In the beginning was the word. And hey, what was that word, anyway? Which language was it in? Did it have any nuances it’d be helpful to know about?
Nowadays most of us are in favor of greater mindfulness. Does the word “mindfulness” work for you? I prefer “awareness,” I’m not sure why, maybe because it feels like “mindfulness” gets bandied about so much it’s losing some of its meaning. How about “attention?” “Meditation?” “Enlightenment?” They’re all different words to describe the same thing, or it would be more accurate to say, the same process: “awakening” is a gerund.
And what is it about awareness or mindfulness that appeals to each of us? It depends on the individual, perhaps the day, perhaps our mood. Today, for me, the bliss aspect is very appealing, and can counterbalance a somewhat gray or flat kind of day. Other times it’s the clarity. Sometimes it’s the feeling of oneness with everything, as though the universe is unfolding as it should. The profound insights are pretty amazing too. One could go on – mindfulness has an infinite number of aspects.
Total mindfulness, a.k.a. awakening, is best described as something akin to an ongoing holographic, unitive and cosmic experience. Though we continue to try to describe it and measure it, any practitioner would agree that we don’t have words to adequately represent the experience. Yet. In English anyway – Sanskrit was a language invented to describe consciousness!
As Renewal Funds Chairman Joel Solomon aptly points out in this video – the last in our series of short interviews together – English is arguably a language developed for what we could call imperialist commerce. No wonder it’s challenging to communicate about the things that matter most to us. It takes dexterity, courage, patience and perhaps lyrical inclinations when we’d like to convey our most important values. When communicated well, we’re filled with the same sweet sensation as those special moments in life – of precious time with our friends or family, of the sunlight coming through just so, it takes our breath away.
This blog is the last in a series of short interviews with Renewal Funds Chairman Joel Solomon. It’s been fun! And excellent learning. Thanks for joining us.
See our previous vlog, as Joel and I strategize for four+ minutes on how to leverage the inevitable screwing up for greater awareness and happiness.
In our previous vlog Joel shared his experiences of how business and life can be both vehicles for and manifestations of truly holistic health (3.5 min).
If you’re wondering, “Why would I listen to this guy Joel Solomon?” click here for two minutes regarding his remarkable journey.
For a three-minute video on money as a spiritual path, its nutritive value, and the effects of how it is placed, click here.
For a six-minute video on Joel’s journey to his position on the vanguard of the social entrepreneurship and social finance fields, and on how finance and business are hybrids of both the sacred and profane, click here.
Watch this four-minute vid on how combining business and finance with spirituality can save the planet.
This 3.5-minute video covers Joel’s approach to truth, skillful communication, and how to play well with others in the boardroom.
We discuss how business can be a vehicle for awareness and holistic health in this 3.5-minute vlog.
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