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Embracing Paradox
January 6, 2023
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First, From the Heart
We begin again. And again. And again. We welcome the new year, the new day, and every new moment. Remarkably we are always beginning again. We learn to notice. We practice pause. We create the space to make choices that move us towards our heartfelt intentions.
A deep bow for being part of this global community of committed compassionate change-makers. Thank you for doing your part and making a difference for all. Sometimes we can’t see or feel forward motion. Sometimes it’s two steps back and we struggle to begin again. Here is where we stand for and support each other as we do the work.
Together we cultivate hope for that which seems impossible at times. And together we celebrate the progress, potential, and possibility that we can see and envision.
I am humbled and grateful to be on the journey with you. And beyond excited as together we begin anew.
With love,
Laura
PS. We invite you to read more below about the inspiring image above.
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Best of the Blog
Embracing Paradox
People who are able to hold the tension between two conflicting demands, without feeling forced to choose between the two, can be said to have a paradox mindset. Those who utilize such a mindset have been shown to exhibit greater levels of creativity, adaptability, and productivity. But doing this is not easy. Here we examine three fundamental practices of compassionate leadership to help you target your development in ways that support your capacity to embrace paradox. Read more.
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Upcoming Program
Compassionate Leadership Certification Program
Next Cohorts Begin February, 2023 – Accepting Applications Now
Compassionate leadership isn’t a new concept. You may already be a compassionate leader. Your organization may already be putting the principles of compassionate leadership into practice. In fact, many of our Compassionate Leadership Certification Program alumni were already compassionate leaders before they ever took one of our programs. 90% of those alumni interviewed said that they would recommend the course to their friends and colleagues. 70% said that they had seen changes in their companies.*
Our 8-week training program will build your compassion from the inside out and connect you with a powerful global peer community for ongoing growth, inspiration, and support. We offer two 8-week certification programs, one for Global Health professionals and one for leaders in any discipline. There is one 90-minute session per week and one 1-hour long optional weekly discussion session for each cohort. Our Compassionate Leadership in Global Health Certification runs on Tuesdays beginning 2/14/23, and our Compassionate Leadership Certification Program runs on Wednesdays beginning 2/15/23.
Click on the program name below to find out more and apply:
Global Health Certification Program
Multidisciplinary Certification Program
*Independent research conducted by educational evaluators at Claremont Graduate University, July 2022.
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Research Worth Sharing
Microfoundations of organizational paradox: The problem is how we think about the problem
by E. Miron-Spektor, A. E. Ingram, J. Keller, W. K. Smith, and M. W. Lewis
in Academy of Management Journal, 61(1), pp. 26-45.
“Paradox mindset – the extent to which one is accepting of and energized by tensions – is a key to unlocking the potential of everyday tensions.” This research shows that a “paradox mindset can help individuals leverage [the tensions] to improve in-role job performance and innovation.” Read the research.
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Upcoming Event
How Compassion Can Change a Country
with Mamphela Ramphele
Free Online Event presented by The Global Compassion Coalition (GCC)
Thursday, January 19, 2023, 12PM - 1PM ET
GCC Chair Jennifer Nadel speaks to Board member Mamphela Ramphele who, as a South African activist and politician, worked to overthrow the state of apartheid and build a more equitable and just South Africa.
Mamphela continues to be a change agent at home (as she challenges her country to reimagine itself) and abroad where, as Co-President of the Club of Rome, she champions the Emergence of a New Civilisation that promotes Global Equity for a Healthy Planet.
Mamphela will be talking about her life as an activist, doctor, and academic and how compassion can change a country. Register here.
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Practice Matters
Showing Up
Life, as I have come to know it, requires a lot of me. Presence, love, curiosity, gratitude, non-judgement, and acceptance are just the beginning. What does it take to wholeheartedly embrace the moment before me?
When I struggle with the vast outer landscape of injustice, suffering, and pain, how might I meaningfully contribute to peace, joy, and harmony for all? How do I quiet the inner disruptor that keeps me swirling with doubt, unworthiness, and shame?
I live with the ongoing question of what it means to simply show up. I’m here! I’m breathing and gifted with this precious human life. Each day I do the best I can with what I have. Not pretending, just being. Listening intently to my heart. In showing up, I step into the flow that carries us all together. That is enough.
When can we practice? Always!
If you'd like to explore additional Practice Matters, you can find them here.
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About the Image:
We’re delighted to share this powerful work of art from artist Eric Dever. It has inspired me ever since I saw it when it was first exhibited several years ago. We invite you to take a moment to be with it and see what thoughts, emotions, or ideas emerge for you.
“The personal integration or mindfulness that I experience while painting is complete, as is the self identification I experience in nature, which contributes to a sense of oneness with all living things. We all have different paths and gifts to share, as we remain students of nature throughout the entirety of our lives. I celebrate our capacity for renewal in the natural world.” —Eric Dever, artist
About the artist:
Eric Dever (born 1962) is an American painter. His paintings are held in the collections of Grey Art Gallery, New York University, the Parrish Art Museum, Guild Hall Museum, and the Heckscher Museum of Art. Dever has exhibited throughout the United States since the early 1990s, including exhibitions in France, Hong Kong and Helsinki. He is represented by Berry Campbell Gallery in New York.
Image:
Eric Dever. Glory Be to the Holy Rainbow, 2019
Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. (45.7 x 61 cm)
Courtesy Berry Campbell Gallery, New York
The title of the painting is from a line of verse, “…Glory be to the holy rainbow,” by Joseph Pintauro, as published in the 4 book Rainbow Box (1970).
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Lead Better, Change Together.
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