Personal change, Phil Jackson & Zen

Some of my clients like to explore psychological, philosophical, or spiritual perspectives. Others prefer to focus on very specific issues, toward very concrete goals.

And yet, something deeper goes on, in the background. Making changes in your life does not just affect the concrete issues you’re dealing with. It also deeply impacts on your sense of who you are. My role is to pay attention to this process, even when we don’t explicitly talk about it.

What makes this different from just talking to a friend is that it is a deeper process: a journey into becoming more of who you really are.

This last sentence may sound a bit mystical. As such, it may seem at odds with the kind of proactive attitude that is geared to getting tangible results in real life.

A paradox? Not so, if you take a moment to think about one of the greatest basketball coaches. Phil Jackson's approach is very influenced by Zen.

One does not normally associate Zen’s quietness with the fast-paced world of professional sports. And, certainly, Phil Jackson’s role is not to turn very brash, very competitive athletes into self-effacing Zen monks. Far from that. Team owners have hired him, not because of his interest in Zen, but because of his track record in bringing teams to victory.

The point is that, in order to achieve the very specific goals of winning basketball games, Jackson believes it is useful to pay attention to more than just basketball skills.

What, then, am I saying here? That the process of change, like life itself, is multi-dimensional:
- As we focus on making concrete changes, we develop our sense of self;
- As we grow more into our authentic self, we increase our ability to get more of what we want out of life and work.

emptiness

heart sutra

mahayana verses

nirvana

zen

koans

See also:

- Turn insight into action

- Growth is a creative process