepting change,
 we focus on changing the existent structure first without
 reflecting the new strategy.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Once the mindset of the organization is amenable to accepting change, we focus
 on changing the existent structure first without reflecting the new strategy.
 It has not been designed yet anyway. We first work on making the power
 structure more willing to accept changes. For instance, we’ll separate
 marketing from sales, separate R&amp;D and new product development from
 production and operations, separate finance – which should focus on the future
 – from accounting – which focuses on the past to the present. We create
 pockets of interested parties in the structure to look at the future, rather
 than being prisoners of the past, and thus of the present.



 With a new power structure – where the organization has departments whose
 roles and interests are to deal with future threats and opportunities – we
 proceed to design the desired strategy participatively with the leadership of
 the company. We then follow with the design of the new structure to reflect
 the new strategy.


The sequence then is:

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" alt="why-structure-first3" width="522" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 style="width: 522px !important;"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/why_structure_first3_71a6650de3.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:06:20.567Z" />
 </figure>
</div>


 This participative protocol facilitates fast and effective implementation of a
 new strategy and structure. Granted, the preparation is longer than the usual
 sequence of designing strategy non-participatively and following it with a
 new, imposed structure. But the implementation is very fast, and it is almost
 always faithful to the design. It also avoids massive layoffs and the
 significant pain that organizational change causes.



 This participative protocol facilitates fast and effective implementation of a
 new strategy and structure. Granted, the preparation is longer than the usual
 sequence of designing strategy non-participatively and following it with a
 new, imposed structure. But the implementation is very fast, and it is almost
 always faithful to the design. It also avoids massive layoffs and the
 significant pain that organizational change causes.



 The Adizes structural redesign is not a one-time change. Rather, it involves
 incremental, ongoing changes. It’s more akin to physiotherapy than surgery.


Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes


 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/why-structure-first">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/why-structure-first</a>

Why structure first?

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-is-an-expert-in-change-management-for-organizations-here-he-shares-some-thoughts-on-why-we-celebrate-diversity-cultural-and-otherwise">
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES is an expert in change
 management for organizations. Here he shares some thoughts on why we celebrate diversity, cultural and
 otherwise.</h4>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2>



<hr>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



I am on a walking machine watching a screen. I am watching CNN. They have a program on diversity. It occurs to me
 that diversity is approached from a political and ethical angle – that it is politically correct to promote
 diversity, political in the sense that we are all equal, have the same rights etc., and ethically because it is
 immoral to discriminate.



It occurs to me that a very important point is being missed: diversity is good for us. We should pursue diversity
 because it is a win-win proposition. It serves our self-interests.



How?Start with the assumption that none of us is perfect. Thus, we need others to complement us. But to complement
 us, those “others” have to be DIFFERENT. Diversity, differences, are necessary for growth, for learning, for
 synergy.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Diversity is the source of learning. Sameness is barren.
 Embrace diversity not only because it is politically and ethically correct, but because there is so much
 for you to learn and benefit from.</h4>



<hr>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Years ago, I was listening to a blind person deliver a motivational speech. What impressed me was what he said to the
 audience: “I am blind from birth. I have a deficiency. But how about you? Do you have any limitation? How about some
 emotional limitation, or intellectual limitation?”



In other words, we are all “blind” in something. The question is: what are we doing about our limitations? This blind
 person was telling us how he became a motivational speaker, how he learned to play music in spite of being blind.
 How about you, me, anyone else? Who is the hero? Who can overcome their own liabilities?



I have a first cousin. His father and my father are brothers. He carries the same name as I do except that he spells
 it differently in English: Adijes. He was also born blind, and he won the world championship for blind sailing. Yes,
 there is such a competition that blind people hold annually. One year he won that world championship. He overcame
 his limits. Does that inspire you? Does that motivate you to overcome your limits too? It sure inspires me.



We learn from diversity because “other” people have, by definition, what we don’t have.&nbsp;African
 American people and Africans in Africa have a soul in their laughter, in their music, in their dance, that we
 Western whites have lost. Again, diversity enriches. I find gypsies inspiring, too. They live the moment. They know
 how to enjoy life to its fullest. There is much to learn from them.



For me, this learning does not stop with people who are physically handicapped, and those whose color, religion, or
 sex is different. We can learn from horses, from dogs, and from stones. Once, when studying a stone, I realized the
 difference between chronological age and conscious age. We humans can impact our emotional age by being conscious.
 Stones, trees, and animals have no control over their age. I can be chronologically 75, but feel and act as if I am
 45, which I do. I can control my age by what I eat, how stressful my life is, and what I do, etc. When I love what I
 do, I do not age so fast.



We can learn from everything. The Old Testament says: go to the ant, you lazy bum, and learn from its
 ways1. Diversity is the source of learning. Sameness is barren. Embrace diversity not only because it is
 politically and ethically correct, but because there is so much for you to learn and benefit from.



Just thinking and feeling,



Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes



<a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/on-diversity">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/on-diversity</a>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



1The Bible, Proverbs, 6:6

On diversity

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-is-an-expert-in-change-management-for-organizations-here-he-shares-some-thoughts-on-the-twin-qualities-of-collaboration-and-cooperation-and-how-they-are-needed-at-different-stages-in-the-processes-of-any-organization"
 >
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES
 is an expert in change management for organizations. Here he shares
 some thoughts on the twin qualities of collaboration and cooperation,
 and how they are needed at different stages
 in the processes of any organization.&nbsp;
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Are collaboration and cooperation the same thing? Are they synonymous
 words? I believe they are different, and the differences can be seen by
 looking at the Adizes map of managing change1.
 

 
 What is “collaboration”? Collaboration is what a complementary team
 does. The team members work together, learning from each other,
 cross-pollinating. For collaboration to occur, mutual respect is
 necessary. And what is “respect”? To rephrase Emanuel Kant, “respect”
 means to recognize the sovereignty of the other person to think
 differently. Once respect exists, the condition for learning from each
 other is established. At that point, if the parties have something to
 contribute to each other, collaboration&nbsp;might&nbsp;happen.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 alt="Collaboration2"
 width="525"
 height="628"
 class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Collaboration2_700x837_fa3380d3da.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:47:21.359Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Notice that I say, “might happen,” because for collaboration to
 be achieved, respect and resourcefulness are necessary conditions, but
 they are not sufficient. A positive, supportive climate is also
 necessary for learning and cross-pollination to occur. For that, a
 prescribed, structured, systemic process of deliberation is required. It
 should ensure that a positive climate for the dynamics of the
 collaboration can take place.
 

 
 Cooperation is a totally different thing. Cooperation is located on the
 right side of the Adizes map. Its focus is not on decision-making, for
 which collaboration is necessary, but on implementation of the decisions
 made. To implement a decision that involves change, a commonality of
 interests among all the parties involved is a must. Cooperation will
 occur when there is a common interest, or when a common interest is
 perceived to exist in the long run, which requires both faith and trust.
 

 
 As we can see, for collaboration, respect is called for. For
 cooperation, trust is called for. Trust&nbsp;and&nbsp;respect,
 collaboration&nbsp;and&nbsp;cooperation, are necessary for
 managing change without destructive conflict, that is, for making
 effective decisions and implementing them efficiently.
 

 Just thinking and feeling, Dr. IchakKalderonAdizes

 
 <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/collaboration-vs-cooperation"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/collaboration-vs-cooperation</a
 >
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 
 1Adizes, I.K., 2016. Mastering Change. Adizes
 Institute Publications.

Collaboration and cooperation

<h4>DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the qualities of a successful marriage, especially the vital roles of laughter and humor.</h4>

I have been observing long-term marriages that seem to be happy marriages, and wondering what it is that keeps them together in this turbulent world we live in, where the divorce rate is high.I found a common denominator: they laugh a lot. The couples have incredible senses of humor.
Then, I watched some successful executives. The culture in their companies was not as stressed as one would expect. They were really not that sophisticated in their management or leadership either. The common denominator? They had a great sense of humor.
What is going on? Humor disarms.
Laughter is evoked when one exaggerates a phenomenon until it looks ridiculous. The phenomenon has, at its core, something which is true, which is then exaggerated. It becomes like a cartoon. Thus, it is funny.
Humor relaxes. Humor releases negative energy.
If you can laugh at your destiny, you can be happy because nothing is so serious that it calls one to suffer.
I said to myself, “I better try that in my marriage.” While in the past I would get into an argument with my spouse over something that might become increasingly heated, I now try to see what is funny in it and react in a way that makes her laugh. When I succeed, she laughs and then hugs me.
What in the past was a cause for not speaking to one another for days is now a cause for hugging and laughing, and realizing nothing is worth being in pain over. All problems are laughable if you put your mind to it (I am not referring to tragedies).

If you can laugh at yourself, you can overcome much of the travails of modern life.
It is interesting that most comedians come from minority groups or oppressed groups that survive oppression with laughter. For example, the Jewish people. Yiddish humor is well-known all over the world. The same goes for African Americans.
The more serious you are, the more you take the world as a burden. The more critical you are the more stress you bring to your life and to your marriage.
It is the same with work. Can you take problems not as crises, but just as problems that can be laughed at? If you can make other people laugh, you can disarm them and remove aggression.
Be careful though. When some people laugh, they are not really laughing. They are actually crying. Laughing is their way to release tension.
Also, be careful with cultural differences. More than once I’ve had to beg pardon from my audience because I used a joke which was supposed to make a point about the material being presented and I heard the audience gasp. All jokes are culturally based. They do not easily translate from one culture to another. In America and in Scandinavian countries it is not okay to make any jokes at the expense of women. But it is okay to laugh at men. This custom is totally not accepted in Serbia, where jokes about women are accepted but jokes about men are rejected.
Obviously, you have to be very careful and know when to laugh and when not to laugh, such as in tragic moments.
Dare to think, and even more, dare to share what I think,
Dr Ichak Kalderon Adizes


Reprinted with permission from http://www.ichakadizes.com/the-role-of-laughter-in-a-marriage/ 

&nbsp;

<hr>

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES</h4>



<hr>

<h4>
 DR ICHAK ADIZES
 tackles the tricky topic of acceptance as the starting point for change,
 especially self-acceptance. He reminds us that without self-acceptance
 things generally get worse rather than better.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h3 class="has-text-align-center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 My biggest challenge is to practice what I preach. My whole life has been
 dedicated to developing, documenting, and training others to practice mutual
 trust and respect. And that means, first and foremost, accepting other
 people’s differences. This is very easy to understand but difficult to
 practice. People annoy me when they think, act, or react differently than how
 I want them to.



 When I get annoyed with people, the first word that comes to mind is “Why?”
 “Why don’t you … ? Why are you doing this, or acting like that or … ?” There’s
 no end to the “why’s” and it is not strange that there are no satisfactory
 answers. My frustrations are most acute towards people who are closest to me.
 Let’s start with my children. “Why do you … ? Why don’t you … ?” Why, why,
 why! And usually, there are no good answers that satisfy me.



 Even closer to me than my children is my wife. In this case, the roles are
 reversed. It seems that God has sent her to this world to “fix” me. To change
 me. From her perspective, everything I do needs to be improved or changed. She
 claims, although I am not fully aware of it, that I do the same to her.



 There is one person who is even closer to me than my children and my wife. It
 is me. I have endless self-talk that I should do this and not that, that I did
 not do what I should have done, etc. If you suffer from not accepting peoples’
 differences easily, do the following exercise. Go to a busy main street in the
 city where you live. Get yourself a window seat in a restaurant facing the
 street. Watch people eat, talk, walk, laugh, etc. Just watch them. Do not talk
 to them. Do not ask questions about why they are talking, eating, or acting
 the way they are. Just watch them. You may find that you are not upset about
 their behavior. Why not? Because in this experiment you accept them the way
 they are.



 Now, compare this experience with what happens when you watch people you are
 close to, let’s say members of your family. Oops! Now you are getting
 emotional, having reactions, and that word “why” is starting to pester you.
 You are not as indifferent, detached, and relaxed as you were before, right?
 Here, you have a prejudice about how they should behave. You are starting to
 judge because they are a part of you, and you of them. You may become
 subconsciously concerned that their unacceptable behavior reflects on you. And
 so, you are no longer indifferent.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="320" height="325" alt="my-biggest-challenge2" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/my_biggest_challenge2_39d6c72713.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T11:25:49.949Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 class="has-text-align-center">
 Do your best to change what is, without criticism, without
 judging, without eating your heart out.
 Just observe, breathe, and
 realize how interesting the differences are.
 Do what you can to change, but
 without raising your voice and 
 blood pressure, and let it go.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 For some people, it is easier to live in a foreign country than in the country
 where they were born or grew up. In a foreign country, they do not care how
 those “others” behave. In the country they identify with, the pain and
 criticism are ongoing. We grow up when we
 accept our parents. When we stop fighting them, stop blaming them for
 our own faults, and realize they did the best they could and that is all there
 is to it. Growing up is not an issue of chronological age but of how fast you
 learn to accept others, starting with accepting yourself, your wife, your
 children, your parents, your siblings, and the inconsiderate driver who cut
 you off yesterday.



 What is, is. Do your best to change what is, without criticism, without
 judging, without eating your heart out. Just observe, breathe, and realize how
 interesting the differences are. Do what you can to change, but without
 raising your voice and blood pressure, and let it go. When you feel the start
 of self-criticism, just note it and ask yourself: Can I do better next time?
 If the answer is yes, great. If not, accept it, at least for now, until the
 situation changes. Maybe you will change, too.



 There is no end to personal improvement, but for real growth to happen, you
 must start with self-acceptance. Rejecting yourself or others for not being
 what you wish them to be is the best predictive variable that the problem or
 discomfort will probably not get better and will likely get worse.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="320" height="325" alt="my-biggest-challenge3" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/my_biggest_challenge3_fea2e058ae.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T11:26:53.795Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 class="has-text-align-center">
 There is no end to personal improvement, but for real
 growth to
 happen, you must start with self-acceptance.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Just thinking and feeling,

Ichak Kalderon Adizes


 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/my-biggest-challenge">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/my-biggest-challenge</a>


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

My biggest challenge

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-is-an-expert-in-change-management-for-organizations-here-he-shares-some-of-the-reasons-why-companies-are-not-changing-their-actions-in-relation-to-the-environment-even-though-everyone-knows-we-are-facing-an-environmental-crisis-he-also-offers-simple-solutions-that-will-bring-change">
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES is an expert in change
 management for organizations. Here he shares some
 of the reasons why companies are not changing their actions in relation to
 the environment, even though everyone knows we are facing an environmental
 crisis. He also offers simple solutions that will bring change.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 At the February 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, the founder and
 president of the Forum criticized the economic theory and business practice
 that view shareholders as the clients of a business organization, the ones
 for whom the organization exists to provide returns on their investments. He
 believes this is an outdated theory. Organizations should have more than one
 entity to satisfy: community needs, worker welfare, and social
 responsibility should all be goals as well.&nbsp;
 

 
 This is not a new idea. There has been an awakening in the population at
 large that sees profit, exclusive profit growth, as evil. Organizations
 should act responsibly toward the environment and society, which could mean
 agreeing to limit profits that the company produces if they are at the
 expense of those interests.&nbsp;
 

 
 I believe that these emerging theories and statements are valid and
 legitimate, but they will remain theories. Condoning profit orientation per
 se will not work. The existent&nbsp;power structure of the system&nbsp;will continue to direct behavior
 toward profit orientation, albeit
 with some philanthropic contributions and lip service to social
 responsibility.&nbsp;
 

 
 If you want to change the course of a motorboat, it is not enough to stand
 on the deck, look at the map, and point in a new direction. Nothing will
 happen until you change the relative power of the left engine versus the
 right engine. I believe these&nbsp;new eco-political theories of social responsibility will remain on
 paper
 because the power structure – the dynamics of the economic system – has
 not changed.
 

 
 I have known many CEOs who are truly socially responsible souls. They are
 concerned about the environment. They are worried about what is happening to
 society and would like to see change. As leaders of public multinational
 companies, however, they have to satisfy Wall Street or risk being replaced
 by their board of directors and shareholders.&nbsp;
 

 
 Shareholders in the public market are loyal to nothing but to the return on
 their investment. If the earnings per share are below what is expected, the
 stock price will go down. In the blink of an eye, shareholders will sell
 their shares and buy into a company that shows better earnings. Thus, even
 if the CEO intends to limit profits to be more socially and environmentally
 responsible, they will not stay in power if a competitor performs better
 financially. They will be replaced.&nbsp;
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 <img decoding="async" width="490" height="463" alt=""
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/why_we_are_not_responsible2_60ad0bbdef.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T08:09:05.887Z"/>
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 In privately owned companies, pride plays a significant role, especially in
 small companies. They are part of the community. The founder will not take
 actions that will make them lose face in the community. The community will
 not support their business. As a member of the community, they want to be
 appreciated and respected. So, they are community-oriented, philanthropic,
 and supportive of their clients to assure themselves that the quality of the
 product they provide does not shame them within their community.&nbsp;
 

 
 I suggest that this does not apply to large, multinational companies where
 the CEO might live in Scottsdale, New York, but the companies they manage
 are in India, Australia, or scattered throughout the US. If top management
 of those companies pollutes, they are not polluting their own backyard. They
 do not pollute the water, air, and earth where their children live. They are
 polluting faraway places, where their sense of loyalty to the local
 community is questionable. I believe that they don’t feel any limitation to
 pursue earnings per share and shine in the stock market. But there is a
 catch. The executive in India, suffering pollution from an American company,
 may be polluting the living space of a community in Europe, the company
 stationed in Europe polluting communities in Australia, Australian companies
 polluting the US, and so on.&nbsp;
 

 
 The global spread of business interests diminishes the pressure on CEOs and
 their boards to be community-oriented and environmentally responsible, and
 the pressure to earn money is more permissible. So even if CEOs intend on
 being responsible, they don’t because they must pay attention to Wall Street
 expectations.&nbsp;
 

 
 For socially responsible behavior to take hold, all businesses would have to
 agree not to pollute one another’s countries, and investors would have to
 change why they buy stock in the market.&nbsp;
 

 
 The zeal to make companies socially responsible will not work until we
 change the orientation and the rules by which businesses operate – rules
 that indicate stock price and profitability are the measurements for
 promotion and rewards.&nbsp;
 

 
 True, there are investors who invest exclusively in companies called Impact
 Enterprises, which are socially responsible, but this is too little and too
 late to make a difference. Climate change and pollution will destroy
 civilization as we know it. If we want to change the behavior of businesses
 to correspond to their declared intentions and do it in a timely way, we
 need to change the power structure of how capital is mobilized, used, and
 returned to investors.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="text-center">
 If we want to change the the behavior of
 businesses to correspond to
 their declared intentions and do it in a timely way, we need
 to change the power structure of how capital is mobilized, used, and
 returned to investors.
 </h4>

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 We have to rethink the role of Wall Street and stock exchanges. We have to
 rethink the composition of boards of directors. Boards should not
 exclusively be representatives for the owners. I have been recommending for
 years to put artists on boards of directors, because true artists, by and
 large, are socially conscious and not materialistically oriented. They can
 represent the global interest of the community in which the enterprise
 operates. I would put religious leaders and intellectuals on the board to
 balance the power structure that currently favors stockholders. That is just
 one example of changing the reward and power systems before we can change
 behavior. Changing goals is fine, but in itself it is like trying to lose
 weight without changing our eating habits.&nbsp;
 

 Just thinking and feeling,&nbsp;

 Ichak Kalderon Adizes

 
 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/why-we-are-not-socially-responsible">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/why-we-are-not-socially-responsible</a>
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

Why we are not responsible toward the environment

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-addresses-the-topics-of-aging-gracefully-family-health-and-the-role-of-the-extended-family-unit-for-stability-wisdom-and-mental-well-being"
 >
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES
 addresses the topics of aging gracefully, family health, and the role
 of the extended family unit for stability, wisdom, and mental
 well-being.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 I remember a time when being old was honorable. Old people were
 respected. Others would get up from their seat on a bus or train to give
 them a place to sit. No one interrupted them when they spoke. There was
 honor and rituals of recognition of their worthiness as the older
 generation. Old people were the Elders, the wise.
 

 
 When I was a child, only eighty years ago, I used to kiss my
 grandfather’s hand and he would bless me, putting his hand over my head.
 At the dining table he had his chair that no one else would sit in. It
 was his reserved seat. When he took a nap in the afternoon, everyone
 would walk on tiptoe and whisper not to wake him up.
 

 
 Being old meant being wise and knowledgeable. The elder made the rules
 of the house, and since being old was so respected, there was no need to
 try to hide your age by dressing like a young man or woman. Children
 used to pride themselves in the way they treated their parents at home.
 Grandparents were not a burden, they were an asset. They helped around
 the house and conveyed family traditions and stories to the
 grandchildren. There was continuity that provided stability and
 nourished mental health.
 

 
 But this is all changing. Being old is no longer something to be proud
 of. On the contrary, old people are seen as stupid. They forget things,
 perhaps losing their acuity to the creep of Alzheimer’s. They do not
 shave evenly, have age spots on their skin, and can’t walk well. They do
 not know how to operate the computer, the TV, or even drive well. People
 shy away from them. The respect, the honor, and the recognition are all
 gone.
 

 
 The elders used to live with their children and enjoy their
 grandchildren every day. Rather than being visited once in a blue moon,
 they were part of the family. Now the older generation is discarded as a
 useless burden, sent to an old age home to wait for death, cared for by
 people they do not know. It is not love or a sense of obligation that
 drives those caregivers; it is a paid service.
 

 
 There is a Jewish prayer that says, “Do not discard me in my old age. I
 took care of you when you were young and helpless. Be with me at my old
 age when I am feeble and weak and in need of love more than ever.” In
 the Western world this is only a prayer. Retirement homes are
 ubiquitous, and expensive. Why do older people spend so much money on
 retirement homes? What choice do they have? Who else will take care of
 them? Being old means having the problems that come with aging, and
 someone needs to help.
 

 
 Where are the children? Scattered around the nation or the world. Maybe
 they call sometimes – on a birthday, perhaps. Some old people refuse to
 leave much, if any, of their assets as an inheritance to their children.
 For them children were not an investment, they were an operating
 expense. At the Passover Seder dinner, as my children and grandchildren
 were seated around the table, singing and laughing, I realized how lucky
 I am. I have the respect and the love I cherish so much. They told me
 that there is no way they would let me go to a retirement home. They are
 for me and with me until my last breath. I am blessed. What is my
 biggest achievement in life? Not my books. Not my balance sheet. It is
 my loving family. It should not be taken for granted.
 

 Just thinking and feeling, Ichak Kalderon Adizes

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 This blog post was featured in the&nbsp;<a
 href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-ichak-kalderon-adizes-/old-age-over-time_b_10355540.html"
 >Huffington Post</a
 >&nbsp;on June 8, 2016. <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/old-age-over-time"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/old-age-over-time</a
 >.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

Age, time, and wisdom

<h3 class="has-text-align-center" id="h-just-thinking-and-feeling">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h3>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-is-an-expert-in-change-management-for-organizations-here-he-shares-some-thoughts-on-doing-nothing-and-how-he-creates-the-space-for-that-through-a-yogic-meditation-practice">
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES is an expert in change
 management for organizations. Here he shares some thoughts on doing nothing, and how he creates the space for
 that through a yogic meditation practice.
</h4>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Every day in the modern world poses an increasing number of problems and opportunities in our lives. There are so
 many existing and new oppor-threats, that we simply don’t have enough time to address them all. We are all busy, and
 if we slow down for even a second, we feel guilty because “there is so much to do.” But if you stop for an interval
 of time and do nothing, you might find it has its benefits.



First, doing nothing gives you the time to reminisce; to review what you are doing and analyze whether or not you
 should continue doing it. You get to see the value, or the futility, of doing something or anything. Doing nothing
 for a moment is like pulling yourself out of a picture, so that you can see the picture from a different
 perspective. We all know how difficult it is to see the picture when you are in it.



When you do nothing, you give yourself the opportunity to ask, “Is it time to change?” Filling your time with
 something to do is a perfect escape from yourself, while doing nothing forces you, sometimes painfully, to face
 yourself and your concerns.



I have noticed an interesting phenomenon among people who ask for a divorce. I asked them: When did the idea
 germinate? When was the final decision to make a change “born”? It often happened when the person was on vacation or
 sick in bed with nothing to do. When you do nothing, you give yourself a chance to review everything.



In the Hindu tradition, zero and infinity are related. Everything is nothing. Nothing is everything. Another benefit
 of doing nothing for an interval of time is that it provides space for creating something new. When your brain is
 fully engaged it is not available to be creative. I have found an interesting common denominator among my
 entrepreneurial clients: When they were young, they were either sick for a long time or, for some other reason, they
 were alone with nothing to do. Having nothing to do, they had to create something by themselves. Often they did lots
 of daydreaming, and over time they developed their dream, which became their reality. With nothing to do, they had
 the time to evaluate their past and make plans for the future.



<hr class="vertical-space1">




<figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="777" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/benefits_doing_nothing2_b905e0d0ec.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T11:40:57.625Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



What I have been saying so far boils down to this: Having nothing to do is a prerequisite for making a change. Have
 you ever had the resolve to make a strategic change when you were stressed to catch a plane? Look at a train. To
 change the rails it is riding on it needs to slow down, or even stop all together.



Full speed ahead and changing direction are not compatible activities. (P) and (E) are incompatible roles. You need
 (I) in the middle to enable change. Having nothing to do can create the opportunity to make a strategic change in
 one’s life. What may seem to be a problem could be a blessing in disguise. Many entrepreneurs started their
 companies after they were fired from their previous jobs and had nothing to do for a while. Being employed, and
 struggling to remain employed, used all the limited energy they had; they simply didn’t have the energy to even
 think about starting a business. Getting fired was the best thing that could have happened to them. It gave them the
 time and energy to analyze what they really wanted to do with their lives and what strategic changes they wanted to
 make.



Recession might also be a blessing in disguise. Falling sales, falling production, and less pressure to fulfill
 orders all provide a window of opportunity for the decision makers to reevaluate the past and implement strategic
 changes for the future.



Now a word of warning: Watching TV or reading a book in the shade of your sun umbrella or swimming or surfing or
 biking…none of them count as doing nothing. They could be classified as vacation, but not as “doing nothing.”
 Nothing means nothing. Nothing means having no agenda, no goal to achieve, nothing that engages your mind in any
 way. Nothing means that your mind is allowed to be free to wander.



In yoga, lying relaxed on the floor (the “dead person pose”) is a pose in itself and a very important one. One has to
 know how to do nothing. It is a science and an art in itself.



<hr class="vertical-space1">




<figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="476" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/benefits_doing_nothing3_9eea51a76d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T11:41:50.181Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



How, then, should you go about doing nothing? Here is what I believe is the answer: You will never find the time to
 do nothing; you have to consciously and intentionally take the time to do nothing. The easiest way to implement this
 philosophy of life is to meditate. I meditate twice a day for an hour. If you do not want to meditate, make a
 commitment to sit and do nothing every day for an hour without feeling guilty about it. Have a pad and a pen
 available; you may be surprised by what you will think up. Doing nothing is doing something very important. It
 enables you to change, and in the hectic world in which we live, change is a prerequisite for success.



Just thinking and feeling,



Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes



<a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-benefits-of-doing-nothing">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-benefits-of-doing-nothing</a>




<hr class="vertical-space1">

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-explores-the-art-of-diffusing-a-disagreement-especially-when-the-other-party-claims-that-you-have-not-understood-them-because-you-are-not-listening-he-uses-the-technique-of-mirroring-to-ensure-better-understanding-and-communication"
 >
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the art of diffusing a disagreement, especially when the other
 party claims that you have not understood them because you are not
 listening. He uses the technique of mirroring to ensure better
 understanding and communication.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <h2 class="has-text-align-center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
 </h2>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 It frequently occurs in discussions, when someone does not agree with you,
 that he or she will say, “No, no, no, no, no. You don’t understand what I
 said. You’re not listening.”
 

 
 They appear to be claiming that if you disagree with them, it is because
 you’re not listening well, or you don’t understand their argument. This is
 often not true. You are listening and you understand what they’re saying.
 You just don’t agree.
 

 
 The other party is intimidating you into agreeing, as if he is the genius
 and you are the idiot who does not understand their genius. You have to stop
 that person and say, “I hear you very well. Let me repeat what you said and
 tell me if I missed anything,” and repeat quietly without allowing
 interruption of the other party’s argument. That is called mirroring. Now
 ask the other party to validate that you did hear them well and you did
 understand their argument well.
 

 
 After you have mirrored their argument, what often happens in my experience
 is that they understand their own argument better now that they have heard
 it from someone else, and they will start adding to or changing their
 argument. No problem. Repeat the mirroring. It might take several attempts
 to really understand them.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h5 class="has-text-align-center">
 Be cool. Just listen and write down their argument, systematize it
 into its ingredients, so that when you mirror you are crystal clear
 what their argument is, and then respond.
 </h5>

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 After they acknowledge that you do understand them well, make your
 counterargument. Not before they acknowledge that you have
 understood them.
 

 
 This routine, to deal with a heated emotional argument or discussion, needs
 strong self-control of one’s emotions. The claim that you do not understand,
 when you do, can be offensive and stir an emotional response. So be cool.
 Just listen and write down their argument, systematize it into its
 ingredients, so that when you mirror you are crystal clear what their
 argument is, and then respond.
 

 
 That is what I do, unless I lose my patience listening to someone who
 non-stop argues that I cannot understand their argument. They are not
 arguing for me to understand them; they are arguing to win the debate. To
 win the debate, the rules of the game are different from those of
 understanding the argument. In this case I disengage.
 

 Just thinking and feeling, Ichak Kalderon Adizes

 <h6>
 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/if-you-disagree-you-are-not-listening"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/if-you-disagree-you-are-not-listening</a
 >
 </h6>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustration by UMA MAHESWARI G</h4>

 <hr />

If you  disagree, you are not listening

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-tackles-the-challenging-topic-of-good-delegation-which-is-so-essential-for-a-healthy-work-life-he-presents-5-principles-that-help-us-to-achieve-both-effectiveness-and-efficiency-as-well-as-supporting-the-team-members-to-whom-we-delegate">
 DR. ICHAK
 ADIZES
 tackles the challenging topic of good delegation, which is so essential for
 a healthy work life. He presents 5 principles that help us to achieve both
 effectiveness and efficiency, as well as supporting the team members to whom
 we delegate.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

We all know that you cannot do everything. Nobody can do everything.


 A good manager should know how to delegate. As a matter of fact, the principle
 should be to avoid being overwhelmed and being ineffective and inefficient.
 Put a sign on your desk that says (let’s say that your first name is Michael),
 “Michael does only what Michael can do.” Which means, if somebody else can do
 it, Michael shouldn’t do it. Otherwise, if you are the best in everything, you
 will do everything yourself, and you will fail in everything. The idea is that
 you do only what only you can do – the tasks for which you are indispensable –
 and the rest should be delegated.



 Now, how can we effectively delegate? What often happens is that we delegate,
 and the task doesn’t get done the way we wanted, and then we get upset and we
 don’t want to delegate anymore. We get disillusioned with the people we were
 delegating to. And we have a big problem.



 Effective delegation must have five imperatives. If any one of the imperatives
 is missing, then the delegation will not work. You’ll be disillusioned and
 you’ll be disappointed.



 So, what are the five imperatives of delegation? What, who, how, when, and
 monitor. Let me explain.


<h4>
1.
 What?
</h4>


 The first imperative is to tell the person or persons you are delegating to
 what you expect them to do.


<h4>
2.
 Who?
</h4>


 Pick the right person for the job. Who completes the task is extremely
 important. You don’t want to give it to the wrong person, an incapable person.
 In the wrong hands, the task or project or goal may not work out. You have to
 choose the right person to delegate to: someone who knows what to do and how
 to do it. But even this is not good enough, because they won’t know what to do
 until they know what not to do. How many times have you told someone to
 do something and then when it was done you said, “Oh, my God. It’s terrible”?


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 Choose the right
 person to delegate to: someone who knows what to do
 and how to do it.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
3.
 How?
</h4>

Tell and/or show them how you expect it to be done.


 The how is sometimes even more important than the what because you can
 undermine the entire task if it is badly implemented.



 Unless these points are spelled out it’s not going to work. Why? Telling
 someone what you want them to do, but not how, and sending them off to
 implement it in the way they understand the task to be, is like telling a
 child to cook dinner but giving no further instructions. By the time they do
 it and you walk into the kitchen, you might very well say, “Oh my God! What
 did they do?”


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="525" alt="5imperatives2" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/5imperatives2_406a4f377d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:29:46.847Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
4.
 When?
</h4>


 Tell them by when you expect the task to be done, and who exactly is
 responsible to see that it gets done.



 This is also very important. If you miss the right timing the whole effort may
 not have been worth it. Completing a task prematurely can be as bad as
 completing it too late.



 So, tell the right person what to do, and how to do it, and by when, and what
 else? Remember, you may not even be able to imagine the ways in which a person
 might wrongly implement a task you have delegated to them. So, what must we
 do?


This brings us to the fifth imperative:

<h4>
5.
 Monitor
</h4>


 Monitor the person or people you delegate to, in order to keep the task on
 track.



 I am not talking about micromanagement. If you are going to micromanage, then
 you may as well do the task yourself. This is different. This is a learning
 process: the person you delegated to is learning what your expectations are
 and you are learning what their capabilities are.



 Eventually, if you delegate to the right person, you will find yourself
 spending less and less time explaining what not to do and how not to do it,
 and even by when to get it done. When you have a really good delegation
 process in place with the right person, all of the imperatives will already be
 understood, and the work will get done.


Just thinking and feeling, Ichak Kalderon Adizes

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/principles-of-delegation">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/principles-of-delegation</a>


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

5 imperatives of delegation

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-explores-some-aspects-of-parenting-in-particular-when-to-let-go-of-the-role-and-how-to-develop-mutual-trust-and-respect-between-parents-and-children-he-also-extrapolates-his-ideas-to-succession-planning-in-organizations-so-as-to-enable-growth-and-continuous-improvement"
>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES
 explores some aspects of parenting, in particular when to let go of the
 role, and how to develop mutual trust and respect between parents and
 children. He also extrapolates his ideas to succession planning in
 organizations, so as to enable growth and continuous improvement.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h2 class="has-text-align-center" id="h-just-thinking-and-feeling">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h2>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 We’ll start with a joke. A guy goes to work and he’s all scratched and bloody
 and blue and beaten up. So his co-workers ask him, “What happened?” “I
 buried my mother-in-law yesterday.” “What happened?” “She did not
 cooperate.” This is an extreme situation when you try to parent somebody
 you should not parent anymore.



 What I’m learning in old age is that at a certain point in time, children
 resent being parented. Don’t want to be told what to do, don’t want to learn
 the experience of the elders. That was not true in the past. My grandfather
 was the boss. His word was law, including for my father, who was in his 40s.
 My father was also the dominant figure in my family, and I never dared to
 disobey him. He continued giving me advice and instructions on what to do
 until he died. I didn’t like it, but I listened. Yes, it was in the last
 century. I am 83 now.



 Today, it’s a different world. Children become “adults” early. They know the
 computer technology better than us. I could not operate the latest TV screens
 without them. I am constantly asking for help with the latest changes to my
 computer applications. I am the ignorant student. They are the knowledgeable
 teachers now. They’re influenced by TV, by social media, by external factors,
 school, their friends; so the impact of the family and its control over their
 behavior is diminished significantly. Thus, they rebel earlier. If you try to
 control them, they simply run away. You can see that, especially in America,
 where children graduate from high school and go to college as far away from
 home as possible. And then find jobs far away from home too. They want to be
 independent, and if you try to continue parenting them, they resent it and
 they don’t call back any more.



 We need to learn to cut the cord and let them go their way. Unless we are
 asked for advice, don’t offer it, let it be. The extreme cases are when you
 try to parent your son-in-law or daughter-in-law. That’s even worse than
 patenting your own children. They resent you to the point of the joke.



 An interesting analogy is for succession planning in a company. Starting a
 company is like having a child. You love the company. You spend more time
 building the company than you spend with your own children. And the day comes
 when the company is big enough to have good management beyond the founder, and
 they too want to exercise authority and lead. Can the founder let go, and let
 them make mistakes, or does he or she continue to “parent,” continue to make
 all the decisions to be sure no mistakes are made? And what happens? Like with
 children, the good ones leave and the weak ones stay, accepting the stage of
 disempowerment they are in, so the company will grow only as far as the
 founder is still active to the fullest. And when he or she dies, the company
 will eventually die too, because there was no successor who could lead.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Just thinking and feeling, Ichak Kalderon Adizes

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h6>
 <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/when-to-stop-parenting"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/when-to-stop-parenting</a
 >
</h6>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

When to stop parenting

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 The Leadership Challenge
</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES gave the keynote address
 at the IEDC Annual Presidents’ Forum at the Bled School of Management,
 Slovenia, on October 9, 2020. He shared insights with the foremost global
 management thinkers of today about how to manage change, crisis, and use
 integration as a tool for survival and continuous improvement. Here we present
 excerpts from his presentation.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 The question of how to manage in a time of crisis, and specifically during the
 COVID-19 pandemic, requires an analysis of the roots of the crisis. How did
 this happen? We need to have the answer to this question so that we know how
 to handle it.


 Time and space started with the Big Bang. The explosion resulted in the
 creation of multiple sub-systems; the universe became one big web of
 sub-systems. In this universe, every system is part of a bigger one. There is
 a hierarchy of systems that have to collaborate horizontally and vertically
 for the total system to operate.


 What else started with time? Change. And since time cannot be stopped, change
 cannot be stopped either. Some people try. Some political ideologists attempt
 to do just that as well as some religious fanatics. You can stop yourself. You
 can sit in a cage in the Himalayas and contemplate your navel. But even then
 change will continue and your body will age. You can stop your company from
 changing but your country will move on. You can try to stop the whole country
 from changing but you cannot stop the world.


 The universe is a big web of systems and vertical subsystems. And what happens
 as a result of change? The subsystems do not change at the same speed. Let us
 look at an example of a company, which consists of multiple subsystems. You
 have marketing, sales, production, finances, information technologies, human
 resources. These do not change synchronously. Some change faster than others.
 Marketing tends to change faster than the others. You do some marketing
 research and then you analyze the data. Then you decide how to price the
 product, what channels to use, and how to advertise it. You can change plans
 relatively fast. But changing sales takes some effort.


 You have to train the sales force, produce new materials, convince the
 clients. This takes a little bit longer than marketing. And how long does it
 take to change operations and production? Much longer. And how about
 accounting? You should live long enough. As for human resources, we are
 talking about culture, attitudes, people’s behavior, knowledge, competences.
 You need multiple lives to witness this change.


 What is the implication? As these subsystems do not change together, the
 result is gaps. Those gaps are manifested in what we call “problems.” All
 problems are manifestations of disintegration. Look at a car. Some parts work
 longer than others. As a result of that, the car falls apart. That is
 disintegration. It is the same in the human body. Different organs age at
 different speeds. You can accelerate this aging or slow it down by choosing
 what to eat and drink. Nevertheless, they change at different speeds.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 What is the implication? 
 
 As these subsystems do not change together, the result is gaps. 
 
 Those gaps are manifested in what we call “problems.” 
 All problems are manifestations of disintegration.
 
</h5>

<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Look at any problem you have, with your company, your marriage, your car, or
 the faucet in your kitchen, and ask yourself: What has changed? What has
 fallen apart? What has disintegrated? That is your analysis. That is what the
 garage man will do when you take your car to be fixed. What is he looking for?
 What has fallen apart.


 Now, if all problems stem from change that causes disintegration, what is the
 solution? Stop change so that it does not create problems? That is the
 preferred solution of some political parties or some religious fanatics. They
 try to stop change because it creates too many problems. Will they succeed?
 No. You cannot stop change. Time is change. With time, things fall apart. You
 can buy the most expensive car and not drive it, not even touch it, and what
 will happen some years later? It will stop working. What caused that? Entropy.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 alt="leadership-challenge"
 class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/leadership_challenge2_c57190d37c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:13:23.592Z"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 But there is a development that is new in the history of humankind. The
 acceleration of change. What is happening as a result of that acceleration?
 Disintegration is also accelerating. And problems are facing us faster than
 ever before in the history of humankind. Our grandparents were poorer than us,
 but they were happier. There was less stress in their lives. The standard of
 living has improved because of change, but the quality of our lives has
 deteriorated. The fastest growing mental disease of modern time is depression.
 And look at the rate of divorce. The more developed the country – which means
 the most changing – the more divorces per capita.


 So, what should we do? Since we cannot stop change, we need to learn how to
 integrate. That is the solution. If all problems stem from disintegration, the
 solution is integration. It is sad that some universities are beginning only
 now to teach how to manage change. That is the most important subject that an
 executive needs to know. You have to lead change, so you should know how to
 manage it.¹

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 If all problems stem from disintegration, 
 the solution is integration.
</h5>

<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 What happens if you do not integrate? Change continues. And what happens to
 the problems? As change continues, so does disintegration. It keeps deepening
 until the problem becomes a crisis. To me, a crisis is the result of untreated
 disintegration or untimely treated disintegration. I think that is what is
 happening with COVID-19. This is not the first pandemic crisis we have had.
 There were other pandemic crises before. There was the Black Death in the
 Middle Ages. In the last century, we had the Spanish flu. Then we had Ebola,
 and MERS, and SARS. And now COVID-19.


 But something interesting is happening. The time between two pandemics is
 shortening. Why?


 Change is accelerating. Major change. I am not a historian but I think that
 the plague epidemic broke out during a time of major change. The Spanish flu
 happened during the First World War. It went from the United States to Europe.
 What is happening now? COVID-19 has been around forever. It is nothing new. It
 has not been created now, unless you believe that it was created on purpose by
 humans in a lab.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 alt="leadership-challenge"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/leadership_challenge3_d6e06ef827.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:13:23.656Z"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Why is COVID-19 wreaking such havoc? The human body has been changing for
 millions of years at a certain speed. How long did it take apes to lose their
 tails before they became humans? Then, how long did it take the hominids to
 start walking on two feet? It took millions of years. Now, there is an
 accelerated rate of change but the human body cannot keep up with the speed at
 which the world is changing. We cannot adapt to all the chemicals in the food
 and the polluted air and water, and the stress in our lives. Our bodies cannot
 handle the speed at which the environment is changing. What happens then? We
 lose our immunity and our strength, and COVID rules. It has started killing us
 now because we are weaker now. And look – whom does it hit? The old, who are
 falling apart. Those who are sick, people with diabetes and other chronic
 diseases. And it affects people with weakened immune systems. Their bodies are
 unable to handle the disease. COVID-19 is a result of rapid and accelerated
 change to which we are unable to adapt. Will a vaccine solve the problem? No.
 It is just another band aid. The problem is a lack of integration. The real
 solution, dealing with the root cause, is integration.

What kind of solution are we talking about?

 COVID-19 is a global problem. Therefore, it requires a global solution. More
 than ever before, the world is becoming one. In California, we have had
 millions of acres on fire. Do you know what happened to that smoke? It went to
 New York. And now it is in Sweden. Air knows no boundaries. We, humans, make
 boundaries. We draw borders. Air is not aware of them. Neither is water. There
 was an explosion in a Japanese nuclear reactor close to the beach. The
 radioactivity went into the water. We stopped eating fish in Santa Barbara,
 California, because we were afraid that it might be radioactive. We are one
 but we are disintegrated. COVID-19 is a global problem. It crosses all
 borders. The virus knows no borders.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 The higher the rate of change, 
 the higher the importance of the integrator 
 for the success of the company.
</h5>

<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 All pandemics were messages for us to realize that we are one. They were
 testing our resolve. And we did not have it, so they are becoming more
 frequent and more devastating. And if we do not learn our lesson there will be
 another COVID, and soon.


 Go to any church, of any denomination, or any place of worship, including the
 ashrams of India. The saints stand with one raised hand, showing the palm.
 What does that mean? It is called the Hamsa. Just look at it. You see
 four fingers pressed together. What does this tell us? Be different together.
 Do not be the same together. That would be fascism, racism, or communism.
 These are ideologies that say we should stay together and be the same. And if
 you are different, you are in trouble. You may get killed. That does not work
 well. In a company, it is called bureaucracy. Everybody must follow a manual.
 In that way, everybody becomes the same. And what happens? The company gets
 paralyzed. A whole country can get paralyzed. Humanity can get paralyzed. We
 go back to the Middle Ages. We need to learn how to be different together.


 What is the meaning of an open hand, with the fingers spaced out, in front of
 your face? It is a curse. Be different, but not together. Imagine being
 different but not together, in a marriage, or in a company.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 alt="leadership-challenge"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/leadership_challenge4_93b37fe2b5.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:13:23.561Z"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Being all similar is a curse that we create for ourselves, whereas being
 different alone happens on its own. It is called disintegration. Why does it
 happen? Because of change.


 Integration is not a one-shot deal, like a single seminar on integration. You
 cannot achieve it by going to a workshop for the weekend. Integration should
 be on going, like losing weight should not be a diet but a lifestyle. You need
 continuous integration. You have to maintain it consistently. Integration must
 be an ongoing process in a company. Who should do it? Which finger should be
 responsible for it? The pointing one? No. The thumb. It is not really a
 finger. It is a different type of finger.


 What is the purpose of a thumb? To make a hand. It is the integrator. It is
 the only finger that “works” with all the other fingers. The higher the rate
 of change, the higher the importance of the integrator for the success of the
 company. This is the essence of my presentation.


 The higher the rate of change, the faster and the deeper we fall apart, and
 the faster a problem becomes a crisis. Hence the importance of the integrator
 who brings us together.


 To solve the problem successfully, we have to start thinking as one, not as
 many. This problem cannot be solved within the boundaries of one country. Will
 that happen? I doubt it. We do not have the forum and the will to create a
 global structure that collaborates and cooperates.

To be continued.

<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 ¹ Ichak Adizes: Mastering Change (Adizes Institute Publications,
 Santa Barbara CA, USA)

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Excerpts from a presentation made to the Presidents Forum at IEDC, Bled
 School of Management, Slovenia, October 9, 2020.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES</h4>

<hr />

Turning Crisis into Opportunity - part 1

<h4 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-is-an-expert-in-change-management-for-organizations-here-he-shares-some-thoughts-on-leadership-and-how-we-can-best-enable-our-future-leaders">DR. ICHAK ADIZES is an expert in change management for organizations. Here he shares some thoughts on leadership, and how we can best enable our future leaders.</h4>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



What is a good leader? A good leader creates “symbergy”: symbiosis and synergy. How? Promotes mutual trust and respect. A good leader is a person who commands and grants respect and trust. If you’re not trusted, if you’re not respected, you’re not a good leader. Do people trust you? Do people respect you? Do you build trust and respect? That is what leadership is in the modern world. Bring the heart, bring the consciousness of love. That’s a good leader.&nbsp;



The youth are the future of mankind. What young people are doing tells you what the future is going to be. Like, you can tell the future political system or economic system by watching students: what are they demonstrating about? These are the future leaders. Everything starts at the university. So, tell me what you do with kids and I will tell you what the future is going to look like.



I’ve been lecturing all over the world in universities. We are training people wrongly. We’re teaching them to know. Whatever you teach them, within a few years it is going to be obsolete anyway. The trick is not to teach people to know, but to teach them how to learn. Lifelong learning. I would like to change all certificates that people give at universities. Don’t say “Graduated,” because graduated means they’re finished, God forbid. Instead say, “Permitted to continue learning.” To go to the next stage of learning. Continuous learning, continuous learning, continuous learning. That’s number one.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Lifelong learning, working together, with mutual trust and respect, is what is needed in the next generations. And meditation is a very important component of it.</h4>



<hr>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Number two, teach them to learn together, to respect each other, with no bullying at school. American education is a disaster in my mind, because the kids go from one class to another, depending on subject. The classes don’t develop social integration. In Europe, students go with the same class throughout their whole education, so they develop classroom integration. In America, everything is disintegrated. You have one class with one set of kids, and another class with other kids, and yet another class with a different set of kids.



Assignments can be given to teams. Then we teach people how to work together. That’s why sports are so important. Lifelong learning, working together, with mutual trust and respect, is what is needed in the next generations. And meditation is a very important component of it.



Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Excerpts from <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-the-future-of-management-presented-to-heartfulness-mission-the-day-for-peace">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-the-future-of-management-presented-to-heartfulness-mission-the-day-for-peace</a>.&nbsp;

Enabling future leaders

<h4
 class="block-heading"
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-addresses-organizational-health-effectiveness-and-efficiency-using-the-idea-of-systems-and-subsystems-he-then-explores-how-the-various-subsystems-can-work-together-to-fulfill-the-purpose-of-the-organization"
 >
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES
 addresses organizational health, effectiveness, and efficiency, using
 the idea of systems and subsystems. He then explores how the various
 subsystems can work together to fulfill the purpose of the
 organization.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <h2 class="has-text-align-center block-heading">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
 </h2>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 What makes an organization healthy? What is a healthy organization, a
 healthy system? It has to be effective and efficient, in the short and
 the long run. Like a human body, every part of the body has to be
 effective. The kidneys have to do their job, the blood has to do its
 job, the brain has to do its job, the heart has to do its job, and the
 lungs have to do their job. It’s the same thing for a company.
 

 
 All functions must be effective to produce the results for which they
 exist. The system in its totality, with all its subsystems, has to be
 effective and efficient. No waste of energy, because if you waste energy
 internally, since energy is fixed, there will be less energy to deal
 with external purposes for which you exist. If you are sick, what
 happens? You have no energy. You have no energy to deal with the world,
 that is why you tell people, “Please leave me alone. Come tomorrow. I am
 too exhausted today. I am sick today.” When you are sick all the energy
 is dedicated to dealing with the inefficiency of the system. So, the
 organization has to be effective and efficient in the short and in the
 long run.
 

 
 I discovered many years ago that there are four roles, or you can call
 them vitamins, organizational vitamins, that are necessary for the
 system to be effective and efficient in the short and in the long run,
 and in order to be healthy. And those roles have to work in unison.
 

 
 Every system is a subsystem of a larger system. Everything is a
 subsystem of everything else. There’s a grand subsystem, the universe,
 and we are all subsystems of that, and everything is a subsystem of
 something else until you get to the human being, and the human being is
 also a system. You have kidneys, and a bladder, and lungs, and a brain,
 and a heart as well, I hope. Each has a purpose to fulfill for the whole
 system.
 

 
 In an organization, each subsystem has its clients that the teams
 dedicate themselves to in order for the total system to be effective.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="has-text-align-center block-heading">
 Every system is a subsystem of a larger system. Everything is a subsystem of everything else. There’s a grand subsystem, the universe, and we are all subsystems of that, and everything is a subsystem of something else until you get to the human being, and the human being is also a system.
 
 </h4>

 <hr />

 
 So, for whom do you exist? For whom does the subsystem exist? To satisfy
 its client needs. Many people ask: Who am I? The question has been
 addressed in philosophy, psychology, and even religion. Don’t ask: Who
 am I? Ask: For whom am I?
 

 Tell me what you are dedicated to and I will tell you who you are.

 
 If I fulfilled the purpose of being a father, I’m a father. If I fulfill
 the purpose of being a teacher, I’m a teacher. Tell me the purpose for
 which you exist and if you satisfy that need I will tell you who you
 are. But in order to do that, you have to identify the clients. “For
 whom am I?” has to be answered before you can answer, “Who am I?” For
 whom do you exist? Who are those clients? If your kids need you, and you
 fulfill the needs of parenting, you are a parent.
 

 
 Look at a hammer. Why is it a hammer? Because you use it to bang nails.
 But if you use it to hurt someone it is not a hammer; it becomes a
 weapon. So tell me what your client needs are, and what you satisfy, and
 I will tell you who you are. That’s where we start, and from there on we
 look at efficiency and all the other variables.
 

 Just thinking and feeling,

 Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 
 www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-makes-an-organization-healthy

What makes an organization healthy?

<h4><hr class="vertical-space1" /></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center">
 The Leadership Challenge
</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES gave the keynote address
 at the IEDC Annual Presidents’ Forum at the Bled School of Management,
 Slovenia, on October 9, 2020. He shared insights with the foremost global
 management thinkers of today about how to manage change, crisis, and use
 integration as a tool for survival and continuous improvement. Here we present
 excerpts from his presentation.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >How do you manage your company in a time of crisis, at this time of
 COVID? That is in the control of the leaders of the company. It is an
 opportunity for you to reintegrate your company. At other times, you are
 busy fighting fires. You have to take care of your clients and your
 market. You have to deal with financial problems. Now, the market out
 there is sleepy or hibernating. You have all the time in the world to fix
 everything in your company. This is the time to get your top management
 together and say, “All right, what are our problems? What should we do to
 fix the company, so that when COVID is over we are stronger than we were
 before the crisis?”
 


 <spanundefined
 >Here is an analogy. You want to go play golf. You have been dreaming
 about this weekend, when you will play an incredible golf game. You get up
 in the morning and you see wind and rain. It is terrible weather and you
 cannot go out and play golf. You have two choices. One is to sit and curse
 the day. The other is to use the free time that you have to fix your
 house, do the paperwork that you have been ignoring for a long time, or
 fix the faucet. When the rain is over, you will have a better house than
 you did before. By the way, I am using this COVID opportunity to fix my
 body. I am replacing my knee caps, having my eyes operated for cataracts,
 and having dental work done. By the time the pandemic is over, there is
 going to be a new Ichak Adizes. What else can I do?
 


 <spanundefined
 >Instead of reintegrating, some companies are doing just the opposite,
 pushing the disintegration further. Some country leaders are doing that,
 too. They are making the wrong decisions and the wrong judgment. They are
 looking at the wrong compass. An example of this is a company that fires
 30% of the labor force to “solve” the crisis. It looks good on paper. It
 is now doing fine financially. What is this analogous to? You get on the
 scale and see that you are 15 kilos overweight. What is your solution? Cut
 off one leg. Then you look at the scale and you see that you have achieved
 a fantastic result. Your weight is optimal. So, you must be very healthy
 since the numbers look good. That is what some consulting firms advise by
 the way. They will tell you to cut expenses across the board. But you may
 not just be cutting fat. You may be cutting muscle. The numbers may look
 good but the company is agonizing. It is coming out of the COVID crisis
 weaker than it was before. Your people are scared and upset and the
 company culture has gone to hell. What did you do?
 


 <spanundefined
 >So, what should you do? If you want to lose weight, lose weight from the
 whole body, not from just one part. What does that mean? Why not share
 jobs? Some people can work three days, while other people work the other
 three days of the week. In that way, we all take a salary cut. All of us.
 And the president takes the biggest salary cut, while the secretary takes
 the smallest. So, we all suffer together. Integrate, do not disintegrate.
 Whenever you have a problem, think about reintegration.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<img
 alt="The-Leadership-Challenge-part2-2"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/The_Leadership_Challenge_part2_2_495c27216f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T11:31:13.010Z"
/>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >What is absolute integration? What is the highest level of integration
 that you can imagine? It is called “love.” When you love, there is no time
 and space. You can love somebody who has already died. You can still be in
 love. There is no time limitation. There is no space limitation, either.
 The other person is thousands of miles away but you are still in love.
 


 <spanundefined
 >A child comes home from school. The mother looks at him and asks, “What
 happened?” The child has not said a word, but the mother feels that
 something has happened. Another mother calls her son who is five thousand
 kilometers away. She says, “What is wrong, son?”
 <spanundefined
 >“Why, mother, how do you know?” She says. “I just couldn’t sleep last
 night. I felt it.”
 


 <spanundefined
 >What is going on? Love. Love knows no boundaries. You are one and the
 same with the other person. Your pain is my pain. In fact, my pain can be
 twice as great as yours. And when you are happy, I am twice as happy. Love
 has a multiplication effect. That is why you get a lot of energy when you
 love. You are full of energy. Vice versa, when you hate, you lose energy.
 


 <spanundefined
 >Look at young people in love, or people of any age – they can be 80 years
 old. If they are in love, they are full of sparks and they look young.
 They are full of energy. And look at people who hate. They look old. They
 are like a squeezed lemon. Once I gave a lecture to 5,000 medical doctors
 at the Anti-Aging Academy in Las Vegas. What could I tell them about
 anti-aging when I am not a medical
 <spanundefined
 >doctor? They were talking about chemicals, and vitamins, and supplements,
 and physical exercises, and saunas. My presentation was about love. Do you
 want to feel young? Never mind what age you are. Just love. Do you love
 your spouse? Do you love your children? Do you love your house and your
 car? Do you love your shirt? Do you love your clients, your employees,
 anything? The more love there is in your life, the longer you will live.
 Love extends life. It may not extend it chronologically but it does it
 experientially. You live your life better.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined style="color: #0d52a1"
 >Integrate, do not disintegrate. Whenever you have a problem, think about
 reintegration.
</h5>
<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >So, what should you do in your company during this COVID pandemic? How
 about some love? If you fire your people to make the numbers look good, is
 that loving?
 


 <spanundefined
 >There is a researcher who says that some cancers can be treated with
 love. Do not reject your cancer. Do not attack it. Just love it. It is
 part of you. And do you know what? It disappears. Not all of them, but
 some do. He has proved that it works. This also applies to a country. In a
 period of crisis and major disintegration, you need major love.
 


 <spanundefined
 >And what is integration? What is love? Why is it so important now? Let us
 go beyond COVID to understand its importance. Let us look at the history
 of humankind. Let us start from the very beginning, when we were
 chimpanzees; the strongest one was the king of the clan. Then, we became
 nomadic hunters; the strongest hunter was the leader. Then, we settled
 down and became an agricultural society; the person with the greatest
 number of sheep and cows was the leader. What is the common denominator?
 Muscle. Strength. Possession. Colonialism enhanced this striving for more
 possession. It was an extension of this trend. More was considered better.
 This is reflected also in people’s diets. When I was young, people who
 were fat were admired. Women were expected to be bulky. It denoted
 success.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined style="color: #0d52a1"
 >What is absolute integration? What is the highest level of integration
 that you can imagine?&nbsp;It is called “love.” When you love,&nbsp;there
 is no time and space.
</h5>
<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >Then came the Industrial Revolution. And what has come into play? Brain.
 That is what is important today. You have to use your brain much more than
 before. You have to plan, organize, and systematize. And what happened
 after the industrial society? Today, we live in a post-industrial society.
 It is an information society where brains are the most important asset.
 Muscles have lost their importance.
 


 <spanundefined
 >The largest taxi company in the world does not own a single taxi. It has
 no muscle. What does it own? Computers. Information. What is that company
 called? Uber. The largest hotel chain in the world does not own a single
 hotel. What does it have? Computers and information. What is it called?
 Airbnb. What are Facebook, Google, and Amazon doing? Accumulating
 information. They are enhancing their brains, not their muscles.
 


<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined style="color: #0d52a1"
 >What is a symbol of love? The heart. A diamond. Why a diamond? Because it
 is the most integrated substance there is. And love is integration. So,
 what company is going to be successful in the future, beyond data
 management? The one that has integration as a lifestyle.
</h5>
<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >But this is also on its way out. Artificial intelligence is replacing it.
 They are going to replace our brains. There are rumors that at some point
 they will put a chip in your brain and you will not need to talk anymore.
 There is going to be chip-to-chip communication. You connect your chip to
 the cloud and you access all the information up there. There is this thing
 in the sky telling you what to do. It has already started by the way. In
 the war between Lebanon and Israel, one of the problems was that the
 generals were not at the firing line. They were using computers to decide
 what to do. They put their data in the computer and it told them which
 alternative was best. Oops.
 


 <spanundefined
 >So, what will the future look like? What is the future? The heart.
 Integration.
 


 <spanundefined
 >What is a symbol of love? The heart. A diamond. Why a diamond? Because it
 is the most integrated substance there is. And love is integration.


 <spanundefined
 >So, what company is going to be successful in the future, beyond data
 management? The one that has integration as a lifestyle.
 


 <spanundefined
 >By the way, look at my fingers. The pointing one denotes masculine
 energy. You wave it to issue commands and control people. I am not talking
 about sex organs; I am talking about energy. A woman can be very masculine
 and a man can be very feminine, but as a convention, I am using the term
 “man” for masculine energy and “woman” for feminine energy.
 


 <spanundefined
 >Who works from the heart, to work together, to bring the family together?
 Who talks from the heart? Women make a house a home. There is a reason why
 they are coming to the front of companies and countries. It is time for
 feminine energy. It is time for integrated energy. I tell the women who
 think that the way to be successful is to be more like a man, “Do not do
 that! Be a woman. That is your strength. That is what the world needs
 now.” We need energy from the heart. We need to be different together. We
 need feminine and masculine energy together. We need both. A family
 contains both energies, masculine and feminine.
 

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<img
 alt="The-Leadership-Challenge-part2-3"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/The_Leadership_Challenge_part2_3_99e32b47b5.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T11:31:12.990Z"
/>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >Next: We put the palms of our hands together to pray. And what is that?
 Another example of integration. The right hand is related to the left
 hemisphere of the brain, and the left one is connected to the right
 hemisphere. We put our hands together and we pray to God to keep us
 together because we are falling apart: “Keep me together, my family
 together. Keep the world together.”
 


 <spanundefined
 >And how do we achieve that in a company? I have found that it takes
 mutual trust and respect. It is the same in a marriage and in a country.
 Mutual trust and respect. I cannot cover everything here, but here is the
 bottom line: There is no love if there is no mutual respect and trust.
 There is no integration without these. There is no peace without them. In
 Hebrew, the word for peace is “shalom.” It means “united, integrated
 wholeness.” When there is peace there is wholeness.
 


 <spanundefined
 >You need a culture in your company of mutual trust and respect. Do not
 let COVID destroy that. Do not let COVID destroy your country.
 


 <spanundefined
 >How do you do that? You need a common mission and shared values. You need
 an organizational structure where people do not step on each other’s toes.
 You need a disciplined decision-making process. You need to collaborate
 rather than judge each other and offend each other. You have to trust and
 respect the people you work with. If you have the right people and the
 right decision-making processes, you will be successful.
 


 <spanundefined
 >You have a compass. See where the star is: Are you enhancing mutual trust
 and respect or destroying it? Not only inside the company but also
 outside, with your suppliers, clients, and community. That is the driving
 force. That is how you should be managing all the time, especially in a
 time of crisis.
 


 <spanundefined
 >I thank you. Shalom.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<spanundefined style="color: #c94f4f"
 >Excerpts from a presentation made to the Presidents Forum at IEDC, Bled
 School of Management, Slovenia, October 9, 2020.
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES</h4>
<hr />

Turning crisis into opportunity - part 2

<h4><hr class="vertical-space1" /></h4>
<h4>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the different
 qualities and skills needed to make a decision and then to implement it – when
 to be open-minded and when to be closed-minded, and how to find a common
 interest so that all stakeholders can work together to implement a decision.
</h4>

<h3 style="text-align: center">
 JUST&nbsp; THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 It is almost human, so to say, that a decision will be made but not carried
 out. Like a decision to start a diet, or exercising, or to stop yelling. For
 decisions that involve major change, there is a doubt whether they will be
 implemented.There are many courses that tell us how to make a good decision,
 but I have not seen any on how to implement what was decided. Business
 Schools, for instance, teach only how to make good decisions, whether it is in
 marketing, in strategy, or in any other field necessary for leading a company,
 but to my knowledge there is not one course on how to successfully implement
 decisions. Apparently, there’s an erroneous assumption that if we make a good
 decision, it will be implemented. It ain’t so. Often, very good decisions are
 made but we don’t implement them, and we implement decisions that we know are
 not good, like smoking, or over drinking. I suggest that what makes for a good
 decision are not the same factors that will cause efficient implementation. To
 make a good decision, you have to be open-minded. You have to listen to voices
 of dissension so that all necessary information is taken into account. For
 implementation, the opposite is required: Be close-minded. You have to be
 committed. You have to be focused and not waiver.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 To make a good decision, you have to be open-minded.
 
 You have to listen to voices of dissension
 
 so that all necessary information is taken into account.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Many mistakes happen because people don’t distinguish between the two
 different requirements. Here’s an example. People might tell you, “It is a
 good decision,” but they drag their feet to implement it. The decision will
 be, at best, partially implemented, or altered, or not implemented at all.
 Worse, it may be implemented maliciously: they will sabotage the
 implementation.

<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 Where is the mistake? What is happening?
</h4>

 For decision-making you need information, and judgment of what is important
 and what is marginal. For implementation you have to watch how the decision
 impacts the interests of those expected to implement the decision. There
 should be common interest among all stakeholders in implementation in order
 for the decision to be implemented in the spirit made.


 Finding the common interest of all those necessary for implementation might be
 too much to ask. There can be an enormous amount of disparity in needs and
 expectations. It might even be impossible to bridge them all and arrive at a
 common interest.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 If there is common vision and common values,
 
 and there is mutual trust that all involved in the decision
 
 will share in the fruits the decision yields,
 
 one can assume the decision will be implemented.
 
 Change will happen.
</h5>

<hr />


<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<img
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/decision_making1_cc2b86f7b2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T11:47:21.488Z"
/>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 What to do?
</h4>

 There might not be a common interest, but if there is common vision and
 values, and trust among the parties that if the vision is reached all parties
 will benefit from it, implementation has a higher chance of happening. Trust
 is critical. The common interest now is to accomplish the vision and share the
 bounty created. If there is common vision and common values, and there is
 mutual trust that all involved in the decision will share in the fruits the
 decision yields, one can assume the decision will be implemented. Change will
 happen. On the other hand, if there are no common values and vision, and there
 is no mutual trust, the only way to implement a decision is through a
 dictatorial approach – command, control and threaten with punishment if the
 decision is not implemented. Implement with fear. It works in the short term
 but backfires in the long run. It is a choice we have to make.

Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Adizes
<hr class="vertical-space1" />


<hr />

<h4 style="text-align: center">Article by DR. ICHAK ADIZES</h4>

<hr />

Decision-making versus implementation

<h4>DR. ICHAK ADIZES shares some insights on how best to resist temptations. This has huge implications for our success or failure in changing habits.</h4><hr><h3>JUST THINKING AND FEELING&nbsp;</h3>Professor Deborah MacInnis, a Professor and Vice Dean for Research and Strategy at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, Los Angeles, has done some fascinating research that may have significant applications for management.She and a colleague tested responses to temptation under different circumstances. She placed 3 groups of people in a room containing a delicious-looking chocolate cake and the implements to divide and eat it. The first group was put into the room and told to think about the shame and guilt they would feel if they ate it. The second group was told to think about how proud they would be of&nbsp;not&nbsp;eating it. The third group, the control group, was put in the room and given no instructions.Here were the results: The control group ate the most. The group that was told to think about pride ate the least.MacInnis concluded that shame and guilt do not work as well as a sense of pride to help resist temptation. I believe I know why. Shame and guilt&nbsp;consume energy, subtracting energy from our will to resist temptation. Pride, on the other hand,&nbsp;gives energy, allocating more energy to the willpower to resist.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/resist_temptations2_700x565_9bba073883.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-13T10:14:16.939Z" alt=""><hr><hr><h4>In life, we are often confronted with the temptation to do something pleasurable that we know is unhealthy or unwise. How can we overcome those temptations? By comparing the pleasure of doing it&nbsp; with the pleasure and pride in&nbsp;not&nbsp;doing it.</h4><hr><hr>Interesting, huh? This has definite implications for resisting common faults such as overeating, procrastinating, and being lazy. In life, we are often confronted with the temptation to do something pleasurable that we know is unhealthy or unwise. How can we overcome those temptations? By comparing the pleasure of doing it with the pleasure and pride in&nbsp;not&nbsp;doing it.I hope this helps.Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes<a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/how-to-resist-temptations">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/how-to-resist-temptations</a><hr>

How to resist temptations

<h4
 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-deals-with-change-in-the-corporate-world-every-day-it-is-his-raison-d-tre-with-a-shift-in-focus-here-he-describes-the-interplay-of-dynamics-between-love-and-change-at-the-personal-level-how-pain-is-a-necessary-accompaniment-to-love-and-how-we-can-allow-both-to-coexist-in-a-healthy-way"
>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES
 deals with change in the corporate world every day. It is his raison d’être!
 With a shift in focus, here he describes the interplay of dynamics between
 love and change at the personal level, how pain is a necessary accompaniment
 to love, and how we can allow both to coexist in a healthy way.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h3
 class="has-text-align-center has-text-color"
 id="h-just-thinking-and-feeling"
 style="color: #9f2121"
>
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h3>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Why do love and pain go together? As a Serb song says,&nbsp;“Zar bez suzaimaljubavi,”meaning, “Can there be love without tears?”



 Here is a commentary by Hazrat Inayat Khan, the founder of Western Sufism, who
 lived from 1882 to 1927:



 The effect of love is pain. The love that has no pain is no love. The lover
 who has not gone through the agonies of love is not a lover; he claims love
 falsely. … Rumi describes six signs of the lover: deep sigh, mild expression,
 moist eyes, eating little, speaking little, sleeping little, which all show
 the sign of pain in love.



 Why does love give both the loved one and the lover a sense of unending
 happiness – and at the same time a feeling of deep pain and despair? What is
 going on?



 In previous blogs and other works, I have claimed that love is the expression
 of total integration. When we love, we feel completely united with – we feel
 one with – the object of our love. That exalted happiness is caused by the
 feeling of being fully integrated, because integration, instead of expending
 energy, creates it. We feel more energized when we are integrated, when we are
 loving or being loved.



 Love prolongs life. Hate shortens it. Look at people in love. They look
 radiant. Younger than their age. And look at people that hate. They look old.



 Now, why do love and pain go together? The pain happens because total
 integration cannot be sustained. The reason is: Inevitable change. And with
 change,&nbsp;by definition,&nbsp;comes disintegration. With
 disintegration comes pain: Even if the disintegration is temporary, it hurts
 to feel the joy of integration fade away.



 Take the following example: You are with your beloved, walking on a secluded
 beach at sunset. No interruptions. The two of you are one. But one cannot
 continue walking on a secluded beach forever. Life and work intervene.
 Sometimes there are unavoidable absences, and one of the lovers might feel
 neglected. That is when the fear sets in: Is there a threat to our unity? Is
 this separation forever?



 The higher the rate of change, the more threat to the state of total
 integration that we call love, and the more yearning for love there will be.
 And naturally, when change is accelerated and unpredictable, the fear of
 disintegration is at its highest and the search for love at its most intense.
 In fact, it is during such periods in history, where change is disruptive and
 intense, that religious revivals occur and new religions are born. That is
 when people yearn for the eternal love of God, or Jesus, or some other guru.



 Another application of the above thesis that love and change are interrelated
 is the sense of alienation and intense search for love in fast moving
 metropolises. If you want to find lonely people, desperate for love, go to any
 big city where the tempo of life is fast. People in large cities are more
 lonely and their need for intimacy and love more intense than people in small
 villages. Look at bumper stickers on cars in large cities. Lots of them
 proclaim love for something, “ I love NY,” “ I love my horse,” “ I love the
 Yankees,” and it is a big business selling LOVE in countries experiencing high
 rates of change, selling anything that gives a sense of integration.


You want to love and feel loved? Slow down.

Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes


 ichak@adizes.com <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-relation-of-love-and-change"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-relation-of-love-and-change</a
 >


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 Illustration by CASSETTE BLEUE
</h4>

<hr />

Love and change

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>In this month’s column, DR. ICHAK K. ADIZES challenges us all to remove our fear of making mistakes, focus on what needs to be done in the moment, and let it be an opportunity to learn something new.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
How do you handle a situation in which someone is so scared of making a mistake in the decision they need to make that they panic? If most of their energy is focused on the panic, then very little is left to deal with the problem that is worrying them. So, let’s see how we can reduce anxiety. The first thing to do is to take a deep breath and relax. 
Next, go to the table, take out a piece of paper, and write down everything that you need to do that scares you. Don’t stop until you have a complete list of all the tasks you must accomplish, including laundry.
Once you have a finite list, the panic will subside. Part of anxiety comes from the feeling that the problems are endless. The moment there is an exhaustive list, there is less uncertainty. Having a finite list can offer some sense of assurance.
Now, don’t act based on your long-term goals or purpose in life when you’re in a crisis. When you are up to your neck in a swamp of crocodiles, it’s useless to think about long-term planning. What you really need to do is get the hell out of that swamp before you’re eaten alive! So you should order the list by time sensitivity. Ask yourself, “What is the most urgent thing that I have to do, and what can wait?” Then you look at that list of urgent tasks and ask yourself another question: “Does it really need to be done, or do I think it should be done because someone told me so? Or it is my ego that I want it to be done?”
<hr class="vertical-space1">

<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">The moment there is an exhaustive list, 
there is less uncertainty. 
Having a finite list can offer 
some sense of assurance.</h5>
<hr>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Don’t choose based on “want” or “should.” Focus on what must be done now, what the situation dictates. This exercise should narrow down the list but this is where the fear of making a decision comes to haunt us. You are facing reality and fear that you might make a mistake. 
ut who are you not to make a mistake? Do you know anybody who has never made a mistake? If you read the Old Testament, even God made a mistake. God! He was unhappy with the sinful people and decided to kill everyone in a flood. He exempted Noah as he was righteous in his time. This doesn’t necessarily mean Noah was actually that great; he was just better than his contemporaries.
So God eliminated a whole civilization. After forty days, God probably scratched His head and said to himself, “You know what? This isn’t going to work. I can’t make them righteous.” He admits he’s powerless. God, who created the universe and everything in it, is powerless with us. Even with the power over our life, he still can’t make us righteous. It’s up to us to be righteous or not.
God decided that in order not to repeat His mistake and remind him how much power he truly has with people, He will bring a rainbow to remind Himself to stop the rain. 
Are we better than God? Where the hell did we get this chutzpah? We are going to make mistakes and as long as we do our best, we can learn from our mistakes. 
Well, you might say, it could be a very serious mistake. But what is the worst thing that could happen? That will relieve some of your anxiety. Are you going to die? If you’re going to die, that’s a different story. Now get a second and third opinion on what to do. If you might go to prison, become homeless, or lose your family, then it is serious.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img alt="what is a mistake" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/what_is_a_mistake2_95934246c1.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T10:25:49.539Z" class="w-100" ><hr class="vertical-space1">
If it is just money, how bad can it be? Once you realize that the worst possible outcome isn’t the end of the world, you will be able to relax more. It is just some dip on the road, and you will survive. 
Let’s assume you already made the decision. What should you do now? Monitor the effects because if it was a mistake, you still have time to take corrective action. What happens successfully in a company is not what is expected, but what’s inspected. Monitor the implementation of your decision and take prompt corrective action if the initial choice was a mistake.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">If you believe you are making no mistakes, 
that is your biggest mistake. 
You are dead because only dead people, 
physically or mentally, 
do not learn anything new. </h5>
<hr>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Maybe you did your best, and it still did not work right. Did you learn your lesson so that you don’t repeat the mistake? Put a rainbow picture in your room to always remind you not to repeat the error. Every mistake is not just a mistake but an invitation to learn. It’s an invitation to do better next time. People who have never made a mistake have never learned anything. If less than half of your decisions are mistakes, you’re not doing great but you are still okay: you’re learning. If only twenty percent are mistakes, you are doing real good. If you believe you are making no mistakes, that is your biggest mistake. You are dead because only dead people, physically or mentally, do not learn anything new. 
Let me conclude with a story. I was having dinner with a client of mine when his phone rang. When he returned from the call, he had a long face. I asked him: 
“What happened?“ 
“Well, I just found out I lost twenty million dollars.“ 
“How does it feel to lose twenty million dollars?“ 
He replied, “Doctor Adizes, I’m a lucky man.” 
“Lucky to lose twenty million dollars? How come?“ 
“Well, I enrolled in a course with a twenty-million-dollar tuition fee. Not too many people can afford that. I’m lucky. Now the question is, did I pass or fail the class?”
View every mistake you make as a class. Did you or did you not learn your lesson? Those who don’t learn their lesson repeat the same mistake over and over again. They don’t have a rainbow. 
Don’t be afraid of mistakes. If you err, you’re in good company. You’re not alone. It isn’t a waste, as long as you are learning Something New.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by DR. ICHAK K. ADIZES</h4>
<hr>

What is a mistake?

<hr class="vertical-space1">



<h2 class="has-text-align-center">JUST THINKING
 AND
 FEELING</h2>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



DR. ICHAK
 ADIZES celebrates the beauty and positivity of laughter in relationships and in creating a healthy
 atmosphere at work, at home, and especially in management.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Back in the early days of my career as an organizational therapist (at that time I was a consultant), I considered
 laughter to be frivolous. I thought that employees and executives who wasted time on laughter were not serious about
 their work or companies – that they were lightweights to be avoided or ignored.



I valued highbrow, serious, slow-talking, tight-lipped executives. They seemed to be the heavyweights, the serious
 leaders.



Well, I changed my mind.&nbsp;



I found that those frivolous leaders, the laughing ones, led their companies to excellent financial results with
 little or no turnover of executives or employees.&nbsp;They often achieved an enviable rate of growth.



I also found that I looked forward to going to work in these companies. There was a relaxed atmosphere. People were
 cooperative, easy to deal with, and addressed problems constructively – especially those that contained elements of
 conflict. They did not take issues seriously enough to create a depressive atmosphere.



And we know that laughter is the cornerstone of happy marriages and happy people in general. When we are in emotional
 pain we have two choices: to cry or laugh. They are two sides of the same coin, an initial reaction to fear and even
 pain.



<hr class="vertical-space1">


<div class="block-image">
 <figure><img decoding="async" width="700" height="604" alt="" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/laugh_more_live_longer2_700x604_4dbd76c0cd.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T08:46:35.238Z">
 </figure>
</div>


<hr class="vertical-space1">



Think about it. Analyze the next joke or situation you laugh at. Was it something that scared you? The impact of
 crying is different from the impact of laughing.&nbsp;Crying reduces one’s energy. After crying, we feel depleted.
 After laughing, we feel elated. Energy gets released in a positive growthful way.



So executives, parents, and couples that laugh are manifesting a culture that is positive, creative, and
 constructive. Those that make you cry, with or without tears, deplete your energy and are thus destructive in
 nature. Laugh more, cry less, and you will live longer and better.



Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes ichak@adizes.com 



<a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/managing-with-laughter" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/managing-with-laughter</a>



<hr class="vertical-space1">

Laugh more, live longer

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h2 class="text-center">
 JUST THINKING AND FEELING
</h2>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES leads us through an evolutionary journey from pre-human times up to today.
 He looks at what qualities and attributes&nbsp; leaders have needed, and he
 predicts why, in the future, it will be the heart.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 In order to predict the future of management, we need to predict the future.
 Then, in order to predict the future we must understand the past, whether it
 projects itself into the future or is there some discontinuity or major
 disruption from the past into the future.



 Let’s take a look at the big picture of the past to see whether it predicts in
 any shape or form the future.



 At the beginning, according to Darwin, we were chimpanzees, and the strongest
 chimpanzee was a leader. Then we became a nomadic society, and the best hunter
 was the leader. Then we settled and became an agricultural society. The person
 with the most sheep, cows, or lambs was a leader. The common denominator is
 whoever was the strongest and had the most possessions was the leader. This
 mindset gave birth to early empire builders that tried to expand their empires
 to be as big as possible because bigness was considered greatness.



 Then came the Industrial Revolution and the brain took the front place in
 determining leadership and success. The industrial society needed to plan,
 organize, hire, fire, budget and sell. Success in the industrial society was
 based on having both muscles and brains. That’s what the colonialists, the
 Germans, the British, and the French of the 19th century had and used:
 administrative systems and military strength.



 We are now at the beginning of a new major transition in the history of
 humanity. The information society, where our brain is the most important
 factor for success. Muscle is outsourced. Look at Israel. No mineral
 resources. No power. Sixty percent of the country is desert. And it is
 nevertheless an economic powerhouse. What does it have? Brain power. The
 largest hotel in the world does not own one hotel. It has a computer,
 information, and the capability to manipulate information. That’s called an
 Airbnb. The largest transportation company in the world does not own one car.
 It has a computer, information, and capability to manage information and it’s
 called Uber. What do Google, Amazon and Facebook do if not accumulate data
 with the capability to handle information successfully?


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="text-center has-vivid-red-color has-text-color">
 I believe it should be the heart, to be able to integrate, to feel and
 share. It will be needed more than ever because the rate of change
 and the disparity in income, education and capabilities between the
 haves and have-nots is going to endanger a lot of businesses and a lot
 of countries.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
 Where do we go from here?
</h4>


 There is already the beginning trend to replace the brain. Artificial
 intelligence and quantum computers are going to replace the human brain. We
 will rely on them to make decisions for us. What are the repercussions of this
 change? Those that know how to use quantum computing and artificial
 intelligence and how to capitalize on it are going to be richer than those
 that don’t know how to do that. Those that know how to digitize their company,
 use robotics and artificial intelligence are going to dominate the market and
 the rest are going to become of marginal importance. The result? There’s going
 to be even a bigger disparity of income, which already exists today between
 the haves and have-nots. That might create a significant amount of social and
 political unrest.



 What’s going to come after the brain? We already moved from muscle to
 brain.What is the next step? What is the next development?



 I believe it should be the heart, to be able to integrate, to feel and share.
 It will be needed more than ever because the rate of change and the disparity
 in income, education and capabilities between the haves and have-nots is going
 to endanger a lot of businesses and a lot of countries. The one who’ll know
 how to keep the country, the company, and the family together will survive.
 The others will fall apart.



 Integration should be the future driving force. And for that, we need not only
 to think but also to feel. That may explain the rise of women to top
 leadership positions. Integration is their modus vivendi and has been for
 generations with integrating the family.



 &nbsp;If we don’t develop the capability to integrate and work with the heart,
 if we continue working on developing power, such as nuclear armaments, and
 developing our brains with Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing, our
 future might be a repetition of the past. It is called Nazi Germany. The Nazis
 had culture, literature, music, art, and power, but no heart. Without heart,
 that will be the end of humanity.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<img
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/future_is_the_heart2_62c39fe4df.jpg"
 alt="the-future-is-the-heart"
/>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="text-center">
 What we need is integration through the heart,
 through values, through sensitivity to the human element through caring for each other.
 
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 I believe we should start working now in our education system, training on
 developing integration capabilities, developing sensitivity, and developing
 being human.



 Integration can be done two ways: mechanistically or organically.
 Mechanistically is through manuals, through rules, through law, through the
 judicial system. That is to say, big bureaucracy. This solution suffocates
 countries, suffocates innovation, suffocates the human spirit. That’s what
 happened to Europe, with the big bureaucracy in Brussels. The unification of
 Europe through thousands of pages of regulations.



 What we need is integration through the heart, through values, through
 sensitivity to the human element, through caring for each other. If we don’t
 develop that, we are doomed as a society. We are doomed as human beings.



 Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes ichak@adizes.com



 <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-future-is-the-heart"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-future-is-the-heart</a
 >


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<h4 class="text-center">Illustrations by VIRINAFLORA</h4>

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The future is the heart

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<h2 class="block-heading has-text-align-center">
 &nbsp;JUST THINKING AND FEELING
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<h4
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 id="h-dr-ichak-adizes-has-been-helping-organizations-to-manage-change-for-over-forty-years-his-recent-publication-how-to-manage-in-times-of-crisis-is-based-on-material-from-his-talks-during-2008-addressing-the-world-financial-crisis-but-it-is-even-more-relevant-today-when-human-crises-are-multi-dimensional"
>
 DR. ICHAK ADIZES
 has been helping organizations to manage change for over forty years. His
 recent publication, How to Manage in Times of Crisis, is based on
 material from his talks during 2008 addressing the world financial crisis.
 But it is even more relevant today when human crises are
 multi-dimensional.
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 In 2008 there was a big financial crisis. I was invited to speak to IBS at the
 Russian Academy of Economics. My presentation was transcribed, and the result
 is the booklet, How to Manage in Times of Crisis.



 Since then, years have passed but the phenomenon that there is a financial
 and/or social or political crisis has not stopped. And each new crisis appears
 to be more complicated to handle than the previous one. While 2008 was mostly
 an economic crisis, the emerging ones are multi-dimensional. Social unrest,
 the political left in serious conflict with the political right, religious
 confrontations, an unprecedented surge in crime, an unprecedented level of
 innovation led by unprecedented technological advancements which impact income
 and wealth distribution, and more.



 The crises are getting more acute because the rate of change is accelerating
 and impacting not just one subsystem, like the economic one, but multiple
 subsystems, the social, religious, economic, and political, all
 simultaneously. The challenge of what to do is more much demanding than ever
 in the past.



 Many companies are going to fold. Many businesses are going to close.
 Yesterday I was walking the main street of the town I live in, Santa Barbara
 California. Every third store on that main street was empty and for lease.
 What is growing are the outlets that serve food. A variety of formats, fast
 foods, take-out food, and sit-down restaurants. There is a cultural change.
 Habits are changing. The technological change (internet) impacted social
 change (people looking for an experience, not just a product), which impacts
 the economic sphere. Companies that are behind with the advances in technology
 are folding and new types of enterprises are emerging or flourishing that
 provide for needs technology cannot.



 Adapting to changes demanded by the environment we operate in requires changes
 in who we are, how we operate, and what we believe in, and changes in our
 business model, including the suite of products and services we offer. And
 that can cause internal disintegration because our marketing program changes
 faster than our capability to adapt our sales effort or the information needed
 or the attitude and aspirations and competencies of the people in the company
 to deliver what the new changes require.


What to do?


 An organic system has a mechanism, homeostasis. It is a state of balance among
 all the body systems needed for the body to survive and function correctly.



 The role of sleeping is to enable homeostasis. During the day different organs
 in our body are activated and adapt at different speeds to what is
 happening.That is why when we work very hard and under stress we have a
 tendency to say,&nbsp;“I am falling apart.”



 With the high rate of change “out there,” adapting to it “in here” can cause
 disintegration within the system. So, the system needs to pause to readjust.
 To reintegrate. Experiments done with animals that were put into a situation
 of sleep deprivation for a long time show that sleep deprivation causes death.
 They all died.


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<h4 class="block-heading has-text-align-center">
 They need to take a break from focusing only on the market and doing
 endless strategic planning, and need to look inside the organization
 at how to realign all systems to reach organizational
 homeostasis.
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 The body needs sleep. During deep sleep the body reintegrates itself and we
 wake up in the morning after a good uninterrupted sleep fresh to start the new
 day and fall apart again till the next call to go to sleep. &nbsp;



 All animals sleep. Fauna and flora sleep. Anything alive sleeps or falls apart
 and dies.



 And this applies to organizations too. They are organic systems too. They need
 to take a break from focusing only on the market and doing endless strategic
 planning, and need to look inside the organization at how to realign all
 systems to reach organizational homeostasis.


And it is applicable today even more than it was applicable in 2008.

Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes


 ichak@adizes.com <a
 href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/how-to-manage-in-times-of-crisis"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener"
 >https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/how-to-manage-in-times-of-crisis</a
 >


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<h4 class="block-heading has-text-align-center">Illustrations by KLYAKSUN</h4>

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How to manage in times of crisis

<h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4>DR. ICHAK ADIZES pulls together more than 40 years of experience and knowledge in organizational consulting to give us a simple overview of what is needed to create and maintain a healthy organization that can weather the ups and downs of any marketplace.</h4>This is the beginning of my forthcoming book on the theory and practice of organizational therapy.First, it will present a definition of organizational health. Then, what makes it sick, and which of the dysfunctionalities are normal, abnormal, or critical, and why. Next, it will discuss how to treat the dysfunctionalities or organizational maladies contingent on where the organization is on the life cycle.It is all based on my work in the field and my observations and clinical work in developing the theory and applying it in practice. It was tested in almost every industry, in over 52 countries, and in organizations from start-ups to Fortune 100s. Adizes-certified associates validated that the theory and practice are transferable and achieve the same results I would have achieved if I had done the work. It is thus a scientifically proven methodology to heal organizations and bring them to their peak performance (see <a href="https://www.adizes.com">Adizes.com</a> for testimonials).In this piece, I define what I understand is a healthy system. The principles presented here apply to different types of organizations, for and not-for-profit, public, private, or government, and it applies to families and countries as well.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It is a scientifically proven methodology&nbsp; to heal organizations and bring them to their peak performance.&nbsp;</h4><hr><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/organizational_health2_32d3cedf06.jpg" alt="Organizational Health"></figure><h3>Defining health</h3>A healthy organization is “symb-ergetic,” both symbiotic and synergetic.Symbiotic means that the components that comprise the organization have a mutually beneficial interdependency. For that to happen, there must be mutual trust that each contributing element believes, has faith, and trusts that there is a common interest and that it will eventually benefit from the interdependency to which it contributed.Synergetic means that the above-mentioned contributing elements exchange information and learn from the exchange, and thus, create a new value as an outcome of that learning. For that to happen, however, there must be a diversity of complementary subsystems, functions, that complement each other with their differences in knowledge and information.In short, the components of the organization collaborate and cooperate to create value from which they benefit. The organization is growing through synergy, and this growth is sustainable because there is symbiosis. The components that contribute to the system benefit from their contribution.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The organization is growing through synergy,&nbsp; and this growth is sustainable&nbsp; because there is symbiosis.&nbsp;</h4><hr><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/organizational_health3_4f46796437.jpg" alt="Organizational Health"></figure><h3>The importance of complementary diversity</h3>An organization without diversity (each part of the organization just repeating existing knowledge or just reinforcing available knowledge or information) does not stimulate an exchange, cross-pollination which creates new information and knowledge.The diversity, however, should be complementary. Each component, sub-system, or function contributes what the others do not have, or are not strong in. It means the weakness that one subsystem has, another one has it as a strength.Take a marriage. A healthy one is a complementary team. Where one partner is weak, the other is strong. For instance, one partner is an imaginative risk-taker. The other is conservative, detail-oriented, and risk-averse. Together they make better decisions, balancing each other. It will happen, however, only if there is mutual respect. Respect means to follow Emanuel Kant – each party recognizes the sovereignty, the undeniable right, of the other to think differently. Otherwise, there’ll be no constructive exchange; and without such an exchange, there will be no learning; and without learning, there will be no creation of new value.But it cannot be any old complementarity. It must be such that the complementary subsystems make the total system both effective and efficient in the short-term and the long run. A system that is not both effective and efficient in the short and long run is not healthy. It is either ineffective now or in the future, or inefficient now or in the future.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/organizational_health34_f5c666d8a3.jpg" alt="Organizational Health"></figure><h3>The indispensability of mutual trust and respect</h3>A healthy organization is both effective and efficient in the short and long run. For that, it is comprised of a diversity of complementary sub-organizations or functions.Different functions achieve different goals. For instance, in a business organization, marketing should focus on long-run effectiveness, sales on short-run effectiveness, culture development on long-term efficiency, and Human Resource Management on short-term efficiency.The subsystems, the complementary functions, inhibit each other. The short-run focus competes with the long-run, and vice versa, and effectiveness inhibits focusing on efficiency and vice versa. In order to collaborate and cooperate, and thus create value, they must operate in a culture of mutual trust and respect. It is an indispensable prerequisite for synergy and symbiosis.To enable symbiosis, there must be a perception of common interests derived from a common vision and values.For synergy, the organization must be structured correctly. Each function should not be mitigated structurally by other conflicting roles (for instance, marketing must be separate from sales). The correctly structured diversified organization must exchange information with mutual respect. There must be a systemic, disciplined decision-making process that nurtures it.Furthermore, people that staff the organization, those that exchange information, should be people that command and grant respect and trust. Without mutual trust and respect, the conflicting diversity of the organizational functions and the styles that lead them will generate destructive conflict. The exchange will be dysfunctional rather than constructive, symbiotic.To summarize, a healthy organization is symbiotic – both synergetic and symbiotic. To generate synergy, the organization must have a culture of mutual trust and respect.For that, there must be:<ul><li>Common vision and values,</li><li>A correctly diversified complementary organizational structure that will make the organization both effective and efficient in the short and long run,</li><li>A systematic, structured decision-making process, and</li><li>Leadership positions staffed with people that command and grant mutual trust and respect and whose style matches the requirements of the function they lead.</li></ul><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">A healthy organization is integrated externally and internally.</h4><hr><h3>Validating health</h3>The health of an organization can be validated with the following formula:<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/organizational_health5_f2cc65bd17.jpg" alt="Organizational Health">A healthy organization serves clients for which the organization exists in the short and the long run.That is measured by the external integration of the organization with the environment in which it operates. For a business organization, it will be market share or repeated sales. For a country, the ratio of immigration to emigration. For a marriage, the desire to stay or split the marriage. For an individual, the rate of career advancement.Since energy at any point in time is fixed, any energy wasted because of internal disintegration reduces the energy that can be dedicated to external integration.A culture of mutual trust and respect minimizes disintegration and the waste of energy. And that applies both to internal and external environments.To integrate itself with the market and the society the organization operates in, there must be a relationship of mutual trust and respect, or clients will not be repetitive. The organization needs to respect and trust the economic, political, and social systems within which it operates, and be a trusted trustee of the physical environment it operates in. Otherwise, resources will be withheld, depleted, or corrupted, making integration with the market and society more and more difficult.To summarize, a healthy organization is integrated externally and internally. It does not waste the fixed energy available. It is symbergetic, for which a culture of mutual trust and respect is needed. For that, common vision and values, correctly designed diversified organizational structure, systemic disciplined decision-making process, and leaders that command and grant respect and trust are a must.Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak K. Adizes<a href="mailto:ichak@adizes.com">ichak@adizes.com</a> <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/defining-organizational-health?mc_cid=5eac6efbe3&amp;mc_eid=4db2768c23">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/defining-organizational-health?mc_cid=5eac6efbe3&amp;mc_eid=4db2768c23</a>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ALEXDNDZ</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Organizational  health

<h2 style="margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4 style="margin-left:0cm;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES challenges the notion that smarter is always better. What is able to surface when we move beyond the intellect?</h4>A fascinating Sephardic expression states, “It’s not good to be ‘too smart’.” One might question this sentiment; after all, it seems to contradict conventional wisdom, doesn’t it? The standard assumption is: the smarter the better.But let’s think about how we process information. A profound relationship exists between the brain and the heart. The more we employ our mental faculties, the less we tap into our emotional ones, erroneously believing that employing the brain is sufficient to arrive at the best decision. So, if a person is extremely smart, they are likely to be utilizing primarily their brain, which can hinder their heart’s engagement.Not all decisions can be made based solely on tangible information that the brain can analyze. “Too smart” individuals might not harness their intuition. They might over-intellectualize risks and fail to sense the nuances of a situation, fail to discern right from wrong from a values standpoint. Truly distinguishing right from wrong calls for something more than cerebral cognition. One must feel the situation and judge the merits of the choices in front of them. That is where the heart speaks.Sometimes, it’s crucial to momentarily suspend thinking and listen to the heart about what truly makes sense. I have solved some of my most complex problems during meditation. When the meditation was over, I had an answer.In meditation, you stop thinking or getting attached to thoughts. You just calm your mind, which enables the heart to open. And ideas, judgments that the brain did not process, emerge.I recently came across a newspaper article about a robotic police officer in San Francisco with lethal capabilities. This robot, leveraging artificial intelligence, assesses threats and decides whether lethal force is necessary. It’s a machine that processes information more rapidly than a human ever could. To me, that's being “too smart.” But where is the heart in all this? There is no intuition, no judgment beyond pure intellectual analysis. Imagine the potential for erroneous lethal decisions.Making decisions involves more than just processing information. To handle uncertainty and risk, it takes more than logical thinking. When all information processing has been exhausted, the last source of uncertainty and risk needs to be addressed. One must pause, and intuition, judgment, and experience play a role. For that, it is not enough to just be smart. One needs to be wise, for which listening to the heart is indispensable.Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:17.42%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/image_b51eb0e353.png"> <a href="mailto:ichak@adizes.com">ichak@adizes.com</a><a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-perils-of-being-too-smart">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-perils-of-being-too-smart</a>&nbsp;

The perils of being “too smart”

<h4>DR. ICHAK ADIZES is nostalgic for a time when he could be in tune with the natural world, at peace with himself, and unrushed by modern life.</h4>Over thirty years ago, I took a vacation in a place called Capitan Lafitte, which was somewhere between Playa del Carmen and Cancun in Mexico. We slept under&nbsp;palapas on the sand. There was no electricity, no phones, and no television. We woke up with the sunrise, snorkeled, walked on the beach collecting seashells, and talked a lot. After sundown, we sat around a fire, talked some more, did some singing, and went to sleep. We were fed the fish that was caught that day and vegetables bought from the farmers market that day. It was a vacation I will never forget.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/searching_for_peace2_ad0b071c97.jpg"></figure>I went looking for it some years back. No more. There is a building like a Motel 6 there instead... Also, thirty years ago I went on a walking safari with my sons. We walked and&nbsp;canoed down the Zambezi River. It lasted two weeks, during which we saw no people except the small group we were with and our guide. We slept out in sleeping bags around a fire. I will never forget the sky at night. The stars, an endless number of stars twinkling from above. I have never seen so many stars before or since. The only sounds we heard were the sounds of nature. Time did not move. It felt as if it was already afternoon when in reality it was only 9 a.m. What happened to these places? I am desperately trying to find one. I thought I found one in a remote hotel in Mexico, but no luck. Piped music, endless piped music everywhere at least sixteen hours a day trying to relax me... Does anyone know of a place like I am describing above? A place where human hands have not reached yet to enrich my experience. No wi-fi. No phones. No television and yes no electricity. If it does not exist would someone provide it please?Just thinking and feeling, <img class="image_resized" style="width:13.09%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ichak_adizes_signature_dceacb66ec.jpg">ichak@adizes.com&nbsp; https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/searching-for-peace

Searching for peace

<h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR ICHAK ADIZES does some deep digging into the past to understand his behaviour. The results are life-changing and very touching, and the humility with which he is able to accept himself and change is worth cultivating.</h4>I was accused by my first wife and now by my second wife of being a narcissist, egocentric, and more; much more. I used to get very upset when the accusations came my way. “What do you want from me? What is it that I am doing that drives you to this name calling,” I used to yell back. I never received a satisfactory answer.&nbsp;In 2014, at the Anthony Robbins Date with Destiny program, in a flash I understood it very well. As part of the program, Anthony Robbins turned the lights low and led us through a well-known exercise where you try to recollect your earliest memory. A year earlier, I had an incredible breakthrough when I first attempted this exercise. I understood very clearly the source of my yearning for love. And I recognized that it has driven my behavior all my life.&nbsp;What occurred? I succeeded in recalling my early childhood experience at a Bulgarian concentration camp in Macedonia. I was five years old. Transporting myself back in time, I saw my grandparents being taken to the death chambers while I, a child of five, gazed at them being herded onto a cattle car as the doors slammed closed on them. And I knew in a moment of clarity, at that instant of remembering, that my heart had closed. I could not risk loving anyone out of fear that I would only lose them. That fear has weighed on me all my life.&nbsp;Anthony pushed me to return to an even earlier period in my life. And his pushing worked. I understood my wives. I remembered myself as a baby. Recently born and crying my heart out. I wanted my mother’s milk and she was not giving it to me. I felt rejected. I recalled myself actually screaming. I was hurting, not only physically but emotionally as well. Then, Anthony said, look at who else is in the room. How are they behaving? As I gazed back into the room, into that scene of more than seventy-five years earlier, I realized my mother was crying. She had given me as much milk as she had. There was simply no more. At that time all feeding was natural and she gave what she had. And so she was crying as she watched me weep, knowing she could not satisfy me.And suddenly I understood: I was not being rejected. I was just over demanding. I finally understood my wives and their complaint; and not only my wives, but with my employees too, I was over demanding. No matter how much they gave, I wanted more. Well, my friends, it is never too late to grow. Never too late to learn. In the business world there is a saying: when you hit oil, stop digging. In other words, there is no use digging more. You have already got what you wanted. In personal growth, however, when you hit oil dig some more; and some more after that. After oil you might hit gold.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It is never too late to grow. Never too late to learn.&nbsp; In the business world there is a saying:&nbsp; when you hit oil, stop digging.&nbsp; In other words, there is no use digging more.&nbsp; You have already got what you wanted.&nbsp; In personal growth, however, when you hit oil dig some more;&nbsp; and some more after that.&nbsp; After oil you might hit gold.</h4><hr>Sharing with you my pains and joys,<img class="image_resized" style="width:13.94%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ichak_adizes_signature_7b834ef2a0.jpg"> ichak@adizes.comhttps://www.ichakadizes.com/post/on-being-a-narcissist &nbsp;

On being a narcissist

<h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4>DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the benefits of mutual trust and respect in creating a conducive environment at work for encouraging innovation and retaining talented employees.</h4>Mutual trust and respect are essential components of a healthy organizational culture. Organizations that prioritize these values create an environment that fosters innovation and creativity, attracts and retains talent, and promotes teamwork and cooperation.One of the most significant benefits of mutual trust and respect is the creation of a learning culture within the organization. When employees feel that their contributions are valued and respected, they are more likely to share their knowledge, insights, and ideas with their colleagues. This free flow of information and ideas is essential for innovation, as it allows for the creation of new products, services, and processes that can help the organization stay competitive and grow.Without mutual respect, however, employees are less likely to share their ideas, as they may fear being dismissed or ridiculed. This lack of sharing can lead to a stagnant culture, where ideas are not challenged or refined, and innovation suffers.Additionally, mutual respect is essential for creating an environment where creativity can thrive. Creative individuals often think outside the box and challenge conventional thinking, which can be intimidating to some. However, when a culture of mutual respect is established, employees feel safe to take risks and think creatively, knowing that their ideas will be considered and valued.On the other hand, when employees feel disrespected or undervalued, they may become discouraged and disengaged, leading to a lack of innovation and creativity. In such an environment, employees may feel that their ideas are not valued, leading to a culture of complacency, where the status quo is maintained, and innovation is stifled.Moreover, mutual trust is essential for fostering teamwork and cooperation. In many cases, innovation requires a team effort, where individuals with diverse skill sets come together to solve complex problems. However, without trust, individuals may be hesitant to collaborate, fearing that their ideas may be stolen or that their contributions will not be recognized.This lack of trust can lead to a breakdown in communication and collaboration, ultimately impacting the success of the innovation effort. However, when trust is established, employees are more willing to share their ideas and collaborate, leading to greater innovation and success.Finally, mutual trust and respect are critical for attracting and retaining talent. In today's competitive job market, organizations that prioritize these values are more likely to attract and retain top talent. Creative and innovative individuals want to work in an environment where their contributions are valued, and their ideas are considered.Organizations that prioritize mutual trust and respect are more likely to create an environment where individuals feel motivated and engaged, leading to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates. This, in turn, leads to a more stable workforce, where knowledge and experience are retained, promoting innovation and growth.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Organizations that prioritize mutual trust and respect are more likely to create an environment where individuals feel motivated and engaged,&nbsp; leading to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates.</h4><hr>In conclusion, mutual trust and respect are essential components of a healthy organizational culture. They create an environment where individuals feel safe to share their knowledge and ideas, where creativity and innovation can thrive, and where teamwork and collaboration are encouraged.&nbsp;By prioritizing these values, organizations can attract and retain top talent, and promote innovation. Sharing with you my pains and joys,<img class="image_resized" style="width:14.86%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ichak_adizes_signature_7b834ef2a0.jpg" alt="ichak-adizes-signature.jpg">ichak@adizes.com&nbsp; https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-culture-necessary-for-innovation-and-talent-retention

Innovation and talent

<h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR ICHAK ADIZES experiments with exposure therapy, facing his shadows, and learning how to tackle the negative habits he wants to change and the problems he wants to solve.</h4>&nbsp;I often say that problems are like shadows. If you run away, they keep following you. If you turn around and face them, and move against them, they run away from you. While I recommended this prescription to my clients to face their problems, I did not practice it in my personal life. That changed this week.I have a problem being hungry (a scar from the days I starved during the Holocaust). And my biggest weakness is bread. A meal without bread, even a Michelin five-star&nbsp;meal, is no good. But that is a fattening addiction. So, I ran away from my shadow and instructed never to put bread on the table. And no bread in the house either. And? It did not work. The shadows chased me. I would find bread somehow.This week it occurred to me to practice what I preach, so that anything I love that is not good for me I put in front of me. And I speak to myself: “Are you stronger than that slice of bread or weaker?” And guess what? It has worked. I have lost six pounds already.This practice had an impact much bigger than just not eating bread. I am getting stronger not to let anyone make me miserable with their unfair criticism. I do not shun them. I face them and deal with them. And I started exercising. Daily. Major change.I just found out last night that in psychology it is called exposure therapy.As I said already, I exercise now. One part of it is to walk from my home to the gate, uphill. I was told by those walking with me to look up and not at the road I am walking on. When I did that, looking at the distant gate, I got discouraged. It was so far… When I looked at my feet advancing one step at a time I was encouraged.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I often say that problems are like shadows.&nbsp; If you run away, they keep following you.&nbsp; If you turn around and face them, and move against them, they run away from you.</h4><hr>I thought about strategic planning. Focus on your goal, we are told. Look at the long run. I think now that it is wrong. It can discourage. Yes, define your goal, choose the road, but from there on lower your head and watch how you advance one step at a time. From time to time, lift your head and check that you are on the right road and advancing in the right direction, otherwise keep moving and verify that you are moving.&nbsp;Let’s see what I will learn next week,<img class="image_resized" style="width:16.66%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ichak_adizes_signature_7b834ef2a0.jpg" alt="ichak-adizes-signature.jpg">ichak@adizes.com <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-did-i-learn-this-week">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-did-i-learn-this-week</a>&nbsp;

Solving problems

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES comes up with a surprising solution for working together for growth and prosperity, and caring for all concerned.</h4>In navigating the complexities of leadership, one often encounters the perplexing case of&nbsp;the “indispensable” employee. These are the dedicated individuals who put in over 60 hours a week and whose departure requires a team of three for replacement. At first glance, their dismissal might seem like a loss, both in terms of human effort and financial prudence. Yet, experience and reflection bring to light a different narrative.The Adizes Institute recognizes that the dedication of such individuals often masks a critical inefficiency. This&nbsp;Lone Ranger, while admirable in their tenacity, may inadvertently create a bottleneck, hindering the flow of processes and delaying essential decisions. Their work style, characterized by linear focus and reactive prioritization, can lead to a cascade of missed opportunities and stifled team potential.It's a common managerial conundrum: When does hard work cross the line from asset to liability? The answer lies not in the number of hours worked but in the effectiveness of those hours. The balanced workload distribution and the seamless delegation of tasks best measure efficiency.Through our insights into organizational dynamics, we suggest a paradigm shift from valuing sheer effort to appreciating intelligent, strategic work.&nbsp;The goal is to foster a work environment where productivity is not solely the responsibility of one but the collective triumph of a well-coordinated team.While the Adizes Institute offers pathways to enhance these aspects of organizational life, the more excellent value lies in the shared understanding and insight we bring to light together. It’s about recognizing that, sometimes, letting go of what seems indispensable opens the door to a more dynamic and prosperous organizational structure.We invite you to reflect on these observations within your enterprises. If you find resonance with these thoughts, know that this is just the surface of transformative insights we offer.Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:24.61%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w," sizes="100vw"><a href="mailto:ichak@adizes.com">ichak@adizes.com</a><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">While the Adizes Institute offers pathways to enhance these aspects of organizational life, the more excellent value lies in the shared understanding and insight we bring to light together.&nbsp;</h4><hr>

The lone ranger

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores how the speed and depth of our activities impact the quality of the work we do and the lives we lead. What message do you take from his thoughts, and what do you feel?</h4>&nbsp;Have you recently watched an old movie, say of the 1950s? Did you notice how it moves so slowly that sometimes you get restless? Compare it to recently released movies. The story moves faster, and people speak faster.Compare a news broadcast from the 1960s to a broadcast now. Messages are shorter and anchor people speak faster today.These increases in speed are reflected in many aspects of our life. The proliferation of fast-food outlets is one. How do people want their maladies to be fixed? Not with long-term treatment, but with a drug that will provide instant relief rather than healing. That explains to me why the drug and marijuana culture is dominating young people’s choices. Drugs and marijuana provide fast pleasure. You do not have to work hard to achieve goals and provide services to feel good. Just have a smoke or take a sniff.Sex is also faster. Courting is short and the sexual engagement follows instantly.The increase in speed has an impact on the quality of what we deal with. Take education: I want to deliver a theoretical message, and I’m told to make a tape no longer than five minutes. Try to explain the concept of truth in five minutes.People are asking for the bottom line. I asked an author how he gets to be a bestseller. He told me he writes a book with just one message and lots of stories about that message. Then he prints a thousand copies himself, and at his next lecture gives the participants a copy. Before he starts his workshop, he tells the audience members they have twenty minutes to read the book, tell him what the book is about, and what is the message. If they do not have it, he rewrites the book till people give him the right answer. Then he publishes his book. In other words, for a bestseller, write a book a reader can finish while waiting for the bus.To me, it makes the book superficial and shallow. You cannot develop a concept in depth.I believe that none of the earth-shaking philosophers of the past would have survived in today’s environment.This shallowness impacts the quality of the message and, in the case of news, I would not be surprised if it borders on fake news because the information provided is incomplete.With speed and lack of depth, it is not strange that many decisions are bad, and in the field of leading a country they can lead to disaster.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">With speed and lack of depth, it is not strange that many decisions are bad, and in the field of leading a country they can lead to disaster.</h4><hr>Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w," sizes="100vw">ichak@adizes.com&nbsp; https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/faster-and-shallower &nbsp;

Faster and shallower

<h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES shares his time honored approach to improving relationships among different types of personalities in the business setting. Especially, he focuses on what is needed when disagreements occur, in order to foster a culture of collaboration during differences.</h4>&nbsp;It is very common to encounter moments of disagreement among team members in corporate and business meetings. These instances, while natural, can sometimes escalate tensions and disrupt the flow of productive discussion. Understanding how to manage disagreements effectively is essential for fostering a culture of collaboration and achieving organizational goals. Drawing insights from the Adizes Methodology, we can explore strategies for navigating disagreements constructively.Individuals with different behavioral styles approach disagreement in varying ways. For instance, those with an Entrepreneur (E) style are often characterized by their inclination toward debate and exploration of diverse perspectives. When faced with disagreement, an E may perceive it as a challenge to their authority, or a signal to end the discussion prematurely. This reaction stems from their commitment to thorough examination and passionate advocacy for their viewpoints.It’s essential to recognize, however, that disagreement does not necessarily signify a desire to halt discussion entirely. Instead, it may indicate a differing opinion or the identification of an alternative perspective. Individuals expressing disagreement may still be open to further exploration and dialogue.So, how can organizations navigate disagreements effectively?Disagreement can catalyze deeper exploration or clarification of ideas. When disputes arise, individuals with Producer (P) or Admistratator (A) styles can be crucial in summarizing the decision under consideration and confirming that all relevant factors have been addressed. If consensus is reached that further discussion is futile, the responsibility shifts to the decision-maker.In non-critical scenarios, individuals may choose to implement a decision despite their disagreement. Conversely, for judgments of greater significance, they may opt to proceed with implementation while formally recording their dissent. In cases where a decision directly conflicts with their judgment, individuals may consider resigning from their position rather than implementing it.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">By acknowledging differing perspectives and leveraging them as opportunities for growth, organizations can cultivate a culture of collaboration and innovation.</h4><hr>Ultimately, effective disagreement management requires a balanced consideration of the decision’s value and the potential impact of dissent. By embracing the principles of the Adizes Methodology, organizations can foster a respectful dialogue and continuous learning culture, ensuring that disagreements contribute to organizational growth rather than division.Navigating disagreements within organizational settings requires a nuanced understanding of individual styles and a commitment to constructive dialogue. By acknowledging differing perspectives and leveraging them as opportunities for growth, organizations can cultivate a culture of collaboration and innovation.Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:11.66%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w," sizes="100vw">P.S. Readers unfamiliar with the concepts from this article are encouraged to explore Dr. Adizes' work,&nbsp;<a href="https://ichakadizes.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8a75c6f9e34a8f0b09009f8d9&amp;id=d7a26970fb&amp;e=617b2ce70d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mastering Change</a>,&nbsp;for deeper insights.Source: From Dr. Adizes's Blog:&nbsp;<a href="https://ichakadizes.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8a75c6f9e34a8f0b09009f8d9&amp;id=59534f9691&amp;e=617b2ce70d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Communication Problems</a>

Navigating disagreements 

<h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES presents an overview of his recent book, The Power of Collaborative Leadership: Tested Practices for Today’s World. It includes the key organizational concepts of the Adizes methodology, but in their next generational form based on mutual trust and respect in action. He also invites us to join him in sharing this journey toward collaboration and synergy @work.</h4>Dear Heartfulness Magazine Readers,&nbsp;In our rapidly evolving world, understanding and incorporating the true essence of leadership has never been more critical. With great enthusiasm, I share insights from my latest publication, The Power of Collaborative Leadership: Tested Practices for Today’s World. This book emerges from a deep-seated belief that the multifaceted challenges we face today cannot be overcome individually but through the collective efforts and wisdom of many.Building on the foundation laid by The Ideal Executive, this book ventures further, providing new insights and actionable strategies that resonate deeply with today’s dynamic organizational realities. It challenges the traditional, hierarchical models of leadership, proposing instead a model that thrives on collaboration, mutual trust and respect, and shared purpose.The “PAEI” framework is central to the book, which delineates the four indispensable roles crucial for any organization’s health and longevity: Producing, Administering, Entrepreneurship, and Integrating. Through theoretical exploration, practical examples, and real-world applications, I dissect the interplay and sometimes tension between these roles, offering a comprehensive guide to enhancing team effectiveness and cohesion.<figure class="image image_resized image-style-side" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/collaborative_leadership2_05285df3bf.webp" alt="collaborative-leadership2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_collaborative_leadership2_05285df3bf.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_collaborative_leadership2_05285df3bf.webp 200w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/collaborative_leadership2_05285df3bf.webp 200w," sizes="100vw"></figure>This model offers more than a theoretical lens; it serves as a practical tool for leaders who aim to optimize their team’s performance. It invites leaders to cultivate environments where innovation is nurtured, objectives are met efficiently, and a strong sense of community ties everyone together.This book celebrates diversity in thought and expertise, urging leaders to embrace and leverage their teams’ vast array of talents and perspectives. It refutes the notion of solitary decision-making and distant management, advocating a leadership style that is deeply engaged, inclusive, and participatory.One section of the book focuses on assembling and nurturing synergistic teams capable of addressing complex problems with agility and creativity. This includes strategies for building teams that exceed the sum of their parts, emphasizing the value of understanding and appreciating each member’s unique contributions.Collaborative leadership is based on creating a culture anchored in mutual trust and respect, the foundational elements of successful collaboration. It fosters open communication, collective decision-making, and shared accountability, ensuring every team member feels valued and integral to their mission.This book illuminates the path towards adaptive, responsive, and humane leadership practices. It challenges us to reconsider our leadership paradigms and invites us to tap into the collective wisdom, energy, and passion of our teams.The Power of Collaborative Leadership is a loud and clear message for leaders to bring out the best in their teams. It dares us to look beyond individual achievements and recognize the immense possibilities that emerge from the collective pursuit of a shared vision.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">This book illuminates the path towards adaptive, responsive, and humane leadership practices. It challenges us to reconsider our leadership paradigms and invites us to tap into the collective wisdom, energy, and passion of our teams.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/collaborative_leadership3_6e9ae864e8.webp" alt="collaborative-leadership3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_collaborative_leadership3_6e9ae864e8.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_collaborative_leadership3_6e9ae864e8.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/collaborative_leadership3_6e9ae864e8.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">My goals in writing this book were to inspire, challenge, and equip today’s leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the intricacies of contemporary organizational life. Whether you’re leading a global corporation, spearheading a community initiative, or driving change within your team, this book offers a blueprint for fostering a cohesive, innovative, and impactful group.The journey toward collaborative leadership is about discovering the strength in unity. It’s about realizing that when we come together with a common purpose, our combined talents and energies can bring about transformative change. The Power of Collaborative Leadership serves as a guide on this journey, providing a roadmap for building teams that are not just productive but truly inspirational.I have drawn upon experiences, research, and observations from decades of working with organizations across the globe. The book is also open to the challenges and pitfalls of collaborative leadership. It acknowledges the difficulties that can arise when trying to balance team members’ diverse needs and aspirations. However, it also provides practical advice for navigating these challenges, emphasizing the importance of empathy, patience, and perseverance.In the final sections of the book, I offer reflections on the future of leadership and the role that collaboration will play in shaping it. As the world becomes more connected and problems become more challenging, we need leaders who can bring people together and inspire everyone to act together.The Power of Collaborative Leadership is a mindset, a way of recognizing every individual’s inherent value and potential. It’s a commitment to building bridges, understanding and leveraging our differences, and creating something greater than ourselves.I am optimistic about the collective achievements that lie ahead. Thank you for joining me on this exploration of collaborative leadership. As we explore the ideas and methods in this book, I hope we can together welcome the path to a future where we’re more connected, robust, and purposeful, by reimagining what it means to lead, work, and achieve success in the modern world. I look forward to hearing from you.Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:20.2%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/image_2baba20efb.webp" alt="A close-up of a name

Description automatically generated">Dr. Ichak Adizes ichak@adizes.com&nbsp;

Collaborative leadership

<h3 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h3><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the need for effective internal communication and decision-making within organizations, and how we can all contribute to that.</h4>&nbsp;I distinguish between decision-taking&nbsp;and decision-making.Decision-making involves the accumulation of information, deliberate consideration, the illumination of ideas generated from this deliberation, and a subsequent assessment of whether we are comfortable with the insights gained. Eventually, we transition to decision-taking, the finalization of the decision.For a decision to be effective, it is imperative that it encompasses all the necessary elements; otherwise, it becomes akin to a three-legged horse, incapable of delivering its intended outcome. The four imperatives include&nbsp;what&nbsp;needs to be done,&nbsp;how&nbsp;it should be done,&nbsp;by when, and&nbsp;who&nbsp;is responsible for its execution.Failure to define and communicate any of these imperatives leaves a void that people often fill with their own expectations. This gap becomes a breeding ground for miscommunication, leading to hard feelings, and loss of energy and trust.The person who receives the instructions should be responsible that all four imperatives are agreed upon and clear so they know what is expected of them. If an imperative is missing, they must seek clarification by asking questions such as, “By when do you want it?” and “How do you want it delivered?” Accepting a task without all imperatives specified leads to assumptions, fostering disparate expectations between the delegator and the delegatee.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">For a well-functioning company, effective teamwork, and&nbsp; the establishment of a climate of mutual trust and respect, treating internal clients at least as well,&nbsp; if not better, than external clients is imperative.&nbsp;</h4><hr>Consider a scenario where a task’s deadline arrives, and the individual responsible fails to meet the agreed-upon time frame. Typically, excuses and explanations follow. However, excuses should not be tolerated.An analogy can be drawn from a consumer experience: imagine expecting a product by a specified date, only to find it unavailable while the salesman provides post hoc explanations. This disappointment is a recipe for customer loss, a situation mirrored in professional contexts.When the delegatee realizes a deadline cannot be met, timely communication with the delegator is crucial. Just as we inform external clients about delays, the same courtesy should extend to internal clients.It appears that we often treat external parties better than our internal counterparts, assuming greater accommodation and forgiveness from the latter. For a well-functioning company, effective teamwork, and the establishment of a climate of mutual trust and respect, treating internal clients at least as well, if not better, than external clients is imperative. This principle extends to marriage and family life as well.Just thinking and feeling,Dr. Ichak Adizes<img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w," sizes="100vw">ichak@adizes.com https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/treating-insiders-like-outsiders?mc_cid=af52d7a257&amp;mc_eid=4db2768c23

Treating insiders like outsiders

<h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES shares some thoughts on the nature of mutual trust and respect, and why we can trust without respecting, and respect without trusting.</h4>In common conversations, we often use these concepts interchangeably as if they are synonyms. Not so. Let me explain.The philosopher Emanuel Kant defines respect as&nbsp;“the sovereignty the other person has to think differently,” commonly known as the freedom of speech. Mutual respect is one of the cultural pillars of democracy.I went one step further and asked myself, why should I respect those who disagree with me? Because I learn from their disagreements.In the Hebrew language, we use two words to communicate respect:&nbsp;honor and appreciation. In my way of thinking, mutual respect is synonymous with mutual appreciation. I appreciate you disagreeing as long as it is done respectfully, i.e., you are open to learning from my disagreements.When there is diversity and mutual respect among the parties, synergy occurs. The exchange creates added value as a result of the exchange and learning.Now, the question is why should people with diverse knowledge or judgment exchange their positions? It takes energy and time.Apparently, because they benefit from the interchange. Each party benefits from what is being created in the exchange. That is called symbiosis. There is symbiosis when we all belong to one system, and any contribution we make to the system will benefit us. For example, the kidney does its job contributing to the well-being of the whole body, and a healthy body keeps the kidney healthy in return. For that to happen, there must be faith in the system, trust that there is a common good, and that common good will be shared.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">When there is diversity and mutual respect among the parties, synergy occurs. The exchange creates added value as a result of the exchange and learning.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">More Differences</h4>The concepts are not interdependent. One can trust and not respect, and vice versa.For instance, I trust the American system and honestly pay my taxes because I believe the system is not corrupt and I will benefit from better health, education, and security. At the same time, I have no respect for politicians anymore because of the prevalence of fake news.Conversely, I respect my business partners, but some are ready to retire and want to “milk the company” while I want to keep it growing. The common interest has been broken, and mistrust in decisions creeps in.Respect must be a priori. One cannot say: "After you convince me that you have something valuable to say, only then will I start listening to you with respect, with an open mind." To be open to listening to the argument a person has, you must be open-minded to start with, i.e., have respect to hear and listen first.Trust, on the other hand, needs to be developed. We want to be sure the other party has our interests at heart before we start listening to their arguments and disagreements. As the Jewish sage said, “Respect and suspect.” Listen, and learn, but check first if there is a common interest. Maybe that is why, in common usage, we put the word trust first. We say, “mutual trust and respect” rather than “mutual respect and trust.”Trust has to be built. Hard to build. Easy to lose. So take your time. Give first, and see how the other party reciprocates. Keep testing and never stop monitoring because, as change occurs, common interests are always under threat.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">For a healthy company, country, or marriage, mutual trust and respect are critical ingredients for sustainable success.</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/trust_respect2_b1e065052b.webp" alt="trust-respect2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_trust_respect2_b1e065052b.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_trust_respect2_b1e065052b.webp 600w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/trust_respect2_b1e065052b.webp 600w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Trust has to be built. Hard to build. Easy to lose. So take your time. Give first, and see how the other party reciprocates. Keep testing and never stop monitoring because, as change occurs, common interests are always under threat.For a healthy company, country, or marriage, mutual trust and respect are critical ingredients for sustainable success. The US of America is a declining world power because, in my judgment, we are losing mutual trust and respect for each other. Crossing the aisle in Congress is becoming a rarity, and biased news is one of the causes of the decline in mutual trust and respect.Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w," sizes="100vw">ichak@adizes.com https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-difference-between-trust-and-respect&nbsp;

The difference between trust and respect

<h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES shares his four guiding principles, and focuses on the importance of love and how to nurture love in life.</h4>&nbsp;In my autobiography,&nbsp;The Accordion Player, I conclude with four guiding principles that encapsulate what I’ve learned in life and wish to share:Speak without offending, Listen without defending, Live without pretending, and Love without depending.These principles have become a personal code by which I measure my daily actions.Living without pretending has been the easiest for me to adopt. Loving without depending was, and still remains, the most challenging.Much of what I do is to earn love. I seek love through my work, which I love, and I expect to be loved in return. This means dependency on others to experience love. Such dependency can be very painful because love is not always granted. It has led to many sleepless nights during which I reached the conclusion that I needed to love myself more. If I did, I concluded, I would depend less on others to feel love.Focusing on self-love can, however, lead to narcissistic behavior—a negative side effect. So, what is the right solution? How to experience love without depending?Notice that when there is love and absolute integration, everything grows and flourishes; there is&nbsp;synergy and symbiosis.Synergy occurs when diverse elements collaborate and produce something new. For that, the diverse elements exchange information and learn from each other. That will happen only if there is mutual respect, the recognition of each other’s right to be, think, and act differently.Symbiosis requires the existence of mutual trust that there is a common interest. When that exists, the elements involved cooperate, and whatever is created survives in the long run.Mutual trust and respect are the foundations of love. Without them, symbiosis and synergy vanish. Without them, love evaporates. Thus,&nbsp;the primary condition to feel love is to treat others with trust and respect. The more our relationships are based on mutual trust and respect, the higher the chances that love will be born and flourish.“Love without depending” means to me&nbsp;that&nbsp;love depends on how I behave, not how others behave toward me. Recognize the right of others to think differently and always act in the common interest.Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:27.91%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w," sizes="100vw">Dr. Ichak Adizes ichak@adizes.com https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/efforts-to-find-love

Efforts to find love

<h2 style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</h2><h2 style="text-align:center;">JUST THINKING AND FEELING</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Dr. ICHAK ADIZES invites us to give our loved ones the benefit of the doubt by looking for the love and caring behind the criticism they throw at us. What if we could interpret their intentions differently? Maybe it’s just a matter of the way things are communicated!</h4>&nbsp;Many people get upset at their spouse or partner for constantly telling them what to do, what to wear, what to eat, etc. No one likes it, but this phenomenon is not exclusive to marriage. This problem also arises with grown-up children. As long as they are young, they have no choice but to accept instructions. When they are grown up, they resent being told what to do or not to do. This can lead to offspring distancing themselves from intrusive parents and marriages becoming strained if the criticism is ongoing and extreme.Recently, I had an illumination. The problem stems not from the behavior itself but from how we interpret the behavior. We interpret instructions as a desire to dominate and control, which causes resentment.How about if we interpret the behavior differently? What if we see that the other party simply cares? They care that we eat well, dress nicely, walk straight, etc. They simply care. But there is more to it.A marriage is a complementary team. We marry and fall in love with someone who exhibits strengths in areas where we are weak. For instance, they are organized while we are not, and vice versa—we might handle money better than they do. In a marriage, the one with the strength often tries to improve the one with the weakness. The problem is that this is often not done as a caring remark meant to help and teach but as a criticism: “Why aren’t you like me...?”Show that you care, not that you are disappointed. Look for opportunities to teach and teach with love, not resentment.The principle I am presenting here applies to the working environment as well. An employee does something wrong and is told how to do it right without explaining why what he or she did was wrong. Without teaching what is right and understanding why it is right, there is a high probability the employee will repeat the mistake. A leader should be a teacher, one who develops those they lead.Teach. Do not castigate. Instead of saying, “Change those shoes. You look terrible in them,” you can say, “The other shoes look better on you because…”We like to learn. We hate being ordered.In a happy marriage, each spouse is a teacher to the other, but only when it is done with love. In a successful company, every leader is a teacher but only when developing with respect for those they lead to be better than they are. &nbsp;Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w," sizes="100vw">ichak@adizes.com https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/FMfcgzQVxtmgFXpLKKzFKLPZwrwNgjGV

Misinterpreting behavior

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES shares his personal experience of the benefits of meditation. With a lifetime of being at the top of his game as an international business consultant, he is a role model for all who aspire to excellence in their career.</h4>&nbsp;I’ve written in the past in several blogs about the benefits of meditation. In my meditation today, I had some insights of the benefits that I have received from meditating over time. I have been meditating for years, but only in the last eighteen months, thanks to <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-coronation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid</a> and Liudmila Vladova, who gives me meditation sessions every week, have I been meditating without interruption.My family and I have noticed a change in my behavior. I am more tolerant. I get upset less often. I do not raise my voice to get what I want. I expect less. Let less be more. Accept others more easily for their flaws.I have learned <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/from-tolerance-to-appreciation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tolerance</a>, because when you sit for half an hour or longer, you learn to be quiet, to tolerate intrusions of your mind and thoughts, to accept them and let them pass. You learn patience that a problem doesn’t have to be solved right then and there; you can observe it, whether you like it or not and let it pass. I learned discipline because I meditate every day, a routine that I follow.I learned non-attachment. As I meditate and thoughts come, some of them are really demanding attention to act on my part. I let them pass. I don’t have to act on them right away. I’m not attached to any of the problems. All at once, I become superior to all my problems and above them all, so I don’t have to deal with them. I learn to go with the flow, to give up the illusion of control. When you act, you constantly believe you can make changes happen, you can really control the environment. In meditation, as you observe, you get a certain level of humility that you’re not in control of everything. Just go with the flow and accept what you can control, and accept what you cannot control.In meditation, because of tolerance and patience, because of losing ambition of being in control, I started feeling love, peace. While the world is in turmoil, I am at peace. I feel love, and I feel loved. Meditation beats years of psychotherapy, it is cheaper, and it is definitely more effective.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">In meditation, because of tolerance and patience, because of losing ambition of being in control, I started feeling love, peace.</h4><hr>Just thinking and feeling,<img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp 569w," sizes="100vw">Dr. Ichak Adizes <a href="mailto:ichak@adizes.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ichak@adizes.com</a> <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-benefits-of-meditation">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/the-benefits-of-meditation</a>

The  benefits of meditation

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES observes how his understanding of love has evolved, and explores the question, “How can we develop love?”</h4>For years I have been promoting the theory that change causes disintegration, and disintegration is manifested in what we call problems. The solution to problems caused by disintegration is integration based on mutual trust and respect. Mutual trust enables symbiosis; we contribute because we trust that others will contribute to the system too, so we will all benefit from the contribution we made. And when there is mutual respect, we learn from each other’s differences, and create synergy.A sustainable solution to problems caused by disintegration is integration, for which we need to create and nurture a culture of mutual trust and respect. And I reasoned, absolute integration is absolute mutual trust and respect, and that is LOVE. And love solves all problems, as my mother used to say. I was wrong.Trust and respect are processes we run through our brain; I respect you because I can learn from you, and I trust you because we have common interest. Great. Good &nbsp;But that is not love. Love is not computing what you get out of a relationship: Do we have common interest so I can trust you, and will I learn from you if I respect your difference of opinion? Love is not sexual attractiveness and passion either. Those are physiological feelings. Love is based on compassion, on caring with no benefits expected.In the Jewish religion, a true donation is made with love and that means anonymously, to expect nothing in return. No expectations of getting benefits from giving is what makes love different from all other feelings and actions.There are three levels of integration. The lowest is via the Administrator role, with rules, policies, and instructions created outside the system on which it is imposed. It is based on power, on punishments for violations. The next level is an organic integration based on mutual trust and respect. It is not externally created and enforced. It is the result of reasoning and searching for self-benefits: Can I learn from you and thus make better decisions, and do we have a common interest so I do not doubt your contributions? The highest level of integration is when we integrate with no self-interest. We integrate because we are loving persons. And if God is absolute love, then if we integrate with love, with the highest level of integration, we are an extension of God, we are part and parcel of God.How can we develop love? We know how to do lower levels of integration. Love on the other hand is evasive. In love we care for the other person as if they are us. Imagine a very sick child. In my Sephardic tradition a parent would say, “Yo para ti” meaning, “I wish I could take your place and your pain instead of you.” Loving relationships remind me of Francis Bacon, the &nbsp;<a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/happiness-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">philosopher</a> who said that a good friend is someone who doubles our happiness and cuts in half our sorrow or pain. They are not just an acquaintance but a loving friend.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/what_is_love2_a7b2976e2b.webp" alt="what-is-love2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Love cultivates the space between us so that we share the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/comm-unity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oneness</a>. In love we do not fight the differences, underneath there is oneness. A friend of mine, a student of film, told me that when he becomes a director he wants to produce a movie for children with the following story: There is a kingdom where the king has one daughter he loves very much. In this kingdom all people by law must carry a mask that communicates their profession.&nbsp;One has a mask of a doctor, another of a thief, let us say. The daughter becomes very sick and is dying. She asks her father a last wish to ask all people to take their masks off. Loving his daughter, he orders it. As people take their masks down, it becomes evident that they all have the same face— the thief and the doctor. The message is that at the core we are all the same. We have our masks that identify our differences, but with love we recognize our oneness.Heartfulness Guru, Chariji, said love is a muscle. Start loving, and the more you practice love the more you have it. Start giving without expecting. In other words, developing love is an experiential process. It cannot be learned with lectures or with love poems. Love is in the doing. Why practicing love encourages you to have more love, I don’t know. Your turn.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The highest level of integration is when we integrate with no self-interest.&nbsp; We integrate because we are loving persons.&nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;Just thinking and feeling, <img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp"> Ichak K. Adizes&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="mailto:ichak@adizes.com">ichak@adizes.com</a> <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-love-once-more">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-love-once-more</a>&nbsp;I want to recognize and appreciate the contributions of Professor Raj Sisodia, leader of the Conscious Capitalism movement, who pointed out to me that love is more than Mutual Trust and Respect, and includes care and compassion, and Topaz Adizes, the founder of {The And} experiences, who pointed out to me that love is born when the space between people is recognized and cultivated.

What is love? 

Ichha Bhan is a counselor and life coach with an interest in fostering positive change, resilience, and transformation through mental and emotional well-being training. She is on a mission to empower and inspire others on their wellness journey.

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Ichha Bhan

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">ICHHA BHAN is a counselor and life coach with an interest in positive change, resilience, and transformation. By helping people connect with their authentic selves and unlock their potential, she is on a mission to empower and inspire others on their wellness journey.</h4>Positive emotions play a crucial role in our <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/happiness-food-and-resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">well-being</a>, offering a myriad of benefits. Biologically, they trigger the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocin, which make us feel happier and reduce internal disintegration, resulting in fewer intrusive thoughts that cloud our judgment. This heightened state of positivity creates an ideal environment for exploring our perception of situations and extracting valuable lessons from them.Moreover, these emotions cultivate an optimistic outlook for future situations, reminding us that change is constant, and positivity can be found even in adverse circumstances. This positive feedback loop elevates our overall sense of well-being and adds greater meaning to our lives, helping us find the silver lining in challenging moments.Positive emotions equip us to make wise decisions, respond calmly to negative emotions, and improve our social integration and distress tolerance. Ultimately, they enhance our ability to effectively regulate our emotions, providing us with valuable tools to navigate life’s ups and downs.Consider this: when you’re in a positive mood, or when life is going smoothly, you feel more confident and stable in your emotions. If something negative occurs, you recover swiftly. You might process it more efficiently and find that it doesn’t have as much of an impact on you. On the contrary, when life is challenging or you are already facing difficulties, rebounding from a negative event can be far more taxing. It is harder to maintain belief in a positive outcome and your resilience may wane.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">3 practical ways to cultivate a positive inner environment and build resilience</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/DIY_guide_wellbeing2_10fd4ded8d.webp" alt="DIY-guide-wellbeing2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_DIY_guide_wellbeing2_10fd4ded8d.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_DIY_guide_wellbeing2_10fd4ded8d.webp 300w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/DIY_guide_wellbeing2_10fd4ded8d.webp 300w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Memory jarCreate your own personal time capsule.Equipment: Jar, colorful sticky notes, pen or pencil.Each day, take a moment to notice when you’re feeling contented or joyful. Grab a sticky note and jot down what brought that happiness or smile to your face. Fold the note and place it in the jar.Whenever you’re feeling down or could use a quick mood boost, simply reach for a few notes from the jar and read them. You’ll find yourself smiling again, even if temporarily. It’s an effective way to swiftly shift your mood and lift your spirits.Visual diaryRemind yourself of beautiful moments.Equipment: Camera or phone cameraKeep an eye out for those charming moments that bring a smile to your face, instill a sense of ease, or elicit laughter. Whenever you encounter such positive experiences, seize the moment by taking a photo. While these snapshots may not hold the same significance for others, revisiting them will conjure up cherished memories, filling you with joy.Photos also serve as undeniable evidence that every day is adorned with small, almost indescribably beautiful moments, each carrying a deeply personal and meaningful connection to your life.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/DIY_guide_wellbeing3_3f166082a1.webp" alt="DIY-guide-wellbeing3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_DIY_guide_wellbeing3_3f166082a1.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_DIY_guide_wellbeing3_3f166082a1.webp 300w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/DIY_guide_wellbeing3_3f166082a1.webp 300w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Recognize that remembering past achievements and positive experiences serves as concrete evidence of your capabilities,&nbsp; even when you doubt yourself&nbsp; in the present.</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/DIY_guide_wellbeing4_6524f6d5de.webp" alt="DIY-guide-wellbeing4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_DIY_guide_wellbeing4_6524f6d5de.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_DIY_guide_wellbeing4_6524f6d5de.webp 300w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/DIY_guide_wellbeing4_6524f6d5de.webp 300w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Sensory-specific informationA counselor and coach-approved technique that is especially helpful when you’re feeling low or lacking confidence.Equipment: Journal, pen or pencil.Step 1: Recall and visualizeRecall a specific moment from your past when you felt extremely positive and confident. If needed, focus on the emotion or state of mind you wish to recreate.Take some time to vividly visualize this moment, allowing yourself to fully immerse in the experience.Step 2: Journaling the experienceIn your journal, describe the scene using your senses:What do you see at this moment?What are the sounds you hear?What are you touching, and how does it feel?Are there any particular scents associated with this memory?Now, delve into finer details:Identify the specific emotion you were feeling during this memory.Describe how you know you were feeling this emotion, focusing on observable evidence.Explore the thoughts running through your mind at that time.Reflect on how these thoughts influenced your behavior.Analyze your behavior during this memory and identify what indicates that you were feeling good.Step 3: Reconnect with empowering feelingsAs you answer these questions in your journal, notice if you start to rekindle the sensations, emotions, and thoughts you experienced during the memory. This immersion is designed to bring you closer to that experience.Recognize that remembering past achievements and positive experiences serves as concrete evidence of your capabilities, even when you doubt yourself in the present. It demonstrates that you have the capacity to achieve more than you think in the present.This structured technique allows you to tap into the power of positive memories to boost your confidence and mood, offering tangible proof of your inner strength and potential.&nbsp;

A DIY guide to well-being

Ira is a studio potter and ceramic artist who lives in Delhi and grew up with educationalist parents in Tagore’s Visva Bharati, Santiniketan in West Bengal, where she studied art. Her husband was the world-renowned sculptor Sankho Chaudhuri. From 1951, at the newly founded Faculty of Fine Arts in Baroda, she spent her time learning pottery and experimenting with oxides as fired coloring agents, and thus began a prolific career marked by numerous exhibitions and a transformative impact on Indian pottery. Even today, at 93, her zest for life is unmatched.

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Ira Chaudhuri

<hr><h4>IRA CHAUDHURI is a studio potter and ceramic artist who now lives in Delhi. She grew up in Tagore’s Visva Bharati, Santiniketan in West Bengal, where she studied art. She moved to Vadodara, then known as Baroda, in 1951 with her husband, the world-renowned sculptor Sankho Chaudhuri. At the newly founded Faculty of Fine Arts, she spent her time learning pottery in a tiny annex of the Sculpture Department. Thus began a prolific career marked by numerous exhibitions and a transformative impact on Indian pottery, as well as a stint heading the pottery courses at the very same Sculpture Department where she began. Even today, at 93, her zest for life is unmatched. Here she speaks with ANANYA PATEL.</h4><hr>Q: To know Ira Chaudhuri is to know a true force of nature. Her vivacity is barely contained within her eclectically-dressed, interestingly-accessorized self, driven by an inventive mind and an intuition that searches out the beauty in everything around, underlined by her quintessential good humor and sharp wit. I had the good fortune of spending time alongside Iraba (“Granny Ira,” as I have always known her) at the Ceramic Center in Vadodara during the holidays, where even a few minutes in her company meant learning something new. Always aware and compelled by her presence on the other side of the room, I asked her the customary, “How did you get into ceramics?” Considering the course her career has taken, as is often the case with Iraba, her answer was quite unexpected.IC: I cannot claim that I was always fascinated by pottery. I was not. I trained to be a painter only to realize that I was not going to be one. When I married Sankho Chaudhuri and went to live in Baroda in 1951, I had no clue about pottery nor was I particularly interested.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri3_1d816c8821.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:47.622Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri3"><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri5_ce0e91494e.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.413Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri4_77bb87dbab.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.417Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr>Q: Despite this, she persisted in learning how to center a lump of clay on her own, which the teacher Punabhai deemed “not quite the thing for ladies,” and her curiosity led her to explore the possibilities of these new circumstances even beyond the walls of their little facility.IC: When I got a small quantity of oxides from the very sympathetic chemistry professor, and mixed them with clay and water and invited people to paint, many joined the fun. Punabhai kept warning us that dyes disappear in firing. We assured him that these would not, but he kept smirking behind his considerable moustache. He anyway thought we were all crazy, and to our great joy the decoration in chalky hues stayed!<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri6_6a2ea82279.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.576Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr>Q: Iraba describes becoming somewhat addicted to pottery, always returning to it in between raising her children and running her home.IC: I missed not doing it and I still do.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri8_d2c7d35f3e.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.649Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri9_a39bc4ea24.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.418Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr>Q: Her experimental approach and her self-administered lessons in ceramic chemistry have led to all kinds of serendipitous results at the Ceramic Center. When she works, jars of carefully concocted glazes rise around her, among tools of every size and kind. She picks them up instinctively, and takes them to a vessel spinning gently on an electric wheel, using a steady hand to paint bold strokes or carve grooves into leather hard clay.Iraba is known to get lost in this process all day, and often needs a stern reminder to take an afternoon rest. Even during these siestas, she has visions of her pots swirling over her head, and upon waking she often changes the shape of a pot she was already working on, or starts carving a relief on a platter.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri2_b02685e419.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.642Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr>The time of firing is also never a straightforward affair. She has always found ways to use the kiln as an oven, sticking some vegetables in or a chicken to roast, so that when the kiln finally opens she throws a feast in celebration. Iraba’s cooking prowess isn’t contained to her kiln and her kitchen – wandering outside on a walk, she stops and points to the plants, listing all their uses, conjuring a whole recipe on the spot. She brings a great deal of life and energy to every space she works in, and the Ceramic Center has always been transformed each time she visits, especially when reunited with her close friend and “daughter” Jyotsna Bhatt, another phenomenal ceramicist and educator, who was a pillar of the Center for decades. Sadly, Jyotsnaben passed away a few months ago, and it has been an incredible loss for Iraba, and for all who knew her. She left an indelible mark on the art community. The Center hasn’t been the same without her.IC: Utility is a very good raison d’être and its parameters are good for discipline in work. It also reaches out to the non-art-buying public. I feel happier if people want to use a pot rather put it in a showcase.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri7_6b9d19b86c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.412Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr>Q: Through her practice and teaching, Iraba has advocated for studio pottery to be recognized as an art form, just as respected as sculpture or painting. She has a lot to say about the value a good, handmade pot can bring to your life, which is enhanced when the pot is touched and used. Her functional forms become blank canvases to adorn with intricate graphic work, using signature styles and techniques that she is known for, drawing inspiration from folk and tribal communities. Her most unique, however, is the invention of her own script “Iramese.”IC: At some point, I wanted to use writing as a decorative motif and I found that most people wanted to see what I had written more than the pot! So, I decided to make the writing look like a script, sometimes even like a particular script, but it is not actually any script. And when anyone asks what script it is, I say Iramese with a very straight face.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri10_22dd130924.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.029Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri12_16ef8ca582.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.764Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri11_393670bcad.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.302Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr>Q: Just like her pots, Iraba herself is a vessel of creativity and curiosity, and her sense of humor is exuded in each piece she so lovingly crafts. A life in the day of Iraba consists of inventing her own language, cooking meals in her kiln, and drawing on newspaper while waiting for the kiln to open, to then make gift bags for her friends. She is one of the only people I know who could stumble upon a something for which she has such little interest and proceed to drive it forward with passion until she pushes the boundaries of its possibilities. In response to her achievements, she most humbly replies:IC: Whenever I am asked to make a short personal statement, my stock answer is “I pot, because it bothers me not to. Since I take my work seriously, I do not take myself seriously, and no one else does.”<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_life_in_the_day_ira_chaudhuri13_6e6a027794.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T03:50:49.424Z" alt="a-life-in-the-day-ira-chaudhuri"><hr>Q: Considering her world renown, and the respect her students, peers and community hold for her, that very last bit is far from true, and we relish the gamut of beautiful objects, knowledge and enthusiasm that sprout from her passionate potting. Today, she still stands by the words she said years ago:IC: All stories have an ending. I am still alive and kicking the wheel, which is the happiest ending I can think of.<hr><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Interviewed by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

A life in the day

Ishu is a young social entrepreneur, also a certified yoga instructor. Hailing from Rajasthan, her fervent passion for travel has led her across Europe, the U.S., and various Indian states. Her core aspiration lies in creating ethical and sustainable employment opportunities and products that enhance well-being.&nbsp;

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Ishu Shiva

ISHU SHIVA is revolutionizing daily life for many women by giving them access to menstrual health using safe and sustainable practices and products. KARISHMA DESAI interviews Ishu about how she is removing the stigma around menstruation, is liberating women from taboos, and is promoting healthy practices. &nbsp;&nbsp; Q: Welcome to Heartfulness Magazine, Ishu. It’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Your work in the field of menstrual health has been making significant strides, and we’re excited to delve into the details of your journey and the impact of Sanitree. Thank you for joining us. IS: Thank you, Karishma. I’m delighted to share our story and hopefully inspire others to join our mission. Q: Let’s start at the beginning. Can you share with us the story behind Sanitree? What was the catalyst that led you to create an organization focused on menstrual health? IS: My journey began as a child, before I started menstruating. I was fortunate enough to receive education about menstruation from an NGO that visited my school. This enlightening experience demystified menstruation for me. However, when I moved back to Rajasthan, I was taken aback by the stark contrast in attitudes. Menstruation was a taboo topic, shrouded in stigma and misconception. This was the impetus for me to start an NGO. We were one of the first in Rajasthan to openly educate girls and boys about menstruation in public places and government schools. Our goal was to break the silence and promote healthy practices. Q: That's an inspiring start. Can you share a success story that reaffirms the importance of what you’re doing? IS: One story that stands out involves a woman from a rural community who had been using poor-quality sanitary pads. She had allergies and rashes, so menstruation was a curse for her. It was a painful and uncomfortable experience she dreaded every month. After attending one of our educational sessions, she was inspired to take control of her menstrual health. She consulted a doctor, got proper medication, and started using our cloth pads. She found them comfortable and easy to wash. This change transformed her experience. Menstruation was no longer a curse but a natural process she could manage comfortably. It is a testament to the power of education and access to quality menstrual products.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">We believe that promoting menstrual health should not come at the expense of our planet.</h4><hr><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/period_poverty_dignity2_6922823bcc.webp" alt="period-poverty-dignity2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_period_poverty_dignity2_6922823bcc.webp 217w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_period_poverty_dignity2_6922823bcc.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_period_poverty_dignity2_6922823bcc.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Q: Sanitree is committed to sustainability. Can you highlight any innovative approaches you’ve made in integrating eco-friendly practices and products? IS: Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Sanitree. We believe that promoting menstrual health should not come at the expense of our planet. We’ve integrated eco-friendly practices into every aspect of our work.We source our materials locally to reduce our carbon footprint. Our products are made by women using minimal machinery, promoting local employment while reducing energy consumption. We store our products in eco-friendly packages, reducing waste and promoting recycling. Our cloth pads are biodegradable and last up to two years, significantly reducing waste compared to disposable pads. Every disposable pad contains the equivalent amount of plastic of four shopping bags. With approximately 121 million women using disposable sanitary pads in India, 12 billion pads are thrown away every year. Taking 500 to 800 years to decompose, these 12 billion pads are harming India’s environment and the future of the planet. Each woman using our pads can prevent approximately 600 disposable pads from ending up in landfill over the course of two years. We’ve been recognized for our efforts with several sustainability awards in the UK and India, of which we’re incredibly proud. Q: That’s commendable. There are many deep-rooted taboos and misconceptions around menstrual health, so how does Sanitree address them? How do you break down the barriers? IS: The challenges are deeply ingrained in societal norms and attitudes, however these barriers can be overcome with the right approach. We believe in catering to the unique cultural and social contexts of the communities in which we work. We conduct extensive research to understand these contexts and tailor our approach accordingly. We work closely with community leaders and other NGOs to reach grassroots levels, so that we can address misconceptions and taboos directly and promote an open and healthy dialogue about menstruation. Q: Ishu, your work is truly inspiring. Could you share your vision for the future of Sanitree? What are your hopes for the coming years?IS: We aim to tackle period poverty and the stigma around menstruation in a sustainable, collaborative, and ethical way. Our vision is to continue to expand our reach and impact, educating more people about menstrual health, breaking down taboos, and providing more sustainable menstrual products. We’re also exploring partnerships with other organizations to amplify our impact. Our mission is to make menstruation an experience that is empowering for people and kind to the planet. We believe that there is a wealth divide and a geographical divide when it comes to access to safe and hygienic sanitary products, a basic human right that should be afforded to all menstruating people equally. In the coming years, we hope to see a world where menstruation is not taboo but a normal, healthy part of life. A world where everyone has access to safe, comfortable, and sustainable menstrual products. A world where menstrual health is recognized as a natural aspect of overall health and well-being. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/period_poverty_dignity3_637487a6d7.webp" alt="period-poverty-dignity3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_period_poverty_dignity3_637487a6d7.webp 239w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_period_poverty_dignity3_637487a6d7.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_period_poverty_dignity3_637487a6d7.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure> Q: Collaboration is vital to driving social change. Can you elaborate on Sanitree’s partnerships and collaborations, and how they enhance your work? IS: Collaboration is a cornerstone of our work. By working together, we can achieve far more than we can alone. We collaborate with a wide range of NGOs, governments, and individuals. NGOs help us reach grassroots levels and understand the unique needs and challenges of the communities in which we work. Governments help us scale our impact through supportive policies and media outreach. Individuals help by understanding and normalizing menstruation in their own communities.Influencers and the media play a significant role in spreading awareness. By leveraging their platforms, we reach a wider audience and promote a more open dialogue about menstruation. Q: How can our readers engage with Sanitree to support your endeavors, and contribute to your mission? IS: There are many ways. There are three vital things for any social cause – time, money, and energy. You can spend time sharing our content on social media, raising awareness about menstrual health, and breaking down taboos. You can volunteer for our projects, contributing your skills and energy to our cause. And you can donate to support our work, helping us reach more people and make a greater impact. We welcome all of you who share our passion for menstrual health and sustainability to join us in our mission. Together, we can make menstruation a kind and empowering experience for all. Q: Thank you, Ishu, for sharing your insights and experiences with us. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. IS: Thank you, Karishma. It’s been a pleasure speaking with you. I hope our conversation inspires more people to join our mission.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/period_poverty_dignity4_242c9b9394.webp" alt="period-poverty-dignity4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_period_poverty_dignity4_242c9b9394.webp 235w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_period_poverty_dignity4_242c9b9394.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/period_poverty_dignity6_cf674dbec5.webp" alt="period-poverty-dignity6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_period_poverty_dignity6_cf674dbec5.webp 235w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_period_poverty_dignity6_cf674dbec5.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/period_poverty_dignity5_7d4481332b.webp" alt="period-poverty-dignity5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_period_poverty_dignity5_7d4481332b.webp 235w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_period_poverty_dignity5_7d4481332b.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/period_poverty_dignity7_3d3b351773.webp" alt="period-poverty-dignity7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_period_poverty_dignity7_3d3b351773.webp 200w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustration by MEGHA CHAWRA Photographs by SANITREE</h4><hr>

From period poverty to period dignity

Ivor lives in Ireland and is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, University College, Dublin. He has published widely in academic journals since the 1960s and has also written two books, Music and Madness (2008), and The Writings of Ivor Browne, the Evolution of a Slow Learner (2013). He established the Irish Foundation for Human Development out of which grew the North West Centre for Learning and Development and the Inner City Trust, which became a model for the Prince of Wales’ urban village development project and other urban renewal developments around the world. His current work focuses on stress management.

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Ivor Browne

<h4>IVOR BROWNE is a psychiatrist living in Dublin, Ireland. He shares with us his experience of the spiritual journey, from childhood to old age.</h4><hr>I think my first awareness of spirituality came from my mother. She was a simple, gentle woman who was herself genuinely spiritual without even being consciously aware of it. She was Church of Ireland because of her upbringing, but had no prejudice.My mother and father were married in the Church of Ireland, not because my mother wanted it, but because of his insistence. He decided his sons would be raised as Catholics, and the girls as Protestants. So on Sundays my brother and I would head off to mass with my father, while my sister and mother went to the local Church of Ireland. This seemed clear enough until one day, after attending mass for several years, I was glancing dreamily around the church and, lo and behold, I became aware that there were woman and children there! Until that day I had assumed that all men were Catholics and all woman were Protestants.<hr>Every seeker has his or her own pace. It is a life-long journey, starting with a single meditation. It is a spiritual adventure.<hr>My first experience of Holy Communion was a spiritual awakening for me. I recall the strong feeling, as the Host melted in my mouth, that Jesus was inside me. The experience was tainted with all the guilt and nonsense about not touching the Host with your teeth, fear of it sticking to the roof of your mouth and not touching food and water for 24 hours beforehand. Still, that experience of communion lasted for years; the clear, raw feeling of the morning air when attending mass early, and the experience of Jesus was, in some sense, a genuine spiritual awakening.As a child, particularly when I rested in bed in the daytime, trying to be sick to avoid going to school, if I heard church bells or the sound of children playing in the distance, I would be overcome by a strange, wistful sadness that seemed to come from another world. To this day, when I hear church bells far away, I still get this feeling, although it is now not so intense. This feeling does not accord with any experience from this life, and my impression from this and other experiences is that I must have been in some sort of religious order in a former life.From my father’s individuality and eccentric way of doing things, I learned to think for myself and be my own person, no matter what criticism I encountered. When I reached adolescence I went through the usual disenchantment with organized religion. Then, when in medical school I contracted TB and was put to bed for a year, I had time to think and read. I once again went into a religious phase, which lasted for several years, but gradually the irreconcilable contradictions in orthodox Catholicism left me disillusioned, and I felt quite lost. I still felt the need for spiritual direction, but did not know where to turn.In 1973 I finally reached a critical turning point. I can remember the day quite clearly in the church. I was still attending mass, for the sake of the children, my marriage was breaking up and I was sitting there feeling quite hopeless and lost. In desperation I began to pray from the heart, asking Jesus to show me the way to go, what direction to take. I did not know it then, but I have learnt since, that in those rare moments when we really pray for what we need, not simply for what we want, our prayers are answered, and I have no doubt my prayer that day was answered, although it took some time for it to happen.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_journey_of_discovery_img2_d82ab8e710.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:49:38.736Z" alt="a-journey-of-discovery">In 1978 I heard about Sahaj Marg, which means ‘the natural path’. The chance of my hearing about this spiritual practice at that time must have been one in a million. The Guru, Ram Chandra, who was affectionately called Babuji, was a humble old man living in Shahjahanpur, a remote rather primitive town in northern India. This was a place seldom visited by Europeans, and in a country where there are hundreds and thousands of gurus and spiritual teachers, many of them charletans. Although Sahaj Marg had already spread quietly to a number of countries outside India, it was unknown in Ireland, but an Indian I knew introduced me to the practice.As I say, this appeared to be an extremely unlikely coincidence, but I believe these things do not happen by chance. My conviction is: if you are genuinely searching for a spiritual path, it will find you. My desperate prayer in 1973 was answered, and I was shown the direction I needed to follow.I think it is important to stress that Sahaj Marg is not another religious practice imported from the East, lock, stock and barrel, like so many before it. With the general disillusionment with mainstream religion and also the failure of science to deliver the promise it held out at the turn of the twentieth century to solve the problems of mankind, there has been an extraordinary upsurge of spiritual longing among people in the West.As a result, ever since Vivekananda made his extraordinary journey to Chicago in 1893 to speak to the World’s Parliament of Religions, there have been wave after wave of Eastern spiritual practices, like the various forms of Yoga, Buddhism and Taoism, flowing into the West from India, China, Japan and elsewhere. These eastern practices have been adopted by many westerners, along with robes, mantras and other rituals.Carl Jung, whose thinking was deeply influenced by his studies of eastern mysticism, was acutely aware of the danger of unthinkingly taking on the trappings of ancient eastern culture, of what he describes as the attempt “To put on, like a new suit of clothes, readymade symbols grown on foreign soil.” He continued, “If we now try to cover our nakedness with the gorgeous trappings of the East, as the theosophists do, we would be playing our own history false.”Although originating in India, Sahaj Marg is no more Indian than it is French, Irish or American. Indeed, in many ways it is closest to Christ’s original teaching, with its emphasis on working through the heart. It is probably the first truly international modern spiritual movement that brings a simple heart-based practice to people all over the world, with no dogma or belief. The only requirement to begin is to be human and to want to do it.<hr>I have found this practice to be of great benefit to me personally, even though the going is rough at times.&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;The extraordinary thing about this practice is its simplicity. Babuji was a gentle, humble man, living in a primitive, remote town in northern India, but has this not been the very characteristic of great incarnations like Lao Tsu, Kabir and the Christ, who was an obscure carpenter from a tiny village in Palestine and yet shook the very foundations of the Roman Empire? Babuji personally carried his spiritual message to both the West and the East. This movement has spread quietly, without any publicity, to virtually every country in the world. Nowadays, with the Heartfulness approach, it is spreading like a wildfire.Babuji perfected an ancient spiritual practice, which he remodelled and simplified for modern-day life, based on the transformative effect of yogic transmission and the cleaning of past impressions. But he also took this spiritual science further than had been done before, so that the possibilities for human evolution are currently remarkable.I have found this practice to be of great benefit to me personally, even though the going is rough at times. I began practicing almost forty years ago, and still feel as if I am only just beginning, but then is it possible to gauge the ground covered in a journey toward infinity?It is impossible to give anyone else my understanding of the journey. To know its benefits you must experience it. In the experience is the hope of spiritual development. The pace at which one journeys is irrelevant. Every seeker has his or her own pace. It is a life-long journey, starting with a single meditation. It is a spiritual adventure. What more is there to say?<hr>Article by&nbsp;IVOR BROWNE<hr>

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