"Get out and stay out!"

Vintage 1980: My old friend, Sam Bogan returns to the office at the end of a grueling day of selling office supplies. Like a well-worn routine, one of us asks Sam his favorite question. "Hey Sam, how did it go out there today?" Wreaking of cigarette smoke and cracking a sheepish grin, Sam delivers his pat answer, to which we laugh, as if we're hearing it for the first time.

"I got TWO orders today. Get out and stay out!"

Back in the day of old business, we didn't have cell phones or computers. We wrote our orders using carbon paper and hand-priced every sku from rolodexes to liquid paper. Cold-calling was done in person and it wasn't unusual to find yourself chatting it up with the owner or president of a company. 

The good ole days? You tell me. We certainly lacked the modern gadgets and conveniences that we take for granted in new business. But, we knew one another well, we laughed a lot, we didn't use the word stress and we went home at the end of the day and had a life. 

Circa 2016: My dear friend, who will go nameless, is at the top of the corporate Learning & Development food chain. I respect what she does in new business and she respects my old business attitude when it comes to imparting self-insight into the modern-day workaholic.

On many occasions, my friend has coached me to keep my expectations low and my spirits high, especially when I'm dragging in the door after a grueling day of pushing modern meditation, because I've been met with the equivalent response of  "Get out and stay out." 

Let's face it,  mindfulness-based initiatives, while gaining attention and respect in corporate America, are still somewhat of a dinosaur. 

Fact: Current scientific research reveals that stress-reduction and self-awareness training provide the infrastructure to support a happier, healthier workforce. 

Why then, if it's so great, isn't everyone doing it?

This question has sparked me to embark on a research project that will culminate in an article (hopefully, published) featuring interviews with gurus from the Benefits, HR and L&D arenas. I'd like to hear first-hand and then share with the world, what these movers and shakers believe about the place of ancient techniques for self-management and self-awareness in the demanding world of new business.

Contact me if you're interested in participating!