Ralph Simone, Author at Emergent

Ralph Simone

The illusion of control is, perhaps, the leading stressor for most human beings. Yes, there are legitimate worries–money, relationship troubles, sickness, war–but often the heavier burden is our mistaken notion that we are somehow responsible for everything that happens to us. The countless things we fret over are mostly out of our control, but unfortunately,…

Open to Everything, Attached to Nothing, and Expert in Something blog cover image

Ralph Simone

In a recent consulting skills class that I was leading, a participant asked a familiar question: What makes a good consultant? I replied, “A good consultant is open to everything, attached to nothing, and expert in something.” It is the first time I answered the question in that fashion—I think it would make a good…

Ralph Simone

The great paradox of the quest for enlightenment is that it is a lifelong search for something you already have. I’ve been reading and listening to a lot of material on this subject, and the one consistent message I’m receiving is that enlightenment is not something to attain, but something to recognize. It’s an awakening…

Ralph Simone

If you’ve read anything about Buddhism, you’ve probably heard of the Four Noble Truths. These precepts pose a challenge–life is often painful and difficult–and then provide an answer to that challenge in the form of Buddhist philosophy. They point to a path forward grounded in non-resistance. Leadership is both a privilege and responsibility. It is…

Ralph Simone

What’s most important for you in your life, as you see it now? Is it your health, vocation, relationships, personal development? Perhaps it’s unfair to frame the question this way, as if you can only choose one. Most people cannot and should not whittle their priorities down to a unitary aim. But neither should your…

Ralph Simone

For the longest time I’ve felt that there has been too much emphasis in our country on independence. We are told the country was founded by “independent thinkers” and the frontier settled by “rugged individualists.” There’s certainly virtue in marching to the beat of your own drummer (to paraphrase Thoreau, one of America’s great loners)…

Ralph Simone

It was April of 2003, and I was in New Jersey attending the first module of my coaching certification training while my wife and two young children were navigating the challenges of an ice storm that left them with no power for a few days. So, while I was focusing on the coursework, wondering if…

Ralph Simone

I am not sure if it’s courage or naivety, but I have never been afraid of “leading up.” In a hierarchical structure, leading up means managing those above you—influencing the direction of your organization despite a lack of positional authority. It’s giving your boss your honest opinion and asking for what you need. It isn’t…

Ralph Simone

In my upcoming book, there’s a chapter called “Get Out of Your Own Way.” As I teach what I need to learn, I wrote that chapter to remind myself how often I hold onto things that prevent me from living as well as I could. The main roadblocks blocking my path to higher awareness are…

Ralph Simone

It’s the time of year to set resolutions, and I’ve got mine: Stop resisting what is and grasping at what I don’t have. I have been doing a lot of introspective work recently and once again am getting the opportunity to relearn a lesson. Simply stated, I am repeatedly tripped up by the illusion of…

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