Celebrating the Power of our Hearts in Leadership

Take a breath, expand your belly.  Breathe in vitality and clarity.  Allow that inhale to extend your energy up and out like the branches of a tree.  Allow your long exhale to spiral through you and into the center of the earth.  Inhale again………and  on your long exhale notice the softening of your chest.  Allow yourself to sink into your heart, allow yourself to sense your wholeness.
In Aikido, my teacher, Sensei, reminds us to sink into our hearts to connect with our power, our strength.  When I am faced with an adversary who is twice my size, which happens often to me, I want to tense up of course, and flex my muscles.   Yet I know that I cannot rely on my muscle strength to bring my opponent down to the matt.  When I sink into my heart and bring my opponent to my center, then I realize my true power.
In the day to day activity of leadership we face opposition that can appear insurmountable.  If we go after it with brute force, it may not budge. Or it may budge at considerable cost to our energy and to our relationships.  When we sink into our hearts and speak and act from that place—we can be formidable!
What do you notice when you sink into your heart?