Spiritual Wisdom For Business Success.

Spiritual Wisdom For Business Success.
With Carolyn Greenleaf and Samia Bano

A shift is happening—millennials and younger generations are supporting #MissionDrivenBusiness that align with their values. Is your company adapting?

Listen now to this interview with Carolyn Greenleaf, #Spiritual & #LifeCoach, to gain

insight into the spiritual side of #BusinessGrowth. Carolyn shares #spiritualwisdom and practical tips for building a thriving business set up for long-term #BusinessSuccess. Understand:

-- why a clear #missionstatement and #corevalues are crucial to building a thriving, aligned #WorkplaceCulture

-- how to recruit #TheRightTeam and create employee trust, #employeesatisfaction, and long-term retention

-- how daily #MeditationAtWork can enhance clarity, creativity, and decision-making for leaders and employees alike.

-- and more!

Connect with Carolyn now at: https://www.instagram.com/coach.carolyngreenleaf

You can also contact Carolyn via email: carolyn@greenleafhealing.com

To Book your Free HAPPINESS 101 EXPLORATION CALL with Samia, click: https://my.timetrade.com/book/JX9XJ

#MissionDriven #spiritualleadership #SpiritualInsights #MindfulLeadership #ConsciousBusiness #WorkplaceWellness #SpiritualSuccess #AuthenticLeadership #MissionAndValues #LeadershipMindset #UnlockYourPotential #innerwisdom

Here's the audio version of this episode:

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Full Video Transcript

SAMIA: Hello, Salaam, Shalom, Namaste, Sat Sri Akal, Aloha, Holah, Ciao, Bonjour, Buna, Privet, Mabuhay, and Dzień Dobry! It's really, really good to be with you again. And I know you'll be extra happy you're joining us today because we have a very special returning guest, and that's Carolyn Greenleaf, who is an author, speaker, teacher, and coach. And I'm so excited to have you back with us, Carolyn. Welcome back…

CAROLYN: Thank you. Thank you. It's so good to be on your show again. I really appreciate you inviting me on.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: ..thank you. 

SAMIA: I had such a great time with you last time. Oh, and so for those of you who are listening, and you might have missed the last episode we had with Carolyn, we were talking about basically, you know, like how to sort of get out of your own way, both at a personal level and also at a professional level, by understanding how our mind works at a conscious level, but also at an unconscious level. And also sort of like, the thing I also very much appreciated is how you bring in a spiritual perspective into the conversation and our understanding of things. And so, like, taking all of that understanding, all of those different connections, and then, you know, to understand, okay, how do I live my life purpose... So I think that was a lot of, you know, what we were talking about last time, and, of course, we ran out of time. So much to talk about. And so here we are again to continue the conversation. And actually, before we do that, Carolyn, again, for just those of our listeners who may have missed the last episode, can you tell us a little bit more again about who you are and what you do?

CAROLYN: Well, my name is Carolyn Greenleaf, and I'm a coach. I help individuals and business owners to really eliminate those blocks and those limitations that are preventing them from really expanding their business and really reaching their goals and really being able to, you know, to actually, you know, be in that place where they are capable... they know deep down inside, you know, we all know this, that we are capable of much more. And so what I do is I help to release a lot of those innate... You know, they're not innate, but those limitations. And most of them are on the conscious, unconscious level. Sorry. So this is a lot of work in that. And I'm also a the author of Reentering Eden, Reclaiming Our Wholeness and Divine Truth. And that is really about knowing who you really are and who you're not and really kind of making it, you know, black and white, very, very basic, as much as I could so that you can really have a much better picture and be able to start to tap into more of who you are and how to do that. So... And I've been, you know, teaching and... And I now have a group coaching program as well. So, yeah. Oh, and then I speak on these different subjects as well, so…

SAMIA: Love it. Love it. I love your breath of experience and even more, the depth of your wisdom. It's amazing. I just really appreciate your sharing every, like, so much of that knowledge. And that was the best.

CAROLYN: Well, everyone has that. That's the thing, is that people don't... They have been entrained out of connecting to the internal wisdom. It's all there. We have heard it for eons and eons that the answer is inside of you, and it really is. But it's just…

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: How to retrain yourself into your innate ability to do that. And…

SAMIA: Yes…

CAROLYN: I mean, these limitations that I help people with, those are learned things. You know, and it's not innate at all. If we were to, you know, if we starting as a child, you know, be really seeing, well, all of our natural talents and abilities to be really, you know, praised instead of, you know, instilling doubt and all of these things, you know, that really starts a whole lifetime of that type of experience and, you know, limiting yourself and things like that. But that's all part of the experience, too. And it was to say the. It builds character and there's a whole other backstory behind all of that, but, you know, to keep it a little bit light.

SAMIA: Yes. You know, it's just the other day I was watching an Indian show that was portraying some of the characters from one of the great Indian spiritual classic stories involving characters basically from the Ramayan, which is, you know, like a great epic tale of good versus evil. But a lot of it also has to do with, you know, like, learning about who we are and sort of coming into our understanding of our life, meaning and purpose and recognizing our powers and so forth. And what, in one of the scenes, one of the characters there was challenged by one of divine beings. And they were asked, okay, like, in order for you to cross over this challenge, you have to answer a question. And if you answer it correctly, then you get your heart's desire. If you don't, then you'll be in big trouble. And the question was, well, why is there suffering in the world? And why are there challenges and difficulties that humans have to face in the world? Is there a point to it or is it... Or is there no point to it? And the answer the character gave was, there is a point to it. And the Point is that each challenge presents us with an opportunity to learn something about ourselves that brings us closer to the Divine, and that is the most important and beautiful gift. And so actually, every difficulty, every challenge that we face is a beautiful gift.

CAROLYN: Yes, you know, and that, in a nutshell, is what this reality is about. You can call it these realities based on duality, right. We're here experience... We're here understanding and learning more of who we are by experiencing opposites.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: So these difficult situations, these blocks, these. You. Everything that limits us, you know, we have to, we need to see them all as gifts. And that's when you can start to unravel that gift, is when you just stop resisting it and begin to accept it and see it as. This is a great gift for me. What is it? Why is it here? What am I meant to learn? What am I meant to understand more about who I am? Yeah, a lot. A lot of it is, you know, how strong you are, how capable you are, how, you know, how brilliant you truly are. When we start to see all of our struggles and challenges as they're actually gifts, then, you know We can start to work with them instead of against them. And that is, you know, that is how you move forward.

SAMIA: Yeah. You know, when we talk about recognizing the gifts and moving forward, you know, really coming into our own power and all of that, I really think about how, you know, a really important aspect of that is cultivating our leadership skills or even coming to recognize ourselves as leaders, you know, because I know I had this challenge where I never saw myself as a leader when I was, like, growing up and even well into, like, my young adulthood even. I think things started changing for me when I started college and in America because, like, for me, my first formative experiences or exposure to America were in the context of starting college over here. Soon after, my family immigrated here, and it really changed a lot because here in America, I found a culture in college where I was collecting constantly being told to think for myself, to assert my opinions, and, you know, just participate in different kinds of activities, even outside of the classroom. My experience going to school in India and Pakistan, in the Middle east before coming to America was very limited, much more limited in the sense that I would go to school, study whatever needed to be studied in the context of the classroom. Homework, and then that was pretty much it. But here it was like, no, join clubs. What extracurricular activities do you have? All of that. And so the more I got out into the world and taking on these different kinds of roles, slowly, slowly, you know, I started to get feedback also that encouraged me to be like, oh, oh, yeah, look, I just did this. That actually was in the context of a leadership position. So maybe I am a leader, and maybe I can become even a better leader, do more... And so that was, like, very cool and empowering. But then when you start to think about leading other people, you know, challenges can come up. And especially, you know, once you start thinking about it in the context of, okay, I created my own organization, my own business, as a lot of our listeners have, you know, then definitely leadership can take on all kinds of new, like, new opportunities present themselves, learning opportunities. So, yeah, I would love to talk to you more about all of that, because I know you have some amazing insights on that…

CAROLYN: Well, I think it's, I think that your story is really beautiful and that you came from, you know, from the Middle East, where you know, you were not treated really, as a leader. Women really are not treated in that way. And so you experience this the opposite of your truth. And I think that now you are able to really appreciate much more this leadership quality within you. So, you know, I see that as really a gift and an amazing path… It doesn't matter the size of the business, but I feel that you need to. I think that the mission statement is really critical because here's the thing, is that it kind of brings everything together, because when you are creating a business or you're growing a business. When we see that business as it's a living entity, it's not just a thing. It's something that is connected to so many people. It has a purpose. Okay. You know, and you can also see it as a child that needs to be nurtured, that needs to be looked after. And I think that creating a mission statement, you are kind of like identifying this organization, and within the mission statement, there should be also what are the core values, core values that this business, this organization is really what's at the heart of it? What is it that we do for ourselves, for the community, for, you know, on multiple levels, on every level, just really thinking deeply about what is it because again, you're creating the heartbeat within this corporation and/or this business and then also making sure that everyone can or all the employees, all the leadership are understand what the mission statement statement is? They understand very thoroughly and they're aligned with it. And if they're not really aligned with the values of what this business is, then they shouldn't be there. You need to, you know, bring in people who do understand who are aligned, because that is really... You are nurturing that heart with others who are really connected to and believe in what you're doing.

SAMIA: Yes, yes. You know, you made me think of some really good examples in terms of what I have experienced where the scenes. But I've seen how this can play out in life.  So you just reminded me of something that I experienced. I was actually interning with this company where they, you know, had built a really beautiful culture. And, you know, like, as an intern, I experienced, like, something that I felt was really beautiful and I was really inspired by. And at some point they brought in another member of the team who was supposed to take over, like, the marketing of things, and they made, like, all these inspiring promises about how they were going to take the organization to the next level. And, you know, that we as an organization would be able to do even bigger, better things as a result of, you know, the greater exposure we would get, etc., etc... But unfortunately, what happened is that very soon we started experiencing conflict and tensions emerging in the organization. And it got to a point where, you know, our founder had to, like, just be like, "No, we need to just put a stop to everything." And she just literally shut down everything and then had to take a break and then come back with well, first get rid of that particular person because the way that they were... I mean, I'm sure they were a great marketer or whatever in. In their own right. But the way that they were approaching things was not aligning with the values and the mission and the really the heart of what the organization was. And so, like, it just cost so much turmoil that, you know, until she, the founder, was able to like, get rid of that person, remove them from that position, remove them from the organization, you couldn't get back, to.. Get back to work.

CAROLYN: And that's leadership.

SAMIA: Yeah. 

CAROLYN: Having that person put a stop to this, to that. And to recognize what was going on and, yeah. And knowing that now this, this is not aligned with where we're going. So, yeah, so, yeah, that's, That's a really good point. And anyone who you hire outside of business, again, has to... The need to really understand also what your mission is and, and to. And to be in alignment with it. And they need to, you know, formulate their strategies or their assistance in a way that's going to honor your, the mission statement, the values. And you know, and as well as all the people. I mean, the people are all part of the, you know, if you see the business as, you know, a child, you know, the, a living. Every single employee is part of the family, so…

SAMIA: Right, yeah. But, you know, I think the distinction you drew between not only having a clear mission statement, but also the values, because I think some of what happened, in this case, is when this new person came in, they were on board with the mission statement, but their understanding of how they were going to execute was problematic because there was a mismatch in the values and not necessarily even. The interesting thing was that if you just say the words, we have a value for acting with integrity. Well, and compassion and you know, promoting, like, whatever... Like, let's even just say compassion and integrity are two central values that we have. But how do they actually look in action? Because theoretically, you and I could be like, yeah, of course we agree we have to act with integrity. We have to act with compassion, but what does that actually look like in action? And I think that was sort of like where we started to notice differences in interpretation of how to live with integrity and how to live with compassion.

CAROLYN: It brings up a really good point. And I think that maybe, you know, with, formulate the mission statement with as much clarity with the values as possible and then also have an expanded version for people who are coming in, you know, because you have your public, you know…

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: And then maybe more of an expanded version so that the people working with the business, they understand what those, you know, how you are interpreting those values. So just to be very, very clear, and everyone is on the same page because it just. It's very, very costly to hire the wrong person.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: Very costly.

SAMIA: Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. It was a tough, tough thing to do. I mean, I was just an intern at that time, but I could feel how difficult the situation got and, oh, gosh, yeah…

CAROLYN: ..yeah. So the lesson there is clarity. Clarity and understanding the importance of, you know, really screening the people that are connected to the business.

SAMIA: Yeah, and maybe something about, like, and I mean, I suppose there's some things that you just cannot really figure out about a person or know about a person until you begin to work with them in a more expansive way.

CAROLYN: Right, right, that's difficult to do. But I think that the, you know, the company with its mission within its mission statement, and like I said, if you have, like, a more expansive, you know, clear clarifying statements, more standard version to explain how you interpret those values. And just Kind of keep going into more and more detail, and to make sure that the people that you're considering to come on, they are reading that.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: And to see if they can really align with that, because then the responsibility is at their feet, you know.

SAMIA: Yes…

CAROLYN: Because of course, you know, we always have to take responsibility of. Was I clear enough?

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: Was I, you know, in multiple different ways. And it's all learning, you know, it's all about learning. And as we had talked about before, you know, these challenges that come across our way that we're not too crazy about, they're meant to help us to learn and to grow and to become better leaders and, you know, to build better businesses.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: And authenticity. That, I think that, that the demand for that has been growing and growing over the last several years, and I think that it's really, really. We're just going to see it really explode even more and more, the demand for authenticity, for transparency and that. Because there's been, you know, a lot of distrust. And I think that, you know, as again, part of the organization, the mission statement, whatever, you know, are the values too. It's to be really authentic in the way that you are communicating with the public marketing in, you know, in all the other various aspects of the business that you really need to be very mindful of what's being said and really own up to everything and just kind of. You look at everything again. And also I think that the mission statement needs to be, you know, looked at and revised, you know, every so often.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: And I think and to question, you know, are we really being authentic and in all areas, in all ways, because the more authentic that you are and how that figuring out how that looks, you're going to become much more attractive also to the public that are looking for businesses, for people that they can trust. And the more authentic that you are, the more that they're going to, they're going to feel that they're going to see that, you know, and you have to not just say it. You've got to also, you know, act, you know.

SAMIA: Right, yeah. Yeah. You know, when you talk about authenticity, it made me think about the idea of authenticity in a slightly different context than perhaps what you are sharing right now. And that is in the context of each person on the team being able to be authentic and authentically express themselves. I mean, of course, the business as a whole, as an entity, there is an authenticity aspect or context within which it can and should be authentic. But when we are thinking about each individual that's part of the team, that's like, really forming the fabric of the organization and each member of the team being able to be authentic because... So here's like, another experience that I've had, another organization where I've worked, where, you know, to some extent, like, I understood that, okay, I am an employee at this organization, and ultimately the vision that is going to drive the organization is that of the founder. And I totally fully respected that. And at the same time, I was assigned a certain role to play. And there came times where the way I was being asked to play those roles, do my duty or fulfill my responsibility, I started to feel a sense of conflict with my values and my being able to be authentically me. So, for example, you know, I'm a very positive person. I'm a happy person, and I, you know, work very conscious, conscious…

CAROLYN: Consciously?

SAMIA: Yes. To cultivate that about myself. And, you know, also I have a great personal value for equity and treating. So, for example, equal pay for equal work. I really believe in that. And, you know, when we were in this organization, there came a time where I started to. Well, there were people who are like, Samia, you're too happy, you're too happy. It's like, unprofessional. And I was like, okay, I'll try to tone it down. That wasn't such a big deal. So I did what I could to be more professional as per their definition. But then there was like, you know, things just kept coming up over time where another time we're like, okay, we need you to hire somebody for this or that task. And we had to hire multiple people for that same task. But then it was like, oh, we don't have to pay everyone the same, even though they're doing the same task, because apparently, apparently one person offered to do the job at a lower price point, someone else offered to do it at a higher price point, and it was like, well, the person who was doing it at a higher price point wasn't willing to come down. And so then I was like, well, then we should pay both people the same at the higher price point. And it was like, oh, no, why should we do that? And I was like, well, equal pay for equal work. And, you know, that's like, really important to me. And I thought, you know, that this would be a value that was important to us as an organization and in alignment with our mission statement and so on and so forth. And it turned into, at the end of the day, there were other team members who spoke up and they were like, yes, okay, equal pay for equal work. We'll go with that. But we had to have this whole discussion and this whole process and go through to come to that conclusion. And then this was just one of additional incidents that eventually that I was like, okay, you know what? I'm not able to be authentically me in this space, and I need to step away.  So how do you hit, or do you even want to try and strive to hit the balance between where each member of the team can be authentic? I mean, and if you're the leader of the organization, how do you sort of balance between like, you know, your vision, your way of doing things, but then also allowing the people who are working with you for you to also, you know, be authentic. But also, I don't know, like…

CAROLYN: Yeah, well, I think, I think that this, again, coming back to, you know, you have your mission statement at the core, and I think that the leaders of the organization, they all need to kind of... Well, they need to formulate something. Okay. And this is, I think we're, we're talking about some new territory here and a new way of creating a really growing and thriving business that is going to really benefit everybody. Not just some, but everybody.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: So I think that it's, you know, really defining, defining, defining, you know, how are we, you know, how are we going to show up as an authentic business, as a very transparent people understand what we are about and how we help and all of this and all on all the multiple levels. And also, you know, when I mentioned before that, you know, the employees or the members of the company are like, they're part of a family. And so the family is either going to be dysfunctional, it's going to be functional. So, you know, when you're going through, you know, the screening process of hiring people, I think that's really important that the company really gets to know, you know, and how do you do that? Again, that's where you need to kind of really think and define what the business is really all about. And you know, on deeper and deeper levels, I think. And formulating something where, when they are going through the hiring process that the people who are, you know, possibilities that they fully understand, they understand again, what's the company stands for, all of its values and things like that. And also being, you know, if this... And hopefully, you know, more and more companies are equal, you know, pay, you know, equal pay for equal work and all these other wonderful qualities and values... But I think that company also needs to, you know, decide that we're going to encourage that people be their authentic self. Because when you are encouraging more authenticity, and also making sure that they are in a position that does honor their gifts and their talents, but they're really capable of being, you know. To really get to know, you know what I'm saying?

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: And I'm really thinking out of the box here. So I don't know. There's a way to put this together and I think it could be really brilliant. But if businesses could really decide to really nurture, you know, going through the choosing process. Okay.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: They need to have employees that are aligned and they fully understand what this business is about and its values and everything about it. You know, to really go through that and then to go through a different process of really understanding what the strengths and capabilities and all the different talents that each potential employee has and to place them properly. Okay. Also understanding the values of that employee so that they can honor. So they can say, okay, well, you would be better suited with your talents and what you value in this position. And you have a business with employees who are just happy. I mean, they can just be them and be who they are. And that business is going to grow like nobody else's. I mean, it's going to flourish. There's going to be no turnover. And just think of how the founders of that businesses are going to feel, you know, that expand. You're going to feel there's going to be so much expansion on multiple levels that, you know, this is what I see businesses is going towards in the future. At least that's what's, you know, I think that the opportunity is there and it's now. This is what the public really, really wants to see.

SAMIA: Yeah. You know, and I was like, trying to think about, from a spiritual perspective, if there's any insight that we can have in terms of how we can be the very best leaders. Best in terms of the most wise, perhaps wise in terms of, you know, being the kind of leaders that help ourselves and also help the people around us with the... In some ways, the core life meaning and purpose that we all share, which is to learn and grow and you know, become better people. Right?

CAROLYN: What if these businesses that are really choosing to be more authentic to choosing to…

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: The age old practice of meditation. Because this is how we connect to our authenticity. This is how we connect with, I think we talked about on the other show, you know, you have your conscious mind, your unconscious mind. Okay.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: All of this in here, it's all very logical because it's been done before, right. The mind is like the computer. It only knows what has already happened or only what it's already known.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: To go outside, to really expand your possibilities and go outside the box. And this is where expansion at all levels and really connecting to all the different creative ways, the multitude of ways that you can expand your business and yourself.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: That is through connecting to the higher mind. To do that, you begin that process with meditation, going inward going.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Because remember what we, I think at the beginning of the show we said, all the answers are inside. It is absolutely true. It is not just a free, lovely phrase that we say. It is to the truth. And you know, I think that, you know, if businesses could encourage and begin to, you know, have meditation as, you know, part of you, like, I don't know, you know... For some people this may sound silly, but for others, no, this makes absolute sense. You know, I think that having an encouraging daily meditation of at least 20 minutes that would really greatly benefit a business, its employees, everybody. And really if you just tune into to yourself, just you know, still sealing the mind and just tuning into the heart.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: Higher mind, just being still and coming in with a question. With a question, you have a problem, you're not quite sure how to resolve this issue or this problem that you're dealing with within the business or within your job or whatever.

Quiet yourself and bring the question to your higher mind.

SAMIA: Yes…

CAROLYN: And receive. You know, people have been trained out of that, that actually meditation, connecting is actually very innate. It is innate.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: And when we meditate, that is. It is like the weaving of this. You know, we were... Bless you.. We are, this is where we're connecting the higher mind, the spirit with the physical mind. We're creating that team. That's what we're meant to do. And this is where we get those ideas and guidance. Okay. And then, you know, becoming conscious and aware of it. This makes that connection. And amazing, amazing things can happen.

SAMIA: You know what? You just made me think of stories of Gandhiji. So, yeah, probably everyone in the world knows about Gandhiji. He was, you know, one of the founding fathers of India. He was very much committed to non-violence as the way in which he led Indians to independence from being colonized under the British rule and so forth. He was, you know, very deeply spiritual person. And you're, what you were talking about triggered memory of, you know, our learning about how, like at different points in time, you know, when they really had to be like, okay, what do we do now? You know, because it was a long struggle. It was a hard, difficult struggle. And at various points they had to figure things out in terms of what are we going to do? How are we going to keep the struggle going and do it in a way that's, you know, best and so forth. And a lot of times, you know, Gandhiji would go into meditation and be like, "Okay, you know, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna meditate and then we'll see what answer emerges". And one of the most famous stories of him doing this was when he decided to, when, when he went into deep meditation. And then the answer he came out with was to go make salt because that had been something that was forbidden by the British, that Indians couldn't make their own salt because the British wanted to force them to buy salt from Britain and so forth. And so Gandhiji basically was like, I'm going to go make salts. So he, that I'm going to go march the ocean and we're going to make salt from the ocean water. And so he started marching and like then thousands and millions of people joined him on this march. And it became one of the actions that they took that was seminal to, you know, growing the movement for independence, but also in terms of produced results that moved the whole freedom movement and mission forward by leaps and strides and, you know, just turned out to be this really important thing that they ended up doing. And you know, he literally the way he got that idea, but he went into a deep meditation.

CAROLYN: The answers are always available. So many possibilities are available.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Have to make that connection and you will have the most amazing answers, the most wonderful ideas, you know. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

SAMIA: Yeah. You know, you just now that we're talking about meditation as being a way to find the guidance and the answers, I'm thinking now there's so many stories coming up of like various prophets who will go into meditation. I remember in one of our interfaith dialogues that we had, we were talking about fasting in different faith tradition. And I remember in the Christian and Jewish tradition particularly, they were talking about how a lot of their association with fasting is related to times when the prophets in the Bible were guided to engage in prayer or fasting in the form of meditation to receive guidance at important moments in life. And we have those stories in the Quran as well. And it's amazing that we don't... I mean, we know the stories, but then we don't, we sort of disconnect them with, well, how do I apply this to my life? And we forget about, about it until we get reminders, like right now. Thank you, Carolyn…

CAROLYN: Yes, yes. Well, we're entrained to just plug into the mind what's logical, what the outer world is telling us to do.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: And so, you know, it's up to us. And again, that's part of the gift of separation. I call it separation from self, from your real self, your bigger self.

So that you recognize that, oh my gosh, I don't have the, I'm not happy. I feel disconnected. I don't feel whole and coming back and just come, just practicing meditation or fasting. Yes, right. That is a way of connecting. It's just happens.

There are many different ways, but most people are familiar with and are very accepting of, of meditation. And I think that there are many, many leaders who do meditate, actually, and many brilliant business people also. They understand the gift of meditation, the power of that.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Well, you know, we talk the Theta state, the miracle state. That is that state in between. You know, it's almost like it's not sleep state, but it's a period. It's that it just goes under your, the critical mass, the critical component within your mind so that you can be open to the. All the different ideas, all the different creative possibilities, all the different answers that are available. There are many was, I think talk Thomas Edison or something. He would take power naps and he would, I hope I do the story justice, but he, I think it was a ball or something. He would hold, he hold something so that as he was going into sleep, okay. The moment that he dropped the ball, he'd wake up.

SAMIA: Aha.

CAROLYN: That was the moment. That was the Theta state state that was. and that is the state where you, through meditation, you can achieve. And that's where you get all of his brilliant ideas.

SAMIA: Nice. Interesting.

CAROLYN: Yes. So if you look, it's out there. People have been doing that for ages. But you know, society just started to have a different look at it, you know, then see the value within it. And so, but it's up to us to begin to say, you know, what starts a 20 minute meditation every day and you start the practice and then you start to use it as a really wonderful vehicle to, you know, again, you can come in with a question, with a problem and just, you know, be very clear about it and just relax and just, it's kind of just let it go. Just, it's kind of like you're... This is the situation. This is, I need an answer to this. And just surrendering it basically and just being very open to receiving an answer, to receiving some. Maybe it's next step that you know, that you need to take. But something will happen and if anything, you begin to experience that inner peace, more clarity. There's a multitude of really wonderful... Just lost...

I'm thinking of too many things, many wonderful things that happen to you as a person. You know, again, you become more clearer, you become more at peace. You're not this reactive person. Your emotions are much more balanced. You become a more balanced person just by practicing meditation and then using it as a tool to receive answers, to receive, you know, different ideas for, you know, for girls, for, you know, whatever it is. It's all there…

SAMIA: Yeah. You know, it makes me think about also and like, this is a question that I'm asking... So we're talking about meditation and we've given some examples of leaders within organizations or leaders of movements going into this process to come up with insights and so forth. But what about like, if I have an organization, my business, is there a value to cultivating a culture where we all meditate together?

CAROLYN: I think it depends on the business, the owners, the founders, whatever. You could either do that or you could, you know, offer someone that comes in and teaches them the proper way, you know, a really good way to meditate and just, you know, let them do it on their own at their own time. Or wouldn't that be really interesting in a pool if there was a meditation room that when an employee, you know, when they're just getting stressed and they're just, you know, dealing with a project and they just can't get anywhere and they need to just stop and they need to meditate. But it's, you know, maybe the Environment is too busy. What if they just went into the meditation realm and they just like this, within 20 minutes they could, they could step out with most brilliant solution and just get right to work. You know, I think that there's a lot of different ways that you can do this.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: I mean, you can do it as a group. You can, you know, and you know, teach it and then encourage everyone to practice it and every day. Because it's not just for the business, it's for them personally. So, you know, and this is part of being an authentic, really caring, wonderful business.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Again, all comes down to mission statement of the values and all of this. But you, every business needs to also care about the well-being, the personal well being of every single employee. Not just them as an employee, but you know, who they are, you know, to be healthy. They want them to be happy.

SAMIA: Yes…

CAROLYN: They want them to be stress-free, right?

SAMIA: Yes. That is such a great point. To care about people in your organization not just as employees or producing things for you, doing work for you, but to care about them as people. And I think that if we have that approach, that would actually mitigate a lot of situations where, you know, we ask our employees to put themselves in situations or have expectations of employees that end up compromising their personal well-being. I mean like working late overtime hours, working at times when they should really need to be with family or you know, things like that. And I mean, there's such toxic culture. There's so much, so many organizations have very toxic cultures, work cultures, even if, you know, it's not toxic in terms of the again, the walk that you are doing, but it's toxic in terms of it just, it's like a culture that makes you ignore other aspects of your life…

CAROLYN: Yeah, it doesn't honor you as a person, has no.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: Has no regard for your health…

SAMIA: Yes, yes, right. Yes, exactly.

CAROLYN: I feel that needs to change and think about the public. I mean, would you buy a product or a service from a business that does take care of their employees, that teach that treats their employees? Again, it's like the part of the family, is it function or is it dysfunction?

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: You know, that really, you know, cares about them? I would choose that. I would choose that. And I think that we're going to see a lot more of that. People want more transparency, they're going to want more, you know, who am I buying this product from?

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Who's really behind all this? What is, you know, what do they believe? How do they treat them?

SAMIA: Yes, I do believe that it's not just something that you and I are wanting. But you're pointing to something that actually yours, like research has established this pretty firmly that especially with like the millennials and the younger generation, there has been a huge consciousness shift. And our younger generations are really shifting to more of a values-based mentality when they make their buying decisions. Like, they really ask... Like, I know personally, I'm a millennial too, and I have this value. Like I, whenever I need to buy something, I'm like, okay, let me do a search eco-friendly version of this thing. Is there a company that's more socially responsible in the way that they create their product? You know, like, and I'm willing to pay more if I have to. I mean, and if I can afford to, sometimes I am not able to afford the higher price tag. But then I really think about, do I really then need the thing that's made in a way that's not environmentally friendly and socially responsible? And you know, I'm happy to say most of the time my, you know, I'm able to hold back like when I truly don't need that product. And I'm like, okay, I'll just hold back.

CAROLYN: Absolutely. And the businesses that don't wake up and starts to make these changes, we're going to see them fall.

SAMIA: Yeah, yeah. And it'll be like, not that I want businesses to shut down or bad things to happen in that, in that way, but really, truly, like they need to change. And yeah…

CAROLYN: They need to be on the pulse. They need to understand what the community really wants. Where, you know, what are the values of the community at this time. You know, businesses that don't. I, you know, that's just a lot of arrogance. I mean that, that's the way it used to be, you know, and that was accepted, but now it's just not really accepted. And people are, they're really quick to look for another solution where in the past they didn't. Now they are. And so, and I think that's... She is again... I think that, you know, businesses, again, that, and that's part of the values. Right?

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Are they honoring? You know, because I think that's a smart thing too is, you know, honoring the importance of your employees, honoring the importance of your community, the people that you serve, the people that you are creating, creating these products for, they need to matter. When they don't matter to you, then, and they start to... I think that people are going to be more and more aware of it too, because I think that people are becoming more consciously aware.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Many things. Many things…

SAMIA: Yeah. And I just from a spiritual perspective, you know, the more you become aware of your own spiritual reality, the more you realize that we're part of the same whole. We are all interconnected, we're all interdependent. And so really, truly, when you care for other people, when you care for our planet, you are actually helping your own self.

CAROLYN: Yes. That is how a business should be. The understanding of, you know, the spiritual law of oneness. We are all one. And yeah, what is, you know, what benefits one is going to benefit all, what doesn't, when it's going to be the downfall, you know, is going to also affect all. So, you know, as you're talking and you know, when a company goes through the hiring process to really amp up the way that they hire. Okay. With really making sure that the employee are, does fall into alignment with the values, the mission statement, all of this. Okay.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: And once they really feel that they have the perfect employee for this position, they have, you know, this employee would be per, you know, their strengths and their talents, you know, really are lined up and they would be able to utilize them, you know, and really grow them and expand them. That, you know, when they get that perfect employee, then I think that they need to take really good care of that employee. They need to be make sure that that employee is, you know, make sure that, you know, just like a child, you know, again, it's the family.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Make sure you check in personally, professionally, how are you doing? Do you need something? The more that, you know, they are in tune with everybody that's part of the machine, then it's going to flow really, really nicely and everyone is going to grow and flourish. You know, when your employees, they begin to really grow and they love, you know, who doesn't appreciate being noticed, being taken care of in a way that, for instance, you know, someone ask checking in, just ask them, you know, how are things? You know, and listening. And then they, if you do hear that, oh, they do have a problem in this area, you know, maybe we can, maybe there's a, we can get a person in to maybe help them with that or, or whatever, you know, just kind of like, you know, I'm letting them know that they have support.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: That it's not a shame, you know, because a lot of people, a lot of employees are afraid to say anything because they don't want to give up. You know.

SAMIA: Right.

CAROLYN: So what if they, what if you had a culture and environment where you weren't afraid to speak up and that, you know. And business even encouraged it. And there's a little department and I know that there is, you know, the HR and all of that, but. Well, maybe even at a, I don't know even that. I think everything needs to be overhauled, basically.

SAMIA: Yes.

CAROLYN: And looked at again.

SAMIA: Ah, Carolyn, once again I find myself in that situation where I'm like, ah, we have to wrap up for the day, but I want to keep talking. There's so much more to talk about. Oh, gosh... But we will wrap up for the day. Do you have any last thoughts you would like to share? 

CAROLYN: Oh, you know, I think that we are in a time that we are... There's so many opportunities right now and we really. This is time to really start to think outside of the box.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: And you know, to begin to align more so in like what we were talking about, the higher mind and the physical mind. Really looking at that. That concept even, you know, looking at. Well, maybe I should start, you know, try this meditation. You know, I think I would love to see it as being something as common practice in schools and businesses and that's home. Because I, I just see that there's just so much, so much benefit. But anyways, I think that, I think that we are at the threshold of creating a new reality. You know, a new way of doing business, of living life that is just much more inflow, much more cohesive with.

SAMIA: Yeah.

CAROLYN: Know who we are as a people growing and expanding all these wonderful positive ways and in abundance. I feel that, you know, abundance on all levels, including financially. That just happens. It's natural. It's innate... You know, the more that we are in tune and what I call like the embodiments of the soul, just really living from, you know, allowing that guidance to assist us, we're going to experience a lot more abundance financially and personally. And then just multiple, multiple levels... And I'm just excited for what's happening and for what's the future that we are moving towards.

SAMIA: Yes…

CAROLYN: Thank you so much. Thank you…

SAMIA: Thank you…

CAROLYN: I really do appreciate it.

SAMIA: Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much, Carolyn. Just thank you so much... And I will just give a last reminder from my end to our audience. Please make sure you check the show notes because we will be dropping Carolyn's links there so you can connect with her and continue to learn with her. I hope we'll bring you back again, Carolyn, but don't wait for that to happen. Just go ahead, check the show notes, connect with Carolyn, continue to learn with her, and get the help and support that you need whenever you're ready for it. And until we connect next time, I wish you lots and lots of peace and joy... :)