Why Change Agents Use Mindfulness

When a new client begins the practice of mindfulness I like to start with the question, “what brought you here?” Without exception, something has disrupted business-as-usual and they have taken on the responsibility to adapt and grow—they have become their own Change Agent.  

Are you a Change Agent?

Change Agents are distinguished by their ability to see the trends of change and continuity and discern —in an unbiased way—what is not working. Absent the traditional rose-tinted glasses, agents of change can also perceive the possibilities for immediate change and future expansion. 

While mindfulness is not a new practice—the ability to be more present, to see and better understand external cues from our world as well as having confidence in our own intuitive wisdom—these life skills are so basic that their importance is frequently passed over in our need for speed, distraction and our appetite for information overload.

Being mindful describes our human capacity to focus on what is happening in the present moment in an impartial, non-prejudicial way. It is this ability to see and perceive clearly that is a foundational skill for all agents of change and for all change agents—in training.  This would be most of us.

Mindfulness practice allows us to see beyond the peaks and troughs of our own mental

and emotional states. We learn that when our mind goes up we don’t need to go up

with it. Likewise, when the mind goes down we don’t need to follow. 

Like any change made by human beings, our inspiration for something different usually stems from some sort of irritation or dissatisfaction—otherwise—why bother to change? 

This natural human desire can range from professional—increasing our personal effectiveness, reducing distraction, increasing focus, and being more present in our relationships—to the personal goals of desiring more emotional resilience and living more fully and vividly —to the extraordinary of wanting to increase personal vision, and the capacity for tolerance and compassion—all the best qualities of being human—which we could describe as the most valuable of super powers.

How does mindfulness help with such change and evolution?

Mindfulness practice allows us to see beyond the peaks and troughs of our own mental and emotional states. We learn that when our mind goes up we don’t need to go up with it.  Likewise, when the mind goes down we don’t need to follow.  We learn how to hold our seat.  

 Questions close to the heart which one may ask at the beginning of any worthwhile journey of change and evolution could include: 

• How can I learn about my habitual distractions—and going beyond them?
• How can I improve the relationships with myself and others?
• How do I bring my game to the next level?

At age 9 my son shared with me that he was going to “upgrade” himself. “Dad,” he shared with me in complete earnestness, “I’m going to start work on my version 9.3 now.” As my son suggested we need to continually upgrade to stay relevant and connected to our world. 

What practice—when used consistently—helps you to upgrade?

Because mindfulness increases our capacity to be more present for our lives, it can make an invaluable contribution to our foundation of well-being and ability to change and evolve.  And because it’s applications are seemingly endless—from attending board meetings in the morning to caring for children and family-members in the evening—you may be wondering, how and where to start?  What are the best practices and how do you fit those practices into a busy daily life? 

In this space we’ll be exploring the change agent’s use of mindfulness and how cultivating a personal mindfulness practice can support your journey. 

Can this exploration result in a happier, more resilient, more effective you? And not to forget the super powers— like generosity, forgiveness—or being an incredibly good listener. What about those?

The answer to both questions is “Yes.”

Brett Ferrigan is a certified mindfulness instructor who teaches and leads retreats internationally. Most mornings he teaches mindfulness and most afternoons he produces award-winning, educational television. Brett offers mindfulness training programs four times a year: mindfulness begins here