When I look back over the years that I’ve been in business, I see that my best decisions have all been grounded in a good feeling.
I’m not talking about feeling blissed out or jazzed or confident, though those things have sometimes accompanied the good feeling.
I’m talking about something simpler, more fundamental: the underlying sense that, in the words of Dame Julian of Norwich, “All is well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
Good feeling, innate wellbeing, and wisdom
This kind of good feeling is an in-the-moment realization of innate wellbeing. It’s a quiet awareness that is available no matter what other emotion we are experiencing.
When we rest in the awareness of innate wellbeing, our access to wisdom is undistorted by insecurity.
Wisdom arises from a good feeling in the present, not from seeking a good feeling in the future
The wisdom we need to grow our businesses arises from a good feeling in the here and now. From this place of innate wellbeing, we realize that success in an inside out job. We understand that our happiness is not the product of our circumstances.
This kind of understanding is tremendously liberating. We have nothing to lose; we can be more creative. We see opportunities that would otherwise elude us.
We make offers from a place of generosity and lightness, which, while not guaranteeing success, certainly increases their attractiveness.
The more time we spend in the good feeling, the greater our access to wisdom
It stands to reason that the more time we spend in the good feeling that comes from awareness of innate wellbeing, the greater our access to wisdom. The more experience we have of accessing wisdom in this way, the more we come to trust it. The more we trust it, the more we look in its direction for guidance.
It’s a virtuous circle.
It’s not about feeling good all the time
With the apparent exception of a few completely enlightened beings, no one is 100% in touch with his or her innate wellbeing 100% of the time. From time to time, we all believe or think into stressful thoughts, with the result that we experience insecurity and low emotional states.
We don’t have to take it personally when we experience a low mood. Instead, we can simply recognize that the mood is the product of our innocent thinking in the moment. That realization in itself orients us toward wellbeing. Though it may take a while for the mood to pass, we won’t take it quite so seriously.
What’s your experience?
Pause and reflect on the more significant decisions in your life and business. In retrospect, where do you see wisdom at work? Notice the feeling state you were in when in touch with your own wisdom. Let me know what you discover by sharing your experience in the comments on my blog.
Photo by Thing Three via Flickr
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