by Dr. Chris Johnson | Nov 1, 2023 | Attention, Consciousness, Mindfulness
Are you aware of a constant low-grade hum that’s always present? The tension of that hum seems more pronounced right now. Across from my kitchen table, there’s a pastel drawing. It’s a cornucopia, a horn of plenty drawn by me, years ago while I was in a pastels...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Oct 1, 2023 | Embodied Leadership, Learning, Mindfulness
Reflect on the last time you snapped at someone out of irritation or anger. Or when you realized you had disparaging remarks about their smarts, social skills or even their points of view. Or when their struggle and pain caught you by surprise. For most of us,...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Sep 1, 2023 | Embodied Leadership, Mindfulness, Practice
Our culture celebrates activity! Endemic, perpetual busyness has risen in status and become a twisted badge of honor; quite different from the days of old where the ultimate freedom was to not have to work. Leisure used to be the ultimate symbol of wealth and...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Aug 1, 2023 | Consciousness, Learning, Mindfulness
My first trip to New York City more than 20 years ago proved a bust. I’d wanted to see the Statue of Liberty, but going in January, during a big, smelly garbage strike, with blustery rain, well, you see what I mean. I just returned from NYC last week, and I’m...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Jul 1, 2023 | Mindfulness, Passion, Purpose
It was hot, humid, and yet incredibly dry that summer. I was excited to celebrate our nation’s Bicentennial, a great celebration of democracy, with friends and fireworks that Saturday night. The heat of the day accentuated the smell of brats on the...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Jul 1, 2023 | Learning, Mindfulness, Practice
I can’t believe it’s been a year . . . I’m excited to announce that my book The Leadership Pause: Sharpen Your Attention, Deepen Your Presence and Navigate the Future, is a winner in the 17th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA). I’m honored...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Jun 1, 2023 | Consciousness, Embodied Leadership, Mindfulness, Purpose
I woke up early that first Sunday of May. Bright and sunny, my plan was to go to church. Quiet reflection always energizes me, and I knew I’d be in a better mental place to study for my upcoming graduate school exams later that week from place of quiet...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | May 5, 2023 | Mindfulness, Practice, Purpose
Super busy these days? Who’s not? Most of us operate today in a state of continuous partial attention. Constantly on, overstimulated by everything and nothing at once, our dominant mode of attention is split, ensuring we’re never present to what’s unfolding...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Apr 5, 2023 | Learning, Mindfulness, Practice
Intentionally practicing pause, my Mom and I took a week-long trip, an elongated pause to explore new terrain, delight in the senses, and soak in the arrival of spring together. We traveled to see some of the oldest landscaped gardens and famed flowerbeds of...
by Dr. Chris Johnson | Mar 5, 2023 | Consciousness, Mindfulness, Resilience
I was listening to NPR as I grabbed my first cup of coffee that morning. With disbelief, I heard the news that Russian president Putin had brutally invaded Ukraine. My breath quickened. Did I time-travel back to the Cold War era? It was 2022, so I turned up the radio...
