Intentionality and that back-to-School Feeling

Intentionality & That Back-to-School Feeling

Jen Ayres wonders why we should limit our resets to once per year – September 2021

Whilst the thought of summer ending and having to go back to school was never something I looked forward to, when that first day began I always felt the buzz of a brand new term – writing my name on a collection of blank exercise books and discovering what we’d learn that year. Each new school year was another step forward. The year would pass and we’d move a year closer to graduation, to the next stage of life. Progress was a given.

As an adult I don’t get that automatic sense of new beginnings in a work context every year.  January 1st for me is about personal change but I don’t have a career equivalent and there’s no reason why not. In fact, I think it’s crucial and why would we limit this refresh to once per year? Why not have a quarterly reset? Even if we’re heading back into the same role we can attack the next season with fresh intentionality.

I’ve learnt through Zen Leader that it’s not external factors that hold us back, but what we carry with us. So, as we head into autumn what do we want to be taking with us? What do we want to drop? What intentions do we want to set that will give us a new take on an existing situation? What needs to shift in each of us to let go and move forward? If you’re ready for a challenge, take another look at the 10 flips for inspiration to see what resonates with you right now or check the upcoming Zen Leader programmes if you’re looking for some extra support.

For me, autumn 2021 is about intensifying my zen practice and leaning further into Flip 8 – from ‘It’s all about Me’ to ‘I’m all about it’ – focusing on creating value for the people I serve in my business and letting go of the worries and self-doubt that arise when my focus shifts internally. If you’re setting your own intentions for the next quarter, we’d love to hear about them and if you’re feeling ready to publicly own them add a comment on this blog post on the website HERE.  

As the outside world turns wonderfully autumnal, let’s see what changes we can bring to enrich our own.

Jen Ayres first attended a Zen Leadership program in 2018, which had an immediate and major impact on her life during a very difficult time. She’s (slowly) breathing into Zen practice, gradually understanding just how beneficial this practice is and sharing her journey with all of us.

Collective Trauma Online Summit:

Collective Healing in Action

Thomas Hübl hosts 45+ experts on the topic of collective trauma including pioneering psychotherapists, neuroscientists, Indigenous elders and activists, acclaimed poets and authors, climate scientists and so many more. This 10-day global event will create a powerful container and energy to bring awareness to this topic, while providing key action steps you can take to be part of the solution. IZL is proud to sponsor this important event.

There is a growing recognition that our individual, ancestral, and collective trauma are ALL interconnected and affect all aspects of our lives. But there is a difference between seeing trauma and actively working towards practical solutions. How can we take action? How can we create circumstances for integration and restoration? Explore the potential for healing with speaker talks, live online events, and poetry readings, as well as movement practices, integration sessions, guided contemplation, and panel discussions.

awakening creativity (free!) online summit – Be surprised at your own genius!

Nothing is more satisfying or impactful than experiencing your own energized creative flow. We do our best work, reveal new solutions, make our most inspired art, and see new possibilities for our lives that were previously invisible to us. This is part of what we at IZL try to get at through our Zen Leadership and Resonate programs.

Being & Doing: Awakening Creativity Conference:  learn to open massive flows of creativity in your life. This online conference brings together 60 extraordinary artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, creativity teachers, a few monks and a robot! 

The conference takes place Sept 27 – Oct 1. It’s free to join.

==> Click here to register now!

IZL’s Ginny Whitelaw will be presenting on Thursday, September 30th. She says, “I’m honored to be joining a wonderful slate of speakers for the Awakening Creativity Summit. Tools and practices will abound in this summit, including in my own talk on Resonance and Creative Leadership, where I’ll guide you through an exercise for inviting a connected state (Samadhi) that takes creativity to another level. We’ll also explore creativity in leadership, and how working with resonance is key to co-creating the future.”

60 extraordinary artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, creativity teachers, a few monks and a robot!

You will learn:

• How to get out of your own way
• The right kinds of meditation to support creative flow
• Rewiring your brain to make surprising and useful connections
• How to befriend your Muses
• What science tells us about innovation
• Your optimal strategy to get into flow states
• How to raise creative children
• And much more…

==> Click here to register now!

See you there!

P.S. There are some truly delightful live performances each day of the conference. They’ll make you proud to be a human being :). Be sure to stop into the Virtual Cafe to join some interactive creativity games. Definitely fun.

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