Media mogul. One of the 100 most influential people according to TIME. President and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group. A true modern icon.
I’m not easily star-struck. But when Arianna Huffington started talking about finding beauty in everyday life, of being grateful, and the benefits of taking naps, during her keynote speech for the 2013 PBA Business Forum at Cosmoprof in Las Vegas, I was hooked. And, to top it all off, she told me ‘Oh, I like your glasses’ when I walked over to thank her for such a groundbreaking talk. How cool?!
Here’s what I took away from her speech. I hope it inspires you too. In your work and in your everyday life. Because beauty is always so much more than meets the eye.
-Social media is like word of mouth. But to be successful it has to be authentic. That really is the key. You don’t need thousands of followers to have an impact. Use social media to create change. People want meaning!
-Accept failure because it is not the opposite of success — Huffington’s first book was rejected 37 times before she was able to publish it.
-Live in moment. Don’t worry about what might happen. This has been said thousands of times, I know! But it’s still true…
-Emotional capital (well-being, wisdom, empathy, and giving back) is more important than financial capital. Because the current way we work—equating success with working around the clock, driving ourselves into the ground, sleep deprivation and burnout—isn’t working for anyone. Or the environment, for that matter.
-If you want to be successful, take naps! We are all more cheerful and productive when we sleep more. The offices of the Huffington Post are outfitted with sleep and meditation rooms to ‘recharge’.
-Don’t take your electronic devices to bed. Better yet, leave them out of the bedroom! Their stand-by lights interrupt sleep patterns, and no email is that urgent that it can’t wait until the morning. Yes, same goes for Facebook and Twitter. The world can wait for your ‘like’ or hashtag.
-There are new ways of operating at the corporate level that encompass wellness. More and more the bottom line will have to with health and well-being. It’s not the quantity of work that counts but the quality. Your work needs to be fulfilling. Is it?
-Gratitude is often neglected. Prioritize feeling of appreciation and adapt your language. Instead of using expressions such as ‘We’re killing it!’, turn to more nurturing and empathic vocabulary. In the end, it’s much more effective.
-And, finally, experience the richness of life, the wisdom of being still and contemplating something beautiful.
Comments are closed.