Him? Well known. His schedule? Unknown. I guess this is one of the “perks” of being the ex-Prime Minister of UK. Security is always an issue. But I’m not going to talk about his security issues. Nor am I going to talk about his previous endeavours or his current peacekeeping crusade. What I want to highlight, is his emphasis on his journey within.
I attended a 3 day seminar. It was a series of preview talks (sales talks?) from personal development experts around the world. It was a bit too much over 3 days. I was having indigestion at the end of the first day, and a major headache by the second day. There is only so much of “I want you to be a millionaire” that I can take…
Tony Blair was different. Watching him live was like watching him on television. Where other presenters pace around the stage, waving their hands and asking you to stand up and sit down (numerous times…), he stood firmly by the podium, with 2 mics staring at him. Never once did he leave this comfort zone, until the question and answer session.
The Q&A session was done, just like a talk show, with 2 sofas, a host asking a series of questions and 2 glasses of water on a side table. As I said, it was just like watching him on television.
He was asked many questions. About how he was in a rock band, about how he coped with the media, about how he coped with life as a father and a prime minister at the same time. He gave us 10 lessons he learnt to be successful. What I took away? Was how he created an environment so that he has time to think and reflect, and this wasn’t in the 10 lessons. It was a candid comment about the time when he just became prime minister.
When he was just sworn in as the prime minister of UK, he was given a schedule. The schedule includes meetings, meetings and more meetings. The first question he asked was, “where is my time?” Where is my thinking time? Yes, the schedule has been used by many before him, but it doesn’t mean he has to use it.
It’s important to have this thinking time, even at a prime minister level, or should I say, especially at the prime minister level, because the decisions at this level affects an entire nation.
If you don’t have a thinking time currently, have the courage to ask for one. Have the courage to create one. If the prime minister and a father can do it, I’m sure you can manage to sneak in a few minutes of thinking time. If the leader of a country think it’s important, it’s important to the leader of yourself as well. YOU.
Take the journey within. Make time for it. Your nation will thank you for it, eventhough your nation is made up of only your family, your friends and your colleagues.
p/s: For an idea of how this can work, please take a look at Augusto Pinaud’s Extraordinary Hour.
If you think this is worth sharing, do share it with your friends. Thank you for reading.
Related posts:
2 Comments
In this busy world, its hard to allocate some thinking time. Unfortunately for most, thinking time is not worthy a time at all. Tony Blair was wise to seek for this important moment for his every day schedule.
What is there to know if we don’t have time to think?
Well said Walter!