One of the central qualities of Edgewalkers is self-awareness. People who are Edgewalkers are committed to some kind of personal practice that allows them to listen to that inner voice that guides them. In the midst of all the chaos, competing demands, and short time frames that we find in so much of modern life, it is essential to take time for silence and reflection.
Dr. J.-Robert Ouimet is Chairman of the Board of O.C.B. Holding, one of the most successful food processing companies in Canada. He begins every meeting, including his board meetings, with a moment of silence. He travels around the world giving talks on human and economic well-being to students in universities, and he begins each talk with a shared moment of silence. He also takes time out in his life to go to sacred sites to spend a day or two in reflection. You can read his story in Edgewalkers but you really need to be with him to actually experience his moment-by-moment tuning into God for direction and support.
At each of his companies, employees have created a Silence Room where people can go to sit and be self-reflective. He says at first that people were suspicious of these rooms and were afraid to be seen in them, but now they say that having a place for silence is one of the most valued benefits of working for the organization.
In the Edgewalker Coaching that I do, we begin the coaching process by exploring what the client currently does to nurture their own self-awareness. It's amazing that most people have had some kind of self-reflective practice in the past, but most seem to have let it go these days. In Zen practice the master says simply, "begin again." Jesus invited us to be "as little children." I encourage my clients -- and I encourage you --to think about some practice you have had in the past that worked for you. Can you "begin again," perhaps taking it in small steps? Is there some new practice that you have thought about taking on that you could get into with child-like joy and innocence? Journaling? Walking in the woods? Ta'i chi? Sitting for five minutes in a church or temple?
Edgewalkers need the time for self-reflection because they are called to do important work in the world. They need that time to discern their true calling, and to be sure that they are taking care of body, mind, and spirit in a balanced way as they do this work.
Let me know what you do for self-reflection, and what challenges you face in your practice.
