Today’s Reflection: Embracing Inner Stillness

Today’s quote comes from Swami Sivananda: “Just as the bottom of a lake becomes clearly visible when the surface waves settle, so too can the true self be perceived when the fluctuations of the mind calm.”

Only when we find stillness and become fully present with ourselves can we truly recognize who we are. In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, this has become increasingly challenging. We are bombarded with a constant stream of news, facts, and information. Even in everyday life, choices have multiplied; in supermarkets, for instance, we now face entire aisles filled with countless varieties of jam, rather than just four or five options.

Take a look at today’s youth: they often juggle multiple digital devices simultaneously. One screen might be playing music or a movie while another is used for homework or gaming. In restaurants, people no longer simply engage in conversation; they send messages, respond to notifications, and read texts—all while dining together. Even parents out for a stroll with their children often find themselves on the phone, chatting with friends. The focus on genuine human connection has sadly become an afterthought.

This is unfortunate because true connection with others can only be discovered when we tune out distractions and concentrate fully on the person in front of us. We now know that multitasking is not effective, yet we continue to act as if it is possible.

But the quote speaks to something deeper: in extreme situations, it can be nearly impossible to be ourselves. Just as turbulent waves hide the lake’s depths, intense emotions can obscure our true selves, making it hard to feel who we really are. This is why it is crucial to return to the present moment, consciously focusing on now and letting everything else fade away.

Breathing slowly and deeply can be a powerful way to calm those waves. In that moment of tranquility, our true selves re-emerge.

The same principle applies to our interactions with others: when we genuinely engage with someone, we can sense their true self—provided they are open to it. Let’s prioritize the moment and focus on what truly matters: ourselves and those around us. By doing so, we can cultivate deeper connections and rediscover the essence of who we are.

Erscheint 2025: Arbeitstagungen mit Großgruppen erfolgreich partizipativ gestalten

Bald ist es soweit! 2025 erscheint mein neues Buch:

Arbeitstagungen mit Großgruppen erfolgreich partizipativ gestalten Grundlagen und konkrete Einsatzmöglichkeiten in der Organisationsentwicklung

In diesem Fachbuch zeige ich, wie Arbeitstagungen in Großgruppen partizipativ und erfolgreich gestaltet werden können. Viele Teilnehmende empfinden herkömmliche Formate als wenig hilfreich. Wenn Arbeitstagungen im Großgruppen-Format partizipativ gestaltet werden, bringen sie Menschen zusammen und bereichern Entscheidungen durch vielfältige Perspektiven.

Das Buch beleuchtet die Grundbedingungen für Großgruppenmethoden in der Organisationsentwicklung und Erwachsenenbildung und stellt essenzielle Rollen für eine partizipative Gestaltung solcher Tagungen vor. Praxisnah erläutere ich die sechs populärsten und interessantesten Großgruppenmethoden, die ich in meinen fast 20 Jahren als Erwachsenenbildner selbst durchgeführt habe: Future Search Conference, Open-Space-Technology, Real-Time-Strategic-Change, World Café, Appreciative Inquiry Summit und Barcamp.

Der Inhalt umfasst:

  • Partizipative Gestaltung von Arbeitstagungen

  • Rollen und Auftragsklärung

  • Tipps zur Planung und Durchführung

  • (Hybride) Großgruppen-Methoden

  • Evaluation und nachhaltiger Erfolg

Lassen Sie sich inspirieren und entdecken Sie neue Wege für erfolgreiche Arbeitstagungen! Tauchen Sie ein in meine beinahe 20-jährige Erfahrung in der Erwachsenenbildung und lernen Sie, wie man mögliche Herausforderungen bei der Konzeption meistern kann.

Einen großen Dank möchte ich Mareike Teichmann , meiner Editorin beim Springer Gabler Verlag, aussprechen, die mir letzte Woche mein Manuskript genehmigte. Durch ihre Unterstützung ist mein Traum wahr geworden, ein Buch über Didaktik und Methodik zu schreiben.

Außerdem danke ich Prof. Dr. Werner Sauter für das Geleitwort; es ist eine Ehre, dass er sich bereit erklärte, dies zu übernehmen.

Mein Dank gilt auch meinen Arbeitgebern, bei denen ich lernen und meine Trainerpersönlichkeit entwickeln sowie unter Beweis stellen durfte. Besonders lehrreich war meine Erfahrung im Bereich Großgruppengestaltung mit den Firmen Orthomol pharmazeutische Vertriebs GmbH, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Novartis Deutschland und E. Breuninger.

Finding Inner Peace: A Reflection

This quote comes from François de La Rochefoucauld: “If you do not find peace within yourself, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.”

What is inner peace, really? It’s a state where we feel at ease, reconciled, relaxed, and content with ourselves. In this state, we are free from external conflicts and any internal struggles. We feel clear and centered, remaining calm in all situations, even the most stressful ones.

This balance is cultivated through mindfulness—living consciously in the moment—and self-reflection, which involves understanding who we are and how we feel. It’s a form of self-leadership, being aware of our emotions, recognizing the patterns of interpretation we follow, and understanding the beliefs that may hold us captive.

Inner peace emerges from within through self-acceptance and, in my view, cannot be compared to the experience of flow, which is tied to an activity. Flow, as defined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, occurs when we engage in a task to the point of losing track of time and space, where work feels effortless. While both experiences yield satisfaction, inner peace is independent of any activity—it emphasizes equilibrium and serenity. Simply existing is enough to feel this peace, accompanied by the affirmation: “I am at peace with myself and the world. I am exactly as I should be.”

Importantly, inner peace is not about ignorance or egocentrism; it’s about accepting our true selves. For some, discovering this peace may come more easily through activities, but fundamentally, it is a mindset regarding oneself.

I find my inner peace most readily during long walks with my dog, Lotte, without music or a phone—just the path, Lotte, and me. Meditation and mindfulness exercises are also effective methods. However, everyone has their own way of igniting this inner peace, and it’s crucial not to confuse it with the flow experience.

Inner peace can only arise from within.

It’s like a bud that lies dormant in each of us; everyone has the potential to attain inner peace. It is up to each individual whether that bud will ever bloom. In my opinion, inner peace is the foundation for flourishing as our true selves, providing the opportunity to discover talents that cannot be unearthed without it. Without inner peace, we may find ourselves swayed by the opinions of others, still unsure of who we truly are.

Discovering our inner peace means allowing ourselves to be who we are. It’s certainly worth the effort. Let’s embark on this journey together; who knows what wonderful aspects of ourselves we may uncover?

The Vital Role of Anger: Understanding and Harnessing Its Power

„Never act in haste out of anger – you have enough time.“ — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anger is often viewed as a negative emotion. In professional settings, it is frowned upon, much like many other emotions. From my experience, joy is perhaps the only fundamental emotion that is somewhat acceptable in the workplace, although it is often expressed cautiously. According to Paul Ekman, the basic emotions include joy, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, anger, and contempt. https://www.neverest.at/blog/7-grundemotionen-paul-ekman/

However, anger is anything but unnecessary. It is a crucial emotion that support us in following:

  1. Indication of Injustice: Anger reveals that the person feels wronged and highlights injustices that need to be addressed.

  2. Motivation for Change: Anger encourages us to step out of our comfort zones, set new boundaries, and advocate for ourselves actively.

  3. Self-Protection: Anger helps us recognize underlying feelings and protects us from falling into a cycle of sadness or self-pity.

  4. Enhanced Self-Reflection: Anger highlights where we have been hurt and prompts us to reflect on past experiences.

  5. Catalyst for Communication: Anger drives us to discuss issues that have caused us pain. It often serves as a prompt to resolve conflicts or uncover misunderstandings.

  6. Source of Energy: Unlike sadness, anger provides us with energy and strength, enabling us to tackle and overcome new challenges.

  7. Emotional Processing: Anger aids in processing emotions, including fear and sadness, contributing to healing our wounds. https://www.geo.de/magazine/geo-kompakt/15270-rtkl-psychologie-heilsamer-zorn-ueber-die-wut-und-ihre-positiven

Like all emotions, anger holds significant and positive meaning. The key is to recognize anger and use it constructively. This emotion can serve as a catalyst for personal growth and even bring about a positive change in society.

Suppressing or denying anger is detrimental, as the aggressive energy it generates must go somewhere. If it is not expressed outwardly, it turns inward, potentially leading to depression or other psychosomatic disorders, according to scientists.

On the other hand, blind anger can be destructive. Emerson is not against anger; rather, he views it as a driving force that must be released gradually. It’s akin to a pressure cooker: when the contents (anger) boil, the pressure must be released slowly. If I were to open the lid suddenly, the contents would splatter against the walls and ceiling.

Treat anger like the process of opening a pressure cooker.

The Importance of Spending Time with Yourself: A Journey to Self-Love

„Spend some time with yourself every day.“ — Dalai Lama

This quote resonates deeply with me. Someone once told me that you are the most important person in your own life, a sentiment attributed to Martin Luther. Back in high school, I thought it sounded quite self-absorbed and even egocentric. During my university years, I frequently discussed a similar phrase with my roommates: „Love your neighbor as yourself“ (Mark 12:31). Some focused on „love your neighbor,“ but I believe the emphasis lies on „as yourself.“

To me, the crucial point is in that second part. You can only love another person as much as you have learned to love yourself. After all, where can love come from if you aren’t treating yourself with kindness? Is it possible that we confuse love with simply wanting to please others or feeling we must earn our partner’s affection? Only when we appreciate and accept ourselves as we truly are can we allow others to value us without needing any justification—just by being ourselves.

Achieving this self-acceptance and appreciation requires time for self-discovery. We need to understand how and why we react the way we do. Engaging with ourselves means looking into the darker aspects of our self and daring to reflect, even through discomfort.

A helpful concept for learning self-love is the Appreciation Pyramid by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Haller, which consists of seven levels:

  1. Awareness: Ask yourself, „How am I feeling right now? What’s happening within me?“

  2. Mindfulness: Focus on your thoughts. „Where are my thoughts? How can I bring them to the present moment, since only the now can be changed?“

  3. Respect: Consider how you treat your soul and body. „Do I respect my own boundaries?“

  4. Recognition: Reflect on your achievements. „What did I accomplish today? What went well?“

  5. Appreciation: Think about your positive interactions. „How did I behave positively today? Where did I make a difference?“

  6. Trust: This level is a natural outcome of the previous steps—trusting your abilities and knowing how to respond in different situations.

  7. Self-love: This is the culmination of all the previous levels.

How can you reach all this states? The answer is simple: spend time with yourself.

The Resilience of the Human Spirit: A Reflection on Identity and Freedom

Today’s quote comes from Wilhelmine von Hillern: “What we have, we can lose, but never what we are.”

Material possessions are fleeting, but our inner selves, our souls, and our character cannot be taken away. This reminds me of a folk song that my mother, who passed away on November 19, 2021 with 88 years, often quoted and taught us. The first stanza goes: “Thoughts are free! Who can guess them? They flee like shadows of the night. No one can know them, no hunter can shoot them; it remains true: Thoughts are free!” She was a child during World War II and learned how crucial it is to perceive one’s thoughts as free.

No one can truly know who we are, what we think, or how we feel. Communication experts may claim they can interpret body language, but just as often as they are right, they are also wrong. No matter how well one believes they know someone, they can never fully grasp their thoughts, feelings, or reactions, as we have a free will. We often compare others to ourselves, thinking we can empathize with their situations. However, this only works to a limited extent because our essence and our patterns of interpretation and attitude are shaped by our experiences. This means that our past has made us who we are today, making each of us special and unique.

The valleys we have traversed and the peaks we have reached in our lives shape us into the wonderful people we are. In my opinion, the art lies in preserving our curiosity, hope, and the core of our character, even through the trials we face—whether they be valleys or deserts that life may bring. These challenges, which we endure without losing our character or sense of self, ultimately strengthen us.

This reminds me of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed as a resistance fighter in a concentration camp in 1945 during World War II. In all of his writings, it is clear that he retained his inner self, his character, and his hope. They took everything from him, even his freedom and ultimately his life, but they could not take away what he was and what he thought. One of the most powerful lines for me is this: “In good powers wonderfully sheltered, we calmly await whatever may come. God is with us in the evening and in the morning, and certainly on each new day.” He wrote this in December 1944, just before his execution. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Bonhoeffer-Gedicht – Nationalsozialismus – Geschichte – Planet Wissen (planet-wissen.de)

It is irrelevant whether one is religious; what matters is that he remained true to himself and did not allow himself to be broken. Bonhoeffer would not permit anyone to take away his inner self, his thoughts, or his identity. Perhaps we should learn from him to overcome hurdles and obstacles in our lives.

 

Be Your Authentic Self: The Courage to Stand Out

Today’s quote comes from Judy Garland: “Be a first-class version of yourself, not a second-class version of someone else.”

Being true to oneself is, in my opinion, one of the most important things in life. Yet, this can be a challenging endeavor. Our experiences shape us, and each of us interprets situations based on what we’ve learned and experienced—both passively and actively. These events define us.

For instance, you might have a twin who looks just like you, but the way you perceive the world and interpret events can be entirely different. Years later, discussing a shared experience can reveal how divergent your memories are, making it feel as though you were in completely different situations.

This uniqueness can make it difficult to be a first-class version of ourselves. When you’re truly being yourself, others might not understand you. They may struggle to empathize or recognize aspects of you that they themselves have never acknowledged.

In the business world, showing emotions or fully sharing your knowledge can sometimes trigger fear in others. A person who dares to be authentic may be seen as a threat, as they embrace their true selves rather than conforming to what others expect. This can create discomfort for those who suppress their own individuality to blend in with the crowd. If someone cannot or will not allow him/herself to be authentic, he/she may feel the need for others to stay away from the authentic person, otherwise they might recognise his/her own learning fields. The authetic person is otherwise a mirror where the unauthentic persons sees the own development fields. This is projection, which means, a „mental process by which people attribute to others what is in their own minds.“ (https://www.britannica.com/science/projection-psychology)

Being a first-class version of yourself requires courage, self-reflection, and the acceptance that you might not be universally liked and could be labeled as „different.“ The advantage is that you can look in the mirror every day and know that you are exactly who you are—human and yet unique.

Have the courage to be yourself. Diversity makes the world more colorful and lovable, not uniformity.

Embracing the Spirit of Clare of Assisi: A Call to Courage and Commitment

Today’s quote comes from Clare of Assisi: “What you hold on to, hold on to. What you do, do, and do not grow weary.”

This quote should be considered in light of the century and the person of Clare of Assisi. Clare lived in the early 13th century. Against her noble family’s wishes, she renounced wealth to found her own women’s order of the Franciscans, introducing a new rule of life centered on perfect poverty.https://franziskaner.net/klara-biografie/

This is not about material matters but rather about ideas, personal beliefs, and visions that one develops and believes in. For me, this quote emphasizes the importance of persevering and holding on to one’s ideas and sense of purpose in life. In my view, the meaning of life is to make the world a better place and to see others as they are, in all their facets and greatness. Each of us is unique and can use our individual experiences, abilities, and personalities to improve the world.

Clare of Assisi shed everything that supported the ego—money, power, influence, and status—to live in poverty in accordance with her values. She provided faithful women in need with a home. Through her vision, she made the world a better place for many women of her time. Women who were impoverished in the early 13th century could have become serfs. While they lived in poverty, which they would have done anyway, they were at least not abused and exploited.

Certainly, it was not easy for Clare of Assisi to found this order against her family’s wishes and to give up all her previous luxuries. Yet she held on to her idea and did not grow weary in fighting for recognition and even support from the Pope.

We should take her as an example in courage and comittment and hold on to our ideas and visions, believe in ourselves, and continue steadfastly, no matter who throws stones in our path or how large they are. Don’t let yourself be intimidated, follow your own sense of life.

Stay true to yourself and believe in your purpose. Gather all your courage and commit to it, it’s worth it.

In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity

Today’s quote comes from Albert Einstein. ‘In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity’.

The quote can be perplexing when you’re grappling with significant challenges and dreading potential future events, or when you’re in a phase where you feel utterly stuck, unable to see a way forward.

This is what Albert Einstein’s quote is about: shifting from a carousel of ‚what-ifs‘ to focusing on what’s achievable. It’s natural to dwell on possibilities and indulge in self-pity for a time, but eventually, we must move on to find the positives within our struggles.

Dwelling on possibilities and fears can paralyse the mind and soul, leading to stagnation. Like quicksand, self-pity can pull you down; to escape, you need a firm foundation.

Analogy 1: In the eye of a storm, there is tranquillity, and it is there that you can find the strength to emerge stronger from adversity.

Analogy 2: Muscle growth requires progressively increasing the weight, challenging the muscles. If the weight is too much, it’s sensible to reduce it gradually.

In other words, when difficulties seem overwhelming, it’s practical to tackle them one by one, eliminating them step by step. Often, others extend a helping hand, illuminating options without becoming directly involved.

Each of us has the power to illuminate the darkness for someone else by revealing possibilities. In the end, whether to embrace these opportunities is a decision that lies with the individual confronting the challenges.

It is a direction, not a destination.

Today’s quote from Carl R. Rogers is: „It is a direction, not a destination.“

Carl R. Rogers, the founder of person-centered counseling, believed that the client is at the center, emphasizing empathy with their world and acceptance of their standpoint. It’s not about interpreting or adopting a medical therapeutic viewpoint, but about fully engaging with the person. Solutions are crafted by the clients themselves through listening and a curious, non-demanding approach in conversation. This self-development of solutions leads to more enduring results and better outcomes, as the motivation originates from the clients.

This approach is encapsulated in the quote. Life offers a direction, not a fixed destination / goal. Destinations are known to shift over time. Even if one achieves a meticulously planned destination, it may not fulfill the initial anticipation. Moreover, achieving a destination / goal often leads to the creation of a new, sometimes radically different destination / goal. The journey towards a goal is fraught with unknowns that can never be completely anticipated. Despite this, setting a destination / goal is crucial, but it might be more beneficial to set a direction instead.

Setting a direction and not a destination maintains flexibility and wards off disappointment, as rigid destinations / goals can lead to disillusionment. Directions can adapt if circumstances change, such as an ill-timed moment or inadequate preparation.

Consider hiking: navigating a steep, rocky terrain during a downpour can be perilous; timing is key. Unlike destinations /fixed goals, directions can accommodate spontaneous changes and remain adaptable.

Which destination would have been a better direction for you? I would be happy to hear about your experiences.