MINDFULNESS
AND THE
PROCESS OF
Change
BY
DR. JANET BALDWIN ANDERSON, ACC
A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I LEARNED A
POWERFUL LESSON IN MINDFULNESS
FROM A HORSE. Major, a large, chestnutbrown animal, was my “teacher” during part
of a weeklong Leadership Coaching retreat
in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. The
task was to walk around the ring of the
barn, focus on where you wanted to go and
see if your horse “followed” you. I began to
walk slowly around the large, oval-shaped
ring, looking at the ground along the path
just ahead, trying to focus only on where
I wanted to “lead.” As I rounded the bend,
I could see out of the corner of my eye
that Major was, in fact, following me. I
was thrilled! But, the very moment I felt
that emotion, I also became aware of the
impulse to turn around and look at Major.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >
Coaching World |
August 2013
21