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Pam Marcheski on Mindful Leadership, Performance Under Pressure & the Power of the Pause
36 Plays3 months ago
On this episode of JOURNEY MINDFULESS we discuss all things mPEAK, which stands for Mindful Performance Enhancement, Awareness, and Knowledge. mPEAK, created by the UC San Diego School of Medicine, is an 8-week intensive course in mindfulness training for those who seek to draw upon this proven practice to achieve their goals, both personal and academic or professional, as well as attain new levels of performance and success. This cutting-edge training program is built around the latest brain research related to peak performance, resilience, focus, and “flow”. The foundation of this program is drawn from the highly respected and empirically-supported Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.
Pam Marcheski is a leadership coach who has been teaching mPEAK since its inception. She has had a long career as a corporate executive with Fortune 500 companies and still has a foot in that world while teaching mPEAK in corporate and team settings. She is a captivating teacher with a beautiful presence and shares practical knowledge about the benefits of mPEAK, integration of the tools, and her own journey with mindfulness.
To learn more about Pam Marcheski & IntentAct Leadership Coaching & mPEAK:
To get Pam’s book, “In My Own Words”:
https://www.amazon.com/My-Own-Words-Pam-Marcheski/dp/B0C6VWKGXK
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To learn more about James, Journey Mindfulness, & mPEAK in Maryland:
https://journeymindfulness.com/
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Free Warrior Spirit Guided Meditation:
https://www.journeymindfulness.com/warrior_spirit_meditation
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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction 8 Week Online Course
(Self-Guided):
https://www.journeymindfulness.com/MBSR
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Guided Self-Hypnosis to Conquer Fear & Doubt (digital download)
https://www.journeymindfulness.com/hypnosis
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Socials:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Journey_Mindfulness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulbmore/
Twitter (X): https://x.com/MindfulBmore
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindfulBmore/
Have an interesting story? Contact me and you might be a guest on the show.
DISCLAIMER: This show is for entertainment purposes only, not intended to replace medical advice. Please seek licensed medical professionals for help & guidance.
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Transcript
Introduction to Mindfulness and Pam Marcheski
00:00:12
Speaker
Welcome to the Journey Mindfulness Podcast, where we explore the expansion of consciousness, human experience, and the mysteries of life and human potential. Today, I have the pleasure of introducing Pam Marcheski. Welcome to the podcast, Pam. as a Go ahead. yeah Good morning. Thanks for having me. It's afternoon for you, but good morning from here. Yes, that's the problem, working with you people that live in sunny, southern California.
Pam's Shift from Corporate to Mindfulness Coaching
00:00:41
Speaker
So you were a corporate executive for a long time, 25 plus years working with and for Fortune 500 companies. And then you have seemingly transitioned into mindfulness coaching. So you offer a very unique perspective. So you help leaders unlock their true potential by aligning their intentions with their actions and fostering a deeper sense of purpose and effectiveness. Does that sound about right? It's a mouthful, but yeah, I think so.
00:01:10
Speaker
yeah but Well, anyway, eager to get into to your journey with mindfulness and how you're transforming the people that you work with in leadership. ah And also as an MP coach. um So where did your journey with mindfulness begin?
Challenges in Corporate World and Introduction to Mindfulness
00:01:27
Speaker
um So, um as you mentioned, I was in corporate life for a very long time, decades, and I loved it. I was really in the retail landscape, so I spent 12 years, about 12 years at Sears and 13 at J.C. Coneys, and loved it, got lots of opportunities. In the last few years,
00:01:49
Speaker
until I read kind of how did I find mindfulness. um In those last few years, I was on a plane every Monday. I was home on Fridays, Thursdays and Fridays. and um I was like, I knew I had a pretty good leadership toolbox that it had helped me progress. But it felt like in the last few years, the dynamics had changed so much. The conditions and they were happening so fast that I didn't feel like I was showing up my best self or those that I had the privilege of getting to lead. And it wasn't anything.
00:02:20
Speaker
You know, performance wise, everything was falling apart. It was just, I didn't feel it. I didn't feel like I was as present as I wanted to be. I felt like I was a little too reactive, not as
Impact of Mindfulness on Leadership and Life
00:02:29
Speaker
strategic. And I, um, I fell upon, uh, the book 10% happier by Dan Harris and, uh, fell upon it in the airport because I seem to be living in airports at the time.
00:02:41
Speaker
And I loved that the book was really just ah a tippet toe in the water on how to put some things to practice, right? Like how to create a pause, how to, uh, just create some more space and steam by reactivity and, ah um, all of the elements of it. And I put it to practice and, uh, I found it so useful and who I was as a leader, personally, you know, just putting some intention in.
00:03:08
Speaker
um pausing before I went in and visited with a store or conversation, seeing how I was using some of the tools or maybe the tools were using me and creating some boundaries and some space. and And the impact was pretty tremendous for me and just that just in those moments.
00:03:27
Speaker
Um, and, uh, it really helped me in those final years and my, uh, corporate life, um, serve me really well.
Deepening Mindfulness Practice and Relocation to San Diego
00:03:35
Speaker
And so I, I started to dig into a little bit deeper. And then as I was transitioning out of that world and, uh, coming down to, uh, move at the time I was in Seattle, um, I really went into it at a much deeper level through, um, and peak like with you about seven years. Yeah.
00:03:53
Speaker
So you were already going down to move to San Diego and then you found MP? Yeah, I found MP simply for myself. I really had believed in the concepts of mindfulness and I wanted something for myself to go a little bit deeper. I had done a retreat, but I was just looking for something a little bit more. And what I loved about MP was that it really talked about taking your performance to the next level.
00:04:23
Speaker
and seeing the edges of of your performance. And I was really drawn to the content. And um i might I had no intention of NP being something I was going to be offering. um I was going just for myself. ah But i on day one, I knew that this was such an important course and an important opportunity in our today's world. like It was like the the missing link between you know what we really needed, how to deal with kind of the conditions of what the world was offering.
The MP Program: Enhancing Performance and Leadership
00:04:55
Speaker
and
00:04:55
Speaker
and and And so i i stay I stayed and got certified and went on the laundry like you did, because it was a lot for me. ah i It's funny. So my my ah sort of background with my mindfulness was more clinical, but then I had been an athlete and had gone through injuries and all kinds of stuff and and then ultimately life changes. And then I saw this course and was like, this sounds exactly what I'm looking for.
00:05:25
Speaker
And that's when it's like, okay, well, we're, we're, it was only offered in one place, you know, at the time. um So that's, that's how I ended up in San Diego. You know, I'm so glad that you did. I mean, I'm not glad that we all both went through so much, right? But then we both found this. Yeah, it was wonderful. Yeah. Well, and it's such an interesting group of people. I think sometimes, I don't know if I struggle with it, but it's like, who, who is MP4?
00:05:54
Speaker
You know, how do you, how do you articulate that to people? You know, I think at Am Peak, um, is for anyone who wants to have the edge of how they live their life in today's conditions. You know, the world is very complex. It's very fast. It has no boundaries, no natural boundaries. And that really equals, I use the equation of that makes up your mind state.
00:06:18
Speaker
And so in in that world, like how do you work with the conditions? And MPK is for anybody who wants that edge, you know, to be able to kind of deal with setbacks in a way that is really powerful for themselves, but also to be more strategic, you know, to show up better for other people, um to create that edge of performance um that anybody needs.
00:06:42
Speaker
For me, ah my world tends to be working with um professionals, executives in corporate worlds, teams, um even um in a lot of first responders, um where you don't you cannot afford today not to take a pause.
00:07:04
Speaker
you know Because this reactionary world that we live in, this but you know this hamster wheel, and to not see, create some space, um you just that is what people are begging for, is leadership where people can do that. So I think it's it's really, really powerful. In a corporate setting, what I say is like, you know,
00:07:25
Speaker
Leadership has a lot of competencies, like being a strategic thinker, making good decisions, building teams, um interpersonal skills. Those are external competencies. They have behaviors right that you can kind of articulate. And P has a lot of internal leadership competencies, balanced effort, open. All of the compassion, all of those things, those are your internal competencies. So if we can build the internal competencies,
00:07:54
Speaker
That gives you the edge so that you can show up externally as a better leader. So that's the power of it. That was very well put. And you talk about the power of the pause. Um, it's interesting as you were saying that I'm wondering like societally, it's almost like it's go, go, go. We're just programmed to not pause. It's like a side of slowing down or weakness almost.
00:08:22
Speaker
Yeah, we were it busy today is, um, it's kind of like a badge of honor. And I often say time has been time since the beginning of time. So if you have an issue with time, it's not time issue. Right. But the conditions have, you know, decidedly we're very reactive. Um, we have so much coming out of us and, uh, we have to build a little bit of our own discernment. Hmm. What would you say?
00:08:50
Speaker
You learn the most about your time going through MP originally. What was your biggest takeaway? because Because time is a big issue, right? Like the time, the commitment, you know, what am I going to get out of this? You know, there's what you think you're going to get. And then there's the actual experience and and what you take away.
00:09:15
Speaker
Well, there's a couple of takeaways. Probably my biggest personal takeaway was um truly in the certification piece. um I really, ah you know, I tell people all the time, it is the hardest training I've ever done
Personal Growth and Overcoming Challenges in MP
00:09:28
Speaker
because it truly makes you dig a little bit deeper in yourself. Things that it makes you push your boundaries and that you want the capacity to push your boundaries.
00:09:39
Speaker
i I always felt like I was a very productive person. and oh the small this is This is not a fast roll into something. I had to learn differently. like I could see the story in my head. right um you know Even in the time when we had to record ourselves doing meditations, you could just be for me. no like That was a roadblock for me for a while.
00:10:07
Speaker
like say bo yeah yeah I used my voice all the time. I've led people for decades, but the idea of having you sit there by myself and record my own voice. And I could see the judginess around it, right? That the second guessing myself around it. And, and what I'm peak really helps us see is fine. You can see that and you can still push faster.
00:10:32
Speaker
Right. It's the edges of it, right? Even things that seem so, so simple and so little, right? And how they yeah it can really hold us back. Well, you talk about the edges and the the subtleties of those edges and even just becoming aware of them. um There's a guy I work with work out with. ah His name is Lance Lumen. He's a singer and a voice actor and a playwright. Fascinating guy. and ah He was coaching, he was giving me advice about listening to his voice and as a voiceover actor.
00:11:15
Speaker
talk about how he has to critique his own voice. And he's, you know, so used to it. And I was sharing with him how terrified I was of listening to my own voice and the tones and how I'm enunciating things or where I mispronounce things and in a meditation or or anything like that. He's like, yeah, you know, you just, you get over it eventually. And it was just, it was something so second nature to him at this point, having a career in that, in that field. But for me, I was on the beginning end of going through my own anxiety and terror. Like you were kind of talking about like, okay, I have my own stuff to work through with this specific skill now. Yeah. Yeah. And, and the power of that is if you think about modern society today,
00:12:06
Speaker
We have so many ways that we take in information that it tends to lower our internal confidence. We second guess ourselves a lot today. name doubt we you know That doubt creeps in a lot faster. right like Should I post this? should i you know Does my voice sound just right? right and You have so much that out there that can help us you know and in leadership. You can see where people are second guessing themselves all the time. Pete does so well as it says, it's okay to have doubt.
00:12:40
Speaker
And oh, by the way, you might get her wrong. It's building that interval like to see the doubt and yet have confidence inside yourself to say, but we're going to push forward, right? Knowing that, you know, we might actually make mistakes, you know, it might not be perfect. I talk a lot about the good enough plan and and how to how to go forward with the good enough plan. That it's the actual need of perfection that holds us back from what ultimately we could achieve.
00:13:08
Speaker
Yeah. I came across a definition of confidence not too long ago that is resonated with me and it defines confidence as the willingness to be socially injured. I love that. What a great what a great quote, right? and I mean, it stuck with me because it's like, that's exactly what it is, right? Like you stepping into something and not knowing, yeah here's a plug for MP, you know, not knowing what the outcome is going to be.
00:13:38
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And knowing i what I do love about MP2 is that um it does talk and give us an understanding of why that happens, right? That hereditarily, right we're meant to not want to be exposed outside of the herd kind of thing, right? that and And so that's a perfectly normal
Mindfulness in Leadership and Daily Life Integration
00:13:59
Speaker
feeling to not not want to put ourselves out there. And yet,
00:14:05
Speaker
pushing past that, right? and And knowing that, you know, that's, that it's not permanent, it's not pervasive and that we can push past that. How would you say that MPK is sort of the fundamentals of it have shaped sort of your confidence? Cause at the point where you took it, I would imagine that you had a lot of confidence already. Um, did that augment it in some way or how did that shape that sort of post MPK?
00:14:35
Speaker
i i um Oh, I think it it shaped it dramatically. um And I actually saw where I didn't really have as much confidence as I might have anticipated or thought that I did. I but i was so fortunate in my career and my growth in my career that some things instinctively came pretty natural. You know, we talk about strengths and and peak.
00:14:57
Speaker
Um, so certain things came instinctively natural to me. Um, but an MP, especially going through the certification, I started to see where I would hold back a little bit where I maybe wasn't as confident. Right. And, um, so it really helped me push some of those things that maybe I wouldn't have offered myself, um, in the past. Interesting. Wow.
00:15:26
Speaker
what do you Where do you see most people struggle with in the ah course now? Because you're i mean you're in corporate rooms and and walking people through all this and sort of facing what uncertainty, change, pain, all those things. What what do you find people ah are most challenged by?
00:15:52
Speaker
I think it varies by individual, right? That within the whole thing, it's eight modules, right? it'ss It's an intense course. So I think um I always say, um you know, opening up to curiosity around things that it's not tangible. um We live in a very tangible world. We do what's in front of us. And peak really makes you go deeper to into the intangibles.
00:16:17
Speaker
right And that feels unstabilizing sometimes. So I think that that that can be very challenging. I love the experiential pieces of do, because it does help it make it a little bit more tangible for people to kind of be able to them. um I think probably maybe one of the things is that the opening up and sharing can often be challenging.
00:16:42
Speaker
No, it's yeah being vulnerable being vulnerable, especially if you're, you know, somebody of a higher level is in the room or somebody maybe you sit next to, right? Do I really want to go into that vulnerable space? Um, so really finding that inside yourself, um, to share, um, can be very challenging. I think taking on things like even the body scan, right? For.
00:17:10
Speaker
for you know things that may feel different, like why would we do that, right? Like that's what makes sense, right? And understanding those ah signals in the body more so than just trying to explain it to all the time. Yeah. Well, I would imagine you work with a lot of heady people that are in their head. And so, you know, sort of very left brain in that you're trying to, in a sense, like unlearn things where it's to get out of your head and into your body.
00:17:41
Speaker
Yeah, I, I believe that everybody hasn't signed them, like it's all inclined. So I try not to go into it with a mindset of that there's, that that is going to be like, it's not a capacity or a desire. I think everybody actually, um, is their best selves when they're given the opportunity to explore at a deeper level. I truly do. Um, it may be a little bit more comfortable, but I think we create the space and we do the offering.
00:18:11
Speaker
People find their way. They just do. Yeah. I haven't found anybody who hasn't come out of it and said, I found something there. You know, that they couldn't quite put their finger around in the beginning. Even, even sometimes when it's like, you know, in the first, if it's day one, right? Oh, this is silly, right? You know, we're doing this or we're doing that. They can come back in the end. They're like, ah, it makes sense now. Yeah.
00:18:36
Speaker
Yeah. ah but Yeah. I welcome any resistance we get. I really do because with resistance means that you're seeing something. Right. And I always encourage people, whatever the resistance is, bring it on, share it. I don't have to answer for it. I just encourage people to just dig deeper in it. Right. Like what is that resistance? What's really going on there? Right. Is there more for you to explore?
00:19:03
Speaker
Yeah, no, that I mean, that's where the richness is, right? Identifying that and being curious about it and exploring it. Yeah. Yeah. I always, oh, and I always, one of the ground rules I laid to is, uh, hope he works. You know, you have to be willing to get a little bit silly. so Like you have to, you have to do some things that might feel uncomfortable and silly.
00:19:25
Speaker
but Yeah. And, and it's okay if you feel that way. I'm good with that. Just see that you feel that way, but you can push faster. Well, humor is at play now. I think there's been some changes to MP not to give too much away, but that's a.
00:19:46
Speaker
Yeah, yeah no i love that he um I love that we have more of that in there to hold it light, you know a little bit more light and the silliness around it. you know Outside of MP, because that's not always my strength. right and so Pete, our teacher, um last year, was ah he he was participating in and and they were doing improv classes.
00:20:14
Speaker
And, uh, the teacher of, and and I joined and until last year I did improv classes and i loved it. Wait, he still do with that? Well, he's not, and he it's, um, a different teacher, but he, but he was participating in it, okay which, which was so great. And I had so much fun doing that. And, you know, just, it was such a great experience. So it really helped me. Yeah. I mean, that's.
00:20:41
Speaker
Well, I mean, I believe laughter is medicine, but just that being able to laugh at yourself and put yourself out there. I mean, that, that in itself is such an expansion of, you know, pushing an edge there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I was, I was really grateful for it though. And he went through it as well because Mike too, so the whole group, so it was really fun. Yeah.
00:21:04
Speaker
Oh man, I miss, miss being out visiting with you guys. I know. I wish you were closer. Yeah. Um, more to say, I mean, there's so.
00:21:20
Speaker
So much with with mindfulness and and awareness. How about just kind of on your own teaching journey since you've been coaching for you know a good while now, what what are you finding on your own evolution as a teacher?
00:21:39
Speaker
You know, I, one of my findings, one of the things I did, um, and I continue to do is, um, I hired my own coach, which is actually
Nature, Retreats, and Mindfulness in Recovery
00:21:47
Speaker
Pete. I hired Pete to, to be my coach, um, to make sure I needed.
00:21:54
Speaker
I needed to make sure too, I was exploring some of, you know, making sure I'm staying true, number one to myself and to the program. um But also I needed my own push, right? Cause we, you know, I'm going to be seven years into this here pretty soon, right? So that, that's been a fun journey too, to have my own coach. um I get to the privilege of working with so many different industries now and so many different executives at different levels.
00:22:21
Speaker
that I found it was really important for me to ensure that I was getting my own coaching. So that's it's been a good journey. So sharpening your sword.
00:22:34
Speaker
Sharpening my sword. Yeah. Yeah. And fact yeah staying on top of different things, you know, one of the benefits, or I guess, I don't know if it's a benefit advantage is just like, um, you know, I do, I still am very engaged in all, all things business. You know, so I still do, uh, I have the joy of getting to, uh, help coach a lot, um, with Liverpool, Los Angeles clothing brand.
00:22:57
Speaker
um, through a program to a destination, Liverpool store. So, um, I, I really have a balance there or I try to keep a balance there. And I enjoy that very much.
00:23:08
Speaker
What, uh, how do you recharge again, your own sort of mindfulness practice? I have about a 30 to 45 minute practice every morning. Mm-hmm.
00:23:21
Speaker
So the practice has stayed pretty solid for me. Um, and then getting out and walking, I love to do that. Um, being out with friends, um, you know, I enjoy that retreat. Um, you know, when I can do a few days away and, um, um yeah, I love, I love that silent time. Yeah. That is one thing.
00:23:44
Speaker
It's actually on my my Facebook page, but there is ah It's When I was taking MP walking on the beach in San Diego, I can't remember the name of the place, but just seeing the sunset and and being so close to that and how that was ah so obtainable, but just the nature in itself, being able to get out and to recharge in that way and to be mindful ah was was really wonderful. And I know that that's something that is important to you as well. Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:25
Speaker
i um
00:24:28
Speaker
I need to, I was recently thinking that I haven't spent enough time in nature recently and I really, it does really recharge me. So I've been trying to be more committed to getting my hikes in and my walks in and, and listening to birds and watching waves and, and all of those things. And what that, what that does for you professionally and personally is, is traumatic. Yeah.
00:24:51
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I'm, it's such a big part of all of this, right? Is like you, you get this really great training and then it's like, how do you integrate it into your daily life? You know, in a way that's meaningful and, and doable really. Yeah. Yeah. Um, yeah, we won't give everything away on MP, but I do, um, at least once a week or once a month, try to pull in some of the discomfort.
00:25:20
Speaker
Right. Like yeah some things for a week that maybe, uh, I don't enjoy so much. Just to, just to kind of see those habit patterns and you know, how easily, uh, we can get rooted in those. so Oh, for sure. Right. Yeah. You know, when I had a, um, not last year before, um, I had a very severe, um, all. Yeah. Um.
00:25:46
Speaker
Um, a very long recovery and I just located, broke my, um, humorous phone. There was nothing humorous about it. It was bad. And, you know, I, I literally like getting dressed and doing all of that, you know, opening cat food. And I was so grateful for my community. Um, that was there to support me. Um, cause it was unbelievable. So it's great deal of gratitude. Yeah. But I really, I will tell you everything about NP came into play. Everything about it.
00:26:15
Speaker
Every, every element of it, you know, finding balance, finding compassion, pushing, you know, knowing when it was time to push past and, and move forward. Um, it was, it was really, really helpful in my recovery and how I came out of it for sure.
00:26:34
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, so like even well before and after MP for me. um like when i was competing and got injured and i had you know
00:26:48
Speaker
half year plus rehab, you know, where it's like you have to be diligent. And I didn't really realize how kind of hard I was on myself, kind of pushing myself through things or just pain in particular or not admitting that I was in pain or just pushing through it in a way that was probably detrimental to my body. And then absolutely more recently,
00:27:16
Speaker
going through some significant ah foot and ankle pain where it's like, okay, I have a a threshold here and edge with pain and I have to be very mindful of what I'm feeling, you know, with the foot and all the the joint there because of stability, right? Like if I'm not careful, I could fall in and hurt something else. So now I have two injuries instead of, you know, what I have going on now.
00:27:44
Speaker
And so it's, it's interesting how the, this training pops up, you know, with awareness of the body and what the body is capable of and how much you can push it in and how much maybe you need to kind of step back a little bit or throttle back. And it's the same process for mental pain.
00:28:07
Speaker
You know, that's, that's, that's what can be really powerful from really going through this is that um we use physical pain, right? And we talk about physical
Neuroscience, Uncertainty, and Locus of Control
00:28:17
Speaker
pain. Um, but it's the same thing with mental pain, you know, what we think we can't, you know, overcome what we think we can't push past, right? The stories we tell ourselves about things. Um, it's, it's the same process that we can go through and it's amazing what we can do when we put kind of all those competencies into play.
00:28:37
Speaker
Yeah. Do you find that people need to know like the neuroscience behind what is happening in their mind as they go through these things? you know like is that a need like I need to know what's happening here before I do it.
00:28:54
Speaker
i think that um I remember in the when I first took mPeak, and I was really into the science of it and the brain regions of it, and and I was asking more questions with it. And I think Pete said it really well. It might pique your interest, right? No pun intended, Pete can peek. The science behind it is not what'll keep you coming. like If it's what you need to give you an understanding, fine, it's there because we do give it.
00:29:26
Speaker
But I absolutely a hundred percent know that when I'm in reactive mode or when I'm feeling like that, that sensation in my body and all of these things, I am not like talking about brain regions in my head or like that, right? I am just being it into play. So, you know, can it be useful in our world today? I think people spend a lot of time reading and reading, reading. You can almost overread it. It is a practice.
00:29:51
Speaker
So you can, how many, I don't know, how many books, when you buy a new car, who reads the owner manual from start to cover? Generally not. Right? And right. So yes, I think the understanding is good. I think the neuroscience has been really helpful. Um, but it won't, it's not what keeps you coming and it's not the practice.
00:30:17
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It's that, that integration into the, the daily life, you know, the, the meditation is the moment. Yeah. Yeah. But i it's I think it's been very helpful and I think it's very useful that, you know, neuroscience has proved that we can actually push our edges, right? And that we can work our brain differently. And I think that's really wonderful because I think that's opened up a receptiveness to a much larger audience and that's good.
00:30:44
Speaker
Yeah, I try to keep things simple with certain explanations with things, you know, neurons that fire together, wire together and yeah, little, little clips like that was with some stuff, but yeah. Yeah. I like that one. But there's nothing like feeling into your pain and, you know, exploring it on your own and actually, okay, this is what this actually means.
00:31:10
Speaker
You know, or how I'm feeling it or how I'm interpreting it and how I'm working with it in in real time. Breathing into it, being present today. Yeah. Yeah. You have to, uh, you have to put the key in the ignition or push the start button on cars, right? Whatever, whatever analog you need to stay, you got to drive the car.
00:31:29
Speaker
but but Yes. Yeah. Do you see, I mean, one of the big things I think that I've found very helpful with, with the course and just mindfulness training in general is working with uncertainty. Um, there's a lot of sort of uncertainty that people are experiencing right now. Is there, do you see more of a demand for people looking for that type of skill?
00:31:58
Speaker
Yeah. You know, when we do the locus of control, I think it's really useful in times like today, right? When that comes up and when we really talk about. You know, when things get so big and so complex and novel all that uncertainty, how do you bring that back in and kind of see that it's happening, number one, and then how do you bring it back in within your own locus of control? And it's not about not caring. It's not about abandoning everything else, but it's really like what is useful and having much greater discernment.
00:32:29
Speaker
but Lost all of your control and I think that's really really useful. I know it useful in business for we're sure, um but I think it's useful for all of us. You know, I always you know think about during the pandemic my ah maya mantra was mind your news, mind your snooze, mind your booze.
00:32:50
Speaker
yeah That's a good one. I would have steal that. oh and it And it was mind your news was really like reminding myself and, um, those that I was around that you can only take on so much in the day. Like, so really minding what, what you were taking in information wise, um, mind your booze was really a consumption all around, right? Like not just the drinking, and just it just rhymes really well. Yeah.
00:33:14
Speaker
And my dress news was really about understanding what routines really serve you well, you know, because I do think that sometimes um we, if we can really understand ourselves, like what makes you tick well, and we all have a different recipe.
00:33:32
Speaker
And we don't have to second guess or when you really know, then allow yourself to stick with that routine can allow you not to feel so out of control. You know, I, I may get up at the same time every day. I make my bed every day. Like I have a, I have my roots. I know the things I need coffee. My brother but is a nutritionist. He'd like me to drop caffeine. Thank you. and do So I think staying with, you know, knowing what keeps you solid and hold as a person inside is really useful.
00:34:03
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. It's interesting what you, if you're, uh, saying there, um, I heard someone say, you know, if you really want to know how someone's doing, don't, don't say like, how Hey, how are you doing? Like, how are you sleeping? but You'll learn a lot more. I don't know. Have questions how you, right ah for me, I am, uh, feels like sleep comes up so so often today and I have,
00:34:33
Speaker
I feel, I really do have a great deal of empathy for that. Um, sleep is so easy for me, you know, and I think it's so essential and I'm really thankful that it's easy for me, but it's, yeah, I think it's, it's really important to explore that. It's interesting. There's a.
00:34:55
Speaker
a very high performer that I work with. That is one of their gifts, is that no matter, they have one of the most stressful jobs as you could imagine. They sleep so sound, like when their head hits the pillow, they are that is like that is their strength.
00:35:12
Speaker
And it was so fascinating to me because that is not me at all. I can't relate to that at all. i that Some people can do that. Like, you know, like um assault five and a half to six. I put my head on the pillow and I, yeah. And I'm very fortunate. Wow. Well, I'm envious of that. It's not one of my strengths.
00:35:38
Speaker
It I sometimes I thought it's only time that's sleep. Um, is actually when I found mindfulness was when I knew something was off when my sleep wasn't right. Cause there's only a couple of times in my life where I could say, yeah, no, I wasn't sleeping really well. Yeah. And one of them was a sign for me that something was really off. And that is when I started to when I found that 10% happier and, uh, I could see what was disrupting that and what was causing
Mindfulness in Relationships and Beyond Anxiety
00:36:08
Speaker
that. And I could, and it was able to come back.
00:36:12
Speaker
So short periods of my life where I know um sleep wasn't what was my norm. Yeah. Helps a signal that I was definitely off. Okay. So that helped you become aware, like, okay, there's something going on here. I got to take a look at it's it. You know, a lot of times people, I don't, I'm not sure they, they take it further. Like it's like, okay, I'm not sleeping well. And you know, they might, uh,
00:36:44
Speaker
go take something, right? Like, oh, I need to sleep better without kind of exploring further. Like, okay, what's going on in my life right now that I might want to take a look at that I can adjust in knowing that you have the power to do that? You really do. I mean, i I think one of the things that I hear often from people too, is that and peak in a lot of ways, like how has it been useful for them? And it's been sleep.
00:37:10
Speaker
you know, that they've been able to sleep um much better. I, so that's why I hear that often. Interesting. What do you, what would you attribute that to? and Body scan meditation is a really good one for sleep.
00:37:29
Speaker
So emphasizing and really breathing into and understanding the sensations in the body and really from the top of the head to the toes or the toes to the top, right? But focusing, moving the brain to that kind of that focus from the sensations in the body versus the head. So yeah, I think that that's been really useful. I just think And Pete gives you the opportunity opportunity to realize we're not crazy here. A lot's happening in our world. Right. And see that, that chatter that's always, that seems to be happening a lot in people's minds. It's like name, batter, almost the point where you can see it in your hand and hold it. Right. And acknowledge it and then set it down on the pillow and say, okay, you're going to sleep over here, but I'm going to sleep here.
00:38:21
Speaker
Right. So I think we, we give a lot of skills and tools for people to work with the different things that come up and sleep more efficiently.
00:38:33
Speaker
Yeah. I wonder too, what role compassion training has in that too, with working with those difficult moments. I would imagine that plays a role on some level. Yeah. The self compassionate coach um is really useful as well, right? Like bringing in a little bit of compassion, both for yourself and others. um It can be really, really helpful as well. Yeah.
00:38:59
Speaker
What do you, what would you say you enjoy most about teaching and peak or what have you enjoyed the most? I just love seeing, getting to offer it, number one, and then just watching people have their moments where they learn more about themselves.
00:39:22
Speaker
where they can literally see like this growth within themselves internally, how that's going to help them externally. There's nothing greater. And and even in my old world, you know I used to say that leadership is such a privilege. like If you get to guide anybody, whether it's in mindfulness, whether it's in business,
00:39:41
Speaker
you in and yourself That's such a privilege. And if you can offer the conditions that people can actually explore and level and really help themselves, nothing greater. It's so wonderful. Is there a success story that you could maybe share without giving anything away?
00:40:03
Speaker
Others spend many, I've seen and so many, and lots of people have gotten promoted. I've seen people who, where they feel like it's really changed their relationship, um talked about their relationships um even at home with their children, a whole new relationship with how they handle things at home. um People who have really just served them well in finding balance. And I have one who has changed everything about their life at work.
00:40:32
Speaker
Um, they enjoy their job. They didn't, it wasn't about quitting their job, but just to see and build that balance has has changed everything. They're really at home. They're really work with the artist leaders really powerful. Wow. Yeah, I know. It's really wonderful. Um, we get, you know, some of the feedback we get on the, some of the surveys is like, they have never done any kind of training like this before. Like it's the most life-changing training they've ever.
00:41:00
Speaker
It's almost surprising, though. I mean, there's so many things out there. It's so interesting that it's not more prevalent, you know, for employers to implement these kinds of things. I believe NP is the course, the one thing that What makes it special is that um one, it's practical, right? So that it can be, it's very, implemental you know, you can implement it, but it's really about our performance, right? It's not, it's about team. It's about edges of the team, right? Performance of everyone, right? It's not, it's just a really powerful leadership development, your own performance. Yeah.
00:41:45
Speaker
And I don't, I do not know that there are any at least mindfulness wise. There's a lot of incredible mindfulness courses out there. There's MBSR all of them, right? Self compassion, but they are very individually focused. Hmm.
00:42:00
Speaker
And this to me is so different because it's not just about dealing with anxiety. It's not about you know just you just yourself. It's
Teaching Tools, Quotes, and Upcoming Projects
00:42:10
Speaker
really how are you showing up? How are you performing in the world? How are you showing up for humanity you know in a different way? It's more sort of an outside focus than just the inside. And I don't know any other that does it. Yeah, our common humanity. Yeah. Yeah. That's why I'm i'm so drawn to it.
00:42:30
Speaker
You know, because I do think that it is a course that's not designed just to bring down anxiety. And I'm not saying courses are just anything, right? But it goes beyond yourself. And we've got a lot out there that is about dealing with your own stuff, but this is about how do you show up and perform at a higher level, not just for yourself, but for others, for your family, for your coworkers, for your boss, for your company, for your team. Yeah.
00:43:02
Speaker
Very well put. ah Yeah, no, there's a lot to it. it's ah It is ah a wonderful course. ah you know and what what are What are you doing now? Where are you sharing it? Because I know you've been pretty prolific teaching it.
00:43:19
Speaker
Yeah. but um Well, it's one part of my company, right? I have intentions, actions, leadership. So I do individual one-on-one coaching, whether it's traditional leadership with some mindfulness, that with mindfulness. I do a lot of that. I have do my business consulting. I do workshops in public speaking. um Where I do NP right now is generally tends to be in within in a corporate setting.
00:43:42
Speaker
So endurance histories and really bringing in as it truly as a leadership course with a lot of individual benefits. Right. So and those are the bonuses that go along um with it. So I've done it though. um I've done it for all men. I've done an all men's individual group. I love doing that. I did all women, and then I've done it individually, so co-ed. So when I can do it, um when I have a large enough audience, um I really um enjoy doing it in person, um but I still do some virtual.
00:44:20
Speaker
Okay. I was going to say, are you, are you in person or virtual? So it was being on the East coast of people listening here could, could potentially work with you. Yeah. Yeah. I, um, I do do virtual and when we do the virtual, it's, um, eight weeks, two hours. Right. With the follow-up. Um, I like the virtual because you can cast out to a wider audience. Mm-hmm.
00:44:44
Speaker
That's like the one module that it's fine sometimes because it gives people time to like settle in and, and put the practice, you know, into practice, um, a bit more. Um, so I like both. Um, and I, but in person to me, when you can be physically present with people is is really powerful. Okay. So I'll put a link to your website in the show notes. You also put out a book. What could you tell us about that?
00:45:14
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Yes. In my own words. Thank you. Um, it's a little book, I say packed with the, some insights. Um, I've always, I've always used quips and quotes a lot. And, um, some people are like, you just need to write a book. And, uh, and really it just became kind of a mindful journey in my own words. And if you watch, I don't know if you've seen the video to it.
00:45:38
Speaker
No. So I watched the video by the book to stay take the journey, find your own words. And so the progression is really to understand that like everything starts with awareness. Noticing is a gift space is the greatest response to the power. And when we do, we can dance with the part where we bought. Right. So it goes through each of the quotes so that you find that mindful journey for yourself. And so the book is each of the quotes, the meaning behind it.
00:46:04
Speaker
So that you can kind of pull that, pull it within the contemplation. and What do I need to be aware of? You know, but it doesn't disregard that everybody's journey can take a long time and it might sometimes, and one of the quotes is, but sometimes we have to hold that light. You know, so. Sorry, sometimes we have to what? Hold that light. Hold it light.
00:46:25
Speaker
You know, and, and we have to see that like, you know, sometimes when we hold those things really tight and heavy, we can't move past it. So, um, so the video's on, um, on my website, um, and then it leads into the book. And, um, we put that out and then I, um, did the cards. I don't have the note cards out. I only use it for groups now. Okay. But we, um, we created the cards. My, my creative partner, Shane is amazing. Um, so even the book or in these beautiful pictures that bring the quote to life.
00:46:55
Speaker
yeah And I created contemplative questions for each of the quotes on the back of cards. And so when I do workshops, um we everybody gets the set of cards in the book and then they can put it to actual practice. So you can pick a quote or a card and really explore it for a week or two, or maybe longer.
00:47:18
Speaker
There are couples that are taking the book you know and they have it and you know they'll cook a quote and look at it together. right like When I say, who's my five? right Which isn't there? right and Who's my five is really just knowing that we're the average of the five people we spend the most time with.
00:47:34
Speaker
Right. And so when we know that, we know this, right? Like really make us think about who do I spend a lot of time time with? You know, who's in- Who am I around? Who am I around? How do I feel? Right. And maybe, maybe a little bit more discerning about who's having that impact on your life. Stop chewing old gum. The picture's great. It's a, have you ever, in Seattle, have you ever been to the gum wall?
00:47:59
Speaker
I don't, I don't remember that one though. Literally a gum wall, right? That people will go and it goes for a long time. You guys see everybody's gum and let's stop chilling. No gum is really about investigating your habit or habit patterns, right? Like start chewing gum is really karma, right? Like why does this keep showing up? And when the gum's lost its flavor, e maybe it's time to get a new piece of gum.
00:48:26
Speaker
You know, it's interesting. One of the things you were saying, we were talking about success stories and I think connects with that is, uh, You know, with MP, I think for me personally, you know, like it was like this, this, and thats this glass ceiling was there that I was not perceiving but that I could move beyond. And, um, you know, it really helped me see by being around other people, like it that that ceiling is wherever you want to put it.
00:48:58
Speaker
If you're putting it here, that's on you. You know, if that's, if that's the gum you want to chew, then keep chewing it. But if you want a different experience, you can set it a aside and get a new piece of gum. Yeah. And that can be another quote, the most easy side of our do, right? And when we see it, but then how do you work with, right? And it's, it, our world today is very instantaneous. You want fast answers, right? There's a clip, there's a video, there's a reel, there's, you know, everybody's got the fast answer.
00:49:29
Speaker
Everything that matters takes effort. Things that matter take effort. Muslims don't just go grow, right? So it's really understanding what matters and being willing to put in the effort.
00:49:42
Speaker
Oh, right effort. There you go. but but
00:49:48
Speaker
ah Wow. So you, you've shared an awful lot of good stuff here, Pam. What, uh, what are you sort of most excited about now in in your life?
00:50:02
Speaker
My word for 25 alive and 25 is kind of my word this year alive and 25 so um I am really excited about some opportunities of being more in person, um getting out to some projects going up coming up right now, going to Vegas next week to be with a whole lot of ah with Liverpool and getting you the store owners. I'm excited about that. I have a workshop that I'm about to do for a big company, and we're going to do the basics of mindfulness and some of the pieces of NPeak. That one's really a challenge by Edges, yeah making it customizable, um and I'm really excited about that. Semper Infrastructure is a company i I got to do NPeak a lot with last year.
00:50:48
Speaker
major power company out here. Um, and, uh, I have that coming up again this year, a couple of, well, three, three or four times for doing that. So I've got a lot of fun things. None of it goes to plan in my mom and my dad. And yeah. and Very good. Very good. Um, is there a message that you might give or what would be a message that you might give to someone who was contemplating taking MP?
00:51:16
Speaker
Do it. It's, it's really isn't it's, it's, it's, I, I just believe it in it so much in today's world. The world is begging for people to show up that can find some call.
00:51:33
Speaker
that can find some confidence and clarity in themselves. And that MP gives you that opportunity to really find your own internal confidence, your own internal calm, your own internal compassion, um, and your own clarity. And when you do that, you absolutely can change how you perform in life, both for yourself, your family, and people at work. And we need it. We really need that today.
00:52:00
Speaker
Yeah, no, I absolutely love how you just articulated that, you know, how do you show, you know, to show up in your best version, your brightest light, um, is, is needed and you can do it. Um, that's wonderful.
00:52:17
Speaker
Well, Pam, thank you so much for being here and I wish you well. My fellow MP coach. I'm, uh, yeah, I'm excited that, uh, you're out there teaching it as well as the more we can offer it the better. Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you, Pam. Until next time. Talk to you soon.
00:52:37
Speaker
italy Thank you so much for tuning in today and being with us. May you find joy, flow and adventure on your journey. And if you got something from it, please like, share and subscribe and or comment. It means a lot. Thank you.