Chad Hurley, Irena Medavoy, Mark Nathanson, Matthew Sanford, Rachael Bagby - what a wonderful collection of people, all with very personal and unique ways to unplug and recharge.
Chad Hurley, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the popular San Bruno-based video sharing website YouTube, says he has learned to simply not stress over all the unattended to items that come flying at him every day. His philosophy includes NOT responding to every email and being OK with that. Spending time with his family restores him and energizes him for the next round of work in the world. His sources of joy revolve around creating for people, finding opportunities where others find problems, and building communities that help people let go of the past so they can create a preferred future.
Rachael Bagby notes that 15 % of Americans sing in choirs! Why? Seems that singing produces a connection between people, one that helps them listen, interact and align. Not surprisingly, Rachael find that singing is her favorite way to slow down, realign, and go back out into the world with more energy and focus.
Irena Medavoy, sometime contributor to the Huffington Post and Contributing Editor for LA Confidential, finds that great power comes from the ability to just say "no" to the many demands placed on her every day as a celebrity in her own right, compounded by being married to a big time Hollywood producer. She shares that staying present is incredibly important to her, recalling that her son once stood next to her as she was writing and had to call out "Mom" several times before she even heard him! She has learned to "listen to her own rhythm," and finds staying home, attending to life as a Mom is incredibly restorative
Mark Nathanson finds fly fishing and playing bridge to be a perfect release for him. As he says, "you can't multitask doing either one. Learning to stay present removes stress."
Matthew Sanford is an amazing man who was paralyzed in an auto accident when he was 12. His work today focused on the connection between mind and body and he works as a yoga instructor! Imagine that, a yoga instructor who is paralyzed from the waist down. His suggestion for renewal? Focus on your breath as a way to find your inner silence and nourish your inner self.
Seems like there are as many ways to unplug and recharge as there are people. What's yours?
I'd love to hear from you. Please do leave a comment here or drop me an email at Russell (at) russellbishop.com.
***
If you want more information on how you can apply this kind of reframing to your life and to your job, about a few simple steps that may wind up transforming your life, please download a free chapter from my new book, Workarounds That Work. You'll be glad you did.
Russell Bishop is an educational psychologist, author, executive coach and management consultant based in Santa Barbara, Calif. You can learn more about my work by visiting my website at www.RussellBishop.com. You can contact me by e-mail at Russell (at) russellbishop.com.