“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.” – Jack Kornfield, Buddhist scholar, author, teacher

Our wellbeing is of paramount importance, we owe it to ourselves and the youth we serve to be well-rested, focused, and energized. One of the tools that I have found to help me do that is taking part in mindfulness practices in my everyday life. By no means I am an expert in the subject – I am still very much learning – but being able to stop for a moment to understand our purpose helps me envision what I can do to move our mission forward. As commissioners, our culture is centered around mindfulness with the best example being our culture statement: Be the heart. Build relationships. Change lives.

A few years ago, I was a participant in a mindfulness course taught by Laurie Cameron, founder of leadership consulting company Purpose Blue, and senior mindfulness teacher with Google’s Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. In her book, The Mindful Day, she offers four suggestions on how to greet colleagues with presence and I’d like to reframe those in the work that we do as volunteers in the BSA.

1. Prioritize relationships: Be intentional and set a priority in building relationships with unit leaders, professionals, and other volunteers. When you visit with a volunteer, talk more than just Scouting, get to know the person you are working with.
2. Visualize positive interactions: Being mindful is a journey that will take some practice. Before jumping in, take a moment and picture what will be a successful outcome and visualize in your mind what little actions can be impactful to achieving them.
3. Create micro-moments of connection: When heading into a meeting take a moment to remember that you want to be intentional about creating a genuine bond with the Scouters you are meeting. Greet everyone warmly and be present in the moment.
4. Reflect: After every meaningful interaction take a moment to think how that made you feel. Ask yourself: Was I effectively connecting with the people I meet? Do I feel more motivated?

Taking the time to be mindful in our connections with others will create a stronger bond with the volunteers we serve and achieve a sense of belonging for them in our movement. It also reflects the culture we set out to create. When we feel that we belong in our council, district, or unit it increases our engagement and satisfaction in our Scouting experience. This positive shift in the environment leads to empowered scouters that will affect positive change in the youth we serve.