The Myth of “I Can’t Meditate”
There could be lots of reasons behind this image. I suspect it tugged at my heart because I read it as a statement that says, “I give up! I can’t meditate.” It’s a similar feeling I get when friends hear that I’m heading off to sit retreat and say “I could never do that,” or “Geez, I’d lose my mind with boredom.” Maybe the first question to ask is, “Do you feel drawn to do that?” If the answer is “Nope, not my jam,” we need to respect that.
Contemplative Practice: A Harbinger and Sustainer of Wise Thinking
Insights like these don’t always come through experiences that are challenging, painful or even traumatic. Sometimes they do. Hardship is not a prerequisite for wisdom, however, it is at least part of the process – and a very potent part, at that. We all have hardship in our lives. How we respond to hardship is what reveals whether or not we have developed wise characteristics.
Competitive AND Compassionate, with Nathan Romano
Welcome again to the Compassionate Leadership in Finance Podcast. With the summer season well underway, our three-part CLiF podcast in collaboration with Mindful on Wall Street is coming to a close. In this third episode we chat with Nathan Romano, President at Atalaya Capital Management and Board Member/President Emeritus of NAMI-NYC.
CLiF Program Opens Registration for Third Annual Program
The business case is clear: through developing compassion for self, others and society, leaders learn to better manage teams, develop and retain talent, create an inclusive culture, and realize the ESG and DEI goals adopted by their organizations. This change in leadership approach can ultimately contribute to a more productive company and a more sustainable and equitable economy.
Lineage, Love and Justice with the Reverend angel Kyodo williams, Sensei
The Garrison Institute is delighted to present this recent Forum discussion between Fellowship Director Dr. Angel Acosta and the Reverend angel Kyodo williams, Sensei, in which they delved into the history of mindfulness in the West, contemplative entrepreneurship, and the liberative potential of meditation.
Islands of Coherence
"“When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order.” Quote by Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Prize-winning chemist. From March 15 to 17, 2023, a group of about 80 leaders gathered at the Garrison Institute for a Pathways to Planetary Health Symposium focused on the commons. Systems change was a recurrent theme at this meeting. One participant mentioned Ilya Prigogine’s quote above about “islands of coherence” as a way to think about shifting social systems.
Dr. Bayo Akomolafe on “Postactivism”
In this talk with Garrison Institute Fellowship Director Dr. Angel Acosta, "Contemplating Postactivism: Reframing Our Approach to Social Change," Bayo Akomolafe began by asking the provocative question: “What if the way we respond to the crisis is part of the crisis?” Dr. Akomolafe is a celebrated philosopher, writer, activist, professor, and international speaker. His work produced the concept of “postactivism,” which refuses the “us vs. them” thinking of traditional activism.