Mindful leaders are connected to their inner purpose and live in the present moment.

How do you find your inner purpose? The answer is another question: How do you discover the awareness, consciousness, or Presence of who you really are?

The entry to Presence is to be curious and examine your inner world through meditation and/or other mindfulness practice.

The practices I recommend and describe here can give you access to Presence, or who you really are, if you are diligent, patient, and persistent. One of my personal slogans in life and business is “Constant, pleasant persistence in all things,” especially when identifying your inner purpose of Presence.

Exercise 1: Point Finger 

1. Sit in a chair at least ten feet from the wall. Point your index finger at the ceiling and look at your finger and the ceiling. Next, point your finger to the wall and just look.

2. Point your finger to the floor and look. Notice how the ceiling, wall, and floor are “out there.”

3. Continue by pointing your finger at your foot, then at your knee, then at your stomach.

4. Then move to point your finger at your eyes. Does anything shift?

You see your finger, but who is seeing the finger? Is it “little you” (i.e., your material body) within the eyes, or is there a “BIG YOU” (i.e., Presence) behind the eyes? Notice what’s looking at your finger. Could it possibly be bigger than your eyes? Possibly even bigger than your face or body?

Ask yourself, “Who or what is looking?” Consider that it is your true essence or who you really are: Awareness, Consciousness, or Presence.

Exercise 2: Inner World

1. Find a quiet spot and sit with your spine erect and your eyes closed. Focus on listening to your breath for several seconds, then let the focus on your breath go.

2. Dive deep within your inner self and sit in the darkness. Notice the space of the inner self. Let your body disappear in the vastness and notice the enormity of the space; in reality, the space is as large as the universe.

3. Once you notice the enormity of the space, open your eyes, and notice the space shrink to fit within your visual landscape.

4. Close your eyes again and regain the enormity of the inner space.

5. Open your eyes and see if you can gain the awareness and spaciousness that you noticed with your eyes closed, but now with your eyes open. This enormous black hole of your inner world points to the universe and Presence.

Exercise 3: Constricted Space

1. Stand in the middle of a quiet room with an open doorway in sight. Try to expand your vision as wide as possible and see as much of the room as you can with your peripheral vision. This is known as wide angle vision, and it slows down your brain waves.

2. Close your eyes and notice the vastness of the space within the darkness.

3. Open your eyes and try to gain as much of the feeling and sense of that inner space as you can while keeping your vision within as wide an angle as possible.

4. Next, slowly walk toward the doorway and notice the space shrink as you approach the doorway. Stand in the doorway and pay attention to how the space contracts. Close your eyes and notice the vastness and enormity return.

5. Open your eyes. What difference do you notice? Your vision constricts your awareness or Presence; that’s its job, and it allows you to focus.

As a leader in your workplace, the goal of these meditations is to bring who you are (Presence) to what you do, rather than bringing what you do to who you are. You are not your job; you are Presence, and you have a job.

When you show up with Presence to a task, you show up in a powerful and persuasive way, making you a more effective leader and businessperson.

I wrote a book, Profit with Presence: The 12 Pillars of Mindful Leadership, which goes in to further detail about this topic and more.

Although the world is currently abuzz with the term “mindfulness,” some believe mindfulness is a fringe activity to be practiced before or after the workday, if at all. Too few business professionals take the time needed to be present and aware throughout the workday, which is counterproductive. Mindfulness is not only a path to personal success, but a sound business strategy.  

My hope is to positively impact the world through infusing more mindfulness into business -- and it starts with each of us individually. Together, we can create a future where mindfulness is deeply embedded in our work culture, leading to greater well-being, productivity, and meaningful success for all.

- Dr Eric Holsapple