Hillary Clinton’s secret. What’s transforming her temperament?

Hillary Clinton has a tough reputation.

She’s known as a highly-scripted career politician with a close relationship to scandal.

But is there some work going on in the background? Have you noticed how calm she’s been in the recent debates? And how she sat through eleven hours of Republican questioning last year showing great focus and ‘unearthly stamina’?

When members of Congress asked her about her secret, a microphone heard her explaining that she practiced meditation during the times in the hearing when she didn’t need to speak.

And this wasn’t a huge shock. Clinton has a longstanding interest in mindfulness…which may be reassuring to the rest of the world. The ability to offer uncluttered attention on the present moment could be crucial for a multi-tasking modern president.

The surprisingly simple practice of stepping back to focus on the breath and notice thoughts and sensations will make for a clearer mind in stressful situations, a more agile mind in strategy and decision making.

Professor Wilson at the University of Virginia has argued that the human brain is poorly equipped to handle the (roughly) 11 million pieces of information that arrive in any given moment of the day.

That’s a lot.

For efficiency’s sake, we tend to make decisions based on shortcuts — assumptions and impulses — rather than on careful attention to what’s actually happening in the moment.

But with reflective practice, a person becomes able to observe and reflect on the assumptions, feelings and internal narratives which unconsciously guide their words and behaviors…whether towards Trump, Putin or their husband.

If you’d like to offer your staff help with such reflective practice, whether a ½ day or full day, do talk with The Mind Clinic.

Focus and agility of mind: it’s not complicated and it’s not just for (would-be) Presidents…