Man Cave of this post’s title is a personal josh, “Write Man Cave Article” being my reminder in this week’s list of things to do. The Cave spoken of here is not the proverbial man space or Mantuary, a male retreat or sanctuary down in the basement, garage or out in the back wood shed. This was simply my joke amongst an upstanding circle of men visiting South Haven last week from the Chicago Family Business Council’s Peer to Peer Networking Group associated with DePaul University. Eight owners and entrepreneurs of various businesses were part of a forum group promoting better communication by exploring emotional intelligence skills in the purpose of creating a safe space where the group could explore themselves, their businesses, and dive deep into looking closely at who and what they were, are, and hoped to become. The exercises in preparation for their Michigan getaway asked questions’ like: If you were asked by a child to tell that child what the most important thing you have learned in your life, what would you say? For what do you want to be remembered? And What do you feel about the underlining meaning and purpose of your life?
Not your traditional Man Cave mindset, as the stereotype is one of more emotional distance. No, Marty, Ken, Joel, Bill, Sean, Scott, Eric and Rick were genuine guys looking for the deeper resources of their own personal and professional life’s experiences. They hoped to incorporate some meditative techniques to meet the challenges that even successful business owners in today’s world still need to negotiate - insomnia, scattered thinking, taking a fragmented approach to daily life that can leave one wanting, even in the face of material abundance. So we did some meditating, we did some Seeing Hearing and Feeling within, a concentration practice that can increase one’s ability to focus, to relax, to gain insights into the nature of life and increase one’s love of self and others.
We talked about the benefits that flow from developing meditative skills, so as to have more of a foundation for keeping up this practice that enhances all areas of life. It’s an honor and a privilege to actually Do a spiritual practice with regularity and devotion in this world and enjoy the immense rewards thereof. It’s even more of a distinction to pass on aspects of spirituality that can be radically life-changing to others. Of course, along with hoping to give this group some of the building blocks of a good foundation, there was the need to mention the steep learning curve that can be the challenging side to embarking on a new meditative path. The good news is any of the members of this group or anyone else interested in rooting down with their practice can join the November Retreat weekend for an exploration of practices that empower the creation of more positive and meaningful lives, both at work and home.