Have you ever wondered whether the problems in the world today would exist? If we had deeper connection to ourselves, others and the environment and acted from that place. Welcome to
Brian Berneman:the conscious action podcast with your host, Brian Berneman and Kayla Greenville, who believed that connection is the. Key to taking conscious action as individuals and creating a better world.
Ursula Griffen:We're here to raise awareness and inspire meaningful action by sharing stories, knowledge and conversations with thought leaders and change makers
Brian Berneman:from sustainability to wellbeing and everything related to conscious living. Our mission is to empower you to be the change that you want to see in the world. Welcome everyone to a new episode of the conscious action podcast. I am Brian Berneman and your host. And for this episode, I have the pleasure to be joined all the way from here in Auckland as well by Ursula Griffen. Thank you for taking the time to be here. Um, for being able to share what I'm hoping it's going to be a really Tru. I'm beneficial conversation for our listeners and for everyone that is here, can you share with them who is also
Ursula Griffen:thank you for having me nice to be here. Um, okay. Who am I? Well, I guess my title is, um, I'm a regenerative practitioner and a meditation teacher. Um, but I am a plethora of things, I guess. I've, um, had a background in ecology. That was what I studied at university. um, since then, I've been on a journey around with marketing and branding and working for organizations and, um, nonprofits in the, uh, environmental space, doing events and marketing. And I've, um, also been involved in creating health and wellness companies as well. Um, holding space, teaching meditation and my most recent, um, sort of. Journey has been in the regenerative practitioner world, which is like regenerative development, um, regenerative thinking and applying that to organizations into my own businesses as well. And, um, my most recent creation, I know this is a lot of things, uh, is a company called remind, which I'm collaborating with a close friend. We've been working together for three, four years. Um, Charlotte Richie and we have created a meditation mindfulness company to really get it out to the people, to get it into workplaces, uh, to make it really accessible people, being able to learn how to meditate and apply it to their daily lives. Mm. So that's my current, uh, days are full of remind , um, which has been so much fun. And. such an amalgamation of all of my skills and experience leading me up to now. So, uh, yeah, it's been really great. That's who I am. I'm not one of, one of four kids, the daughter of, uh, entrepreneurs and artists and my land is Tamaki Makoto and also the cor Mandel, my mountains, ringy tota.. And I sometimes think that the sky tower is a little bit of my mountain. like, I, I do I get this sense of like gratitude and awe. When I see the sky tower, it feels like home mm-hmm and my river would be the UA in the Carle really
Brian Berneman:wonder. So tell me also a little bit, before we dive deeper into some of these topics. um, you just mentioned, like from your chat bill, one of four kids and your parents, artists and entrepreneurs, was that part of what led you to all of this to be able to, or to be interested in these topics?
Ursula Griffen:Yeah, I think so. Definitely like our childhood, the way that we've been raised has such a, um, impact on who we are. So there's a lot of kudos and, um, gratitude I have for my family and how we were raised in quite a, um, progressive creative household or like quite chaotic lots going on. Um, and I'm the youngest of four. So I was just probably. had really big eyes looking at all my older siblings. And I was the youngest cousin, even, you know, so all my cousins were older than me. Um, and my mom owned a furniture store. My parents together owned a furniture store, but my mom ran it for like 40 years and she was an artist. And every day after school, I wouldn't go home. I would go to my mom's shop. And so cuz she would be my ride home. So I'd walk from school, which was five minutes, go to my mom's shop and like wait for a couple hours till she was finished work. So I was dealing with like customers. Sometimes I was like listening to her, you know, um, use creative thinking and talk about how we can, you know, design a space. It was an interiors furniture store. So. Um, a lot of my upbringing and my father, as well as like a businessman, he was in property and, um, started his first company when he was like 18. And he was also quite philosophical. So he, I used to have like really high level conversations with my dad, like from quite a young age and like still can have those conversations with him and I'm like, oh, like questioning life and the world and capitalism. And. he was okay. He is a capitalist though, but like, it was like, you know, able to really play with thought, um, with him. And then my mom brought this like total creative artistry. Our house was like, So cool. I think back to it, you know? Yeah. Mm-hmm so, so I think definitely my family has been a part of sculpting who I am and what I do now. And I've never really felt drawn to, um, getting a really like mainstream sort of secure job. I've always wanted to be doing stuff that I really like and want to do. Mm-hmm um, so I make an effort to, to, to do that. I sort of. don't do work that I don't wanna do. And that's a privilege, like such a privilege. And, um, I'm so grateful to be able to do that. Yeah.
Brian Berneman:Yeah, that's, that's how important and, and so important to recognize it. I recognize it as well. Like the, the privilege position that I have, um, being able to, like, in some way, similar to you, having a family that, that supported all of this, uh, curiosities that I have and had learning a path that enabled me to, to do what I want to do in a sense, like to, to figure out and I want to go there. Do I want to go there? Do I want. Working in this arena and to be able to, to, to do for a living or to make a living out of what I want to do in life. And I think that that is, um, not many people can say
Ursula Griffen:that. Mm. And you do make sacrifices in, in following that path. It's not all like, you know, roses, it's actually really hard and really exhausting and you actually. If you, if, if financial security is a high value in your list of values, then don't do it. Actually. like, um, it's my, my, my values are just swapped around. It's like, I need that purpose or that, um, that freedom to be able to create and be who I am and not necessarily be like, dictated by someone else's work schedule and someone else's, um, purpose. Yeah. I, I'm very, very, I'd like I love working in teams though. Like on projects that really align with. Um, my essence, you know, I've, um, recently, or a couple years ago, started working with Caroline Robinson who, um, is, was a mentor of mine. And she passed this year in may and she brought regenerative practice to New Zealand. And she brought me onto a project, um, working with Callahan innovation, um, building the regenerative capability of the teams. And I went to the first workshop that she got me on the team. and I was at this place and I went, oh my gosh, like, this is a job. This is a real, I'm getting paid for this. Like, this is incredible. We were essentially designing or she designed like a, um, regenerative retreat, which included indigenous thinking, which included, um, bringing in the elements. It included, uh, Like local organic sourced food story. Mm-hmm um, and it included Kal. Like I sat with a team of executive leaders at a government agency with Kal and shared, had them and introduced them to the sacred medicine. And I was just like really blown away. And I were really in that moment, realized that actually. the essence of who I am and what I wanna create. And what I wanna share is like really coming forward and coming to the, to, um, it's becoming more accessible for people to accept mm-hmm and it is that like sort of, um, re indigenization work and that regenerative thinking work that is, um, , which is really this, this, this meeting point of all of these, of my experience, you know, mindfulness, ecology, entrepreneurialism, making a difference, you know, all of these sorts of things or meeting in this place. Yeah. And there's so much more to learn, but that team, you know, joining that team at, at cabal with Caroline, oh my God. Like., it's not all about forging it on your own. You've gotta collaborate, right? Yeah. And when you can find teams that align with who you are, then that's where the magic happens.
Brian Berneman:Mm-hmm I think definitely. Definitely. And, and I wanna ask you, um, in terms of that, for, for people that perhaps don't know much about, uh, scenario to like, think in our practices, um, what would be like a, a simplified version or, or explanation of it?
Ursula Griffen:It's quite hard to put into a sentence, but well, we have time. Yeah. The practices that I have. Well, I've studied with Theis Institute. That's an Institute from north America and essentially it's like a regenerative practice is. A whole lot of different thinking modalities like permaculture, like design thinking, like human centered design, um, you know, these sorts of thinking, um, modalities, it's like the birth of all of those. It's the baby of all of those things. And it is a practice of. Lifting. People's thinking to be in the, um, level of regeneration. So regeneration is about creating new life. It's about evolution and the possibility of like synergistic relationships. So synergy synergism has been like one plus one equal three. So things coming together actually. More potential. So what we are doing with regenerative thinking is that we are lifting, people's thinking to the level that they are able to perceive the potential of a project of a place of a business. Um, that is past what we can potentially right now perceive mm-hmm , um, understanding that. one plus one equals three . Yeah. um, so, so it comes with a whole lot of different frameworks, um, which as a practitioner, I can lead people through mm-hmm the frameworks. And so if we were to have a session, I would, you know, would set aside time, would figure out your intention, your purpose, and. ask you questions to guide your thinking or to lift your thinking. And I would also listen really deeply to you. Um, and we would open up the potential of what your business could look like, what your place could look like or your project, whatever it is. Mm. Yeah. I hope I did that justice in explaining it. Yeah, it's quite, um, it's really fun. It's really fun. If you are into pushing your stretching your mind. Mm-hmm
Brian Berneman:yeah. That's so, so wonderful. And like, I think for me, in terms of a lot of my own development and learnings and, or unlearning, like it's, it's been lot about coming back to those places of connection on a deeper level and to be able to. Connect and open at the same time and from what you are sharing, I think it's that like being able to, to go beyond our habitual tendencies and to be able to expand the potential that we have as human beings individually, as communities and society, and, and to be able to see all of this from different perspectives. Like for me, this is, this is part of the, um, The one of the issues that we have now that we have this, this connection, like generally, and it's because we don't have a holistic view of. It's very narrow in each, in each place. It's like, okay, work. It's this like family, it's this, my own health it's this. And most, most people like would be conditioned to stay in those boxes. And what you're saying is let's, let's bring life and let's bring the potential.
Ursula Griffen:Yeah. And rebirth, rebirth, death lights, birth, death, rebirth, you know where we are animals. Believe it or not in a living ecosystem. So we're bringing people back to the acknowledgement that we are within a living system. And that living system is alive and responding and, and we are able to listen to what it needs and cause we are a part of it. so regeneration comes back to ourselves first and which is why as an ecologist, I see mindfulness to be so important, which is why I'm creating and sharing mindfulness or creating the company and sharing mindfulness is because it is that reconnection to self that begins to generate the will and the capacity to even be able. show up in a kind and caring and positive way to others and to animals and to plants and to essentially our earth mm-hmm it does start with that reconnection to ourselves to then be able to, to regenerate our ecosystems of the living systems. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, so it's all. And I sometimes ask myself the other day, I was sort of like. Why have I created this mindfulness company? and then, you know, I remember I remember my direction and I, um, I remember the instrument that mindfulness and meditation provides, like the tool of that for healing, our. Planet is immense. And I did do a workshop in the Auckland climate festival. You came along to it, mm-hmm um, around mindfulness and climate change. And I actually used regenerative thinking frameworks to design that workshop. Um, so it was kind of quite interactive. I wanted to like get people into. Really embodying the concepts. Yeah. Um, but I'd really sense. A lot of potential of mindfulness helping in the climate crisis. Yeah. And yeah, it'd be interesting to explore with anyone that would be interested in, you know, sharing that and actually creating something that corporates or that, that corporates can connect to yeah. And share and begin to change the way that. relate with the earth, through their people,
Brian Berneman:you know? Yeah. And, and, and I, I think that, you know, admin, I've been in New Zealand now for almost seven years. And I've seen even in this seven years, uh, big enough change in terms of openness from organizations and corporates and like just people in general. On doing things differently on allowing some of these reconnection tools, whether it is yoga, mindfulness, meditation, whether it is like some regenerative practices. Um, I've seen it change yet. We are not there yet.. Ursula Griffen: Mm. And I think that's like a big, a big push and kudos to the. People working on re indigenization or decolonization as well, and bringing in Titi and Tia Mai into corporate environments. And like, what are the responsibilities that these organizations have, um, to Titi and, and how are they showing up to them? And that, I think that that's come hand in hand with, as you're saying, New Zealand sort of opening and being. Able to reconnect to these, um, or reconnect to themselves does come through that. Um, yeah, Maori worldview as well. And so I think we are really lucky here in New Zealand to be in a growing and regenerating relationship with our indigenous people. Mm. And there's a lot more for us park, hard to learn in that space as well, because. it really irks me when it, um, cuz you know, the biggest thing around Kake or opening space, um, or a prayer is the intention of the prayer and it kind of irks me when these like corporate people get up and open an event with a Kake mm-hmm and today, and there's no in like it's like they don't even maybe know what the words mean. And there's like the felt intention is. Not there. Yeah. I'm like, that's not really the point. The point is to really like intentionally and from your most sincere place, bless this place and bless these people and, and like, whatever it takes for people to have that intention, I think is where, where. need to go. And if that may be in, you know, Gaelic or like in English, if they really more truly connect to, it might be a poem by, you know, um, Han whatever it is. That gives them that real true feeling of intention is the cut care that should, that could open the space. Mm-hmm yeah. Do you kinda know what I mean? Yeah, definitely. Like I, and I think this is an interesting aspect of, of that I wasn't thinking of going there, but let's, let's take a moment to go there and I think it's part of, as you're saying, bring him. To a little bit more mainstream. Some of these traditions that they are more holistic, they have this, uh, different way of doing things, enough, thinking things and as being, and. I've been fortunate enough to, to be introduced to a lot of different, uh, wisdom teachings from different traditions. I'm still here with Mai, like, uh, I'm very in my early stages, but I do think that there is, uh, a very fine line in, in the space of, of how, as you're saying how it's been used, but then also, um, how it can be misused. Are in any of this, any of these wisdom teachings. And, and I think for me personally, it's been really interesting just here. I've never felt comfortable or so far haven't felt comfortable doing, um, an introduction in, in Maori, even though I know some of the voice that I could introduce myself, I don't feel for whatever reason. I don't feel like that's correct for me to do, and I can do something in English or in Spanish or in a language. But how, how do we introduce some of this wisdom teachings as well, knowing that there's going to be steps taken and some of the steps at the very beginning, it's going to be misused.
Ursula Griffen:Mm. Yeah, well, I've had, um, someone say to me, I'm park high. I don't have any Maori blood I'm from Ireland, England, and Scotland. Um, but I've had someone say to me from, um, NA far, who was like, what is your, what is your FA Papa? Where do you come from? And was really interested in where I came from. And, and the fact that I knew where I came from my dad was quite like, really wanted us to learn about how we got to New Zealand. When, what boats, like, who are ancestors were, he was quite, he, we, he drilled that into us. And so I knew, and he was like that, that is like, That is my indigenous story. And that is more in alignment with Tia, Marty, like in than me thinking that I need to use, uh, um, Kataki. to open a space when that like intention, I might not deeply understand mm-hmm I I'd be better off reading or being, reading John or Donahue or something from my ancestry that I really connect with mm-hmm and acknowledging, you know, the land that I've been raised on here. So I think, um, yeah, I guess my understanding of it is. The more that you can connect with where you are from and share from that place and meet, um, meet the people of art, meet Marty, like with your ancestors standing behind you, not, not like not, you know, going on that journey yourself, I guess, to then be able to show up and be like, I really resonate with that kind of care. And I, I really wanna share that mm-hmm cause that really lands for. Yeah. Um, and, or I wanna learn more about this fuck Tokyo, or I wanna learn more about yeah. And then beginning to explore what it, what the Maori world looks like, you know, from that place of knowing where you are from mm-hmm I think that's really important. Mm-hmm yeah. Yeah. Because, because we have to recognize that we have all indigenous to some place and I haven't yet gone back. That's my next. Is to go to Ireland and Scotland mm. In England. And sort of just be like, yo, what were the practices here? What were we doing when we were taken from the land? Mm. You know, what was my, what were my ancestors creating? And they were working with plants, you know, I've still sort of somewhat, I love plants still. Um, and it wasn't yeah. Crazy long ago that. We were living on the land mm-hmm as in, in Europe. Mm-hmm so I think, yeah, that's kind of that's my next mission is to really connect to that mm-hmm and there's yeah. Like my two Wawa is in the corru, Amanda, or like is New Zealand, like I'm. So I feel really aligned with the Tari worldview. I'm like, I get that. That's great. Like you guys are so, so intelligent and smart and awesome. Yeah. And, you know, acknowledging where that may, may have existed in my lineage as well. yeah. Yeah. We're creating something new, right. Mm-hmm definitely, and it will only happen together.
Brian Berneman:Mm-hmm and, you know, I, I think for me, because I, I work with family constellations and system and constellations a lot in, in terms of being able, acknowledge everyone that is behind me and everyone that came behind me and for a lot of my clients and, you know, like, Uh, as you're saying, recognizing, acknowledging, being grateful and, and being able to, to discover. And there's, there's a lot of people that have no idea. And, and, you know, from that I work more, uh, energetically, but for the ones that we do know. Where we came from and things like that. Like it's, as you're saying, it can be such a wonderful experience to, to just look into that and see what are the learnings and what are the, the qualities, both the, what we would say positive and negatives, because that is coming. With us, like we are bringing all of that forward. And, and the way that I see the image in my mind when doing this type of, of work and recognition is, is spiral. So we go through this cycles of sometimes similar things yet. My awareness and my consciousness is elevated. So time that I look and I recognize, oh, that's there, it's coming from a different perspective. And you're saying it's part of that being reborn and bringing new life into things.
Ursula Griffen:Mm, well, that's regeneration as a spiral. Mm-hmm as well. It's new. Yeah. It's the.
Brian Berneman:And course I'm, I'm curious in terms of, and, and you're doing this for work, uh, and you just mentioned like, you know, like mindfulness and, and being able to bring this to people. What has been your experience with the importance of being able to, to share this and to give this tool to, to people? Uh, especially in times, like now that we all need a little bit of tools to, to manage, uh,
Ursula Griffen:and to be. Yeah, well, I guess, um, the great thing that lights me up is the feedback that we get from our, um, students and people that have been exposed or have done our courses or come to our workshops or done our we're in the middle of a five day challenge. We're on day four this week. Um, so we've got a group of people coming through there and, and it it's the feedback and the change that you see in people that you realize how important the work. And you realize, and you get more, I get more inspired and I have more will to just keep going and to, to learning how to communicate about mindfulness in a more accessible way. Mm-hmm is a big challenge and is, uh, it's fun. It's great. I'm, I'm playing with it at the moment, but you know, the other day I went to a friend's um, well she's a student and a friend and she. has on her wall. This. Um, we have in one of our, in one of our workbooks, we have a page and it has like a meditation checklist. Mm-hmm and she had printed it out and she's on her wall and she's up to like week 13 ticking every day, having meditated every day. And before that she hadn't practiced daily and she was so excited to like, be like, look I'm on week 13. And I was like, oh my gosh. And, and you know, and a couple weeks before she sent me a voice message, I'm so grateful for that I, that I ever came across. Um, you and like mindfulness and what you're teaching it's really changed my life. I really fi feel like I'm showing up in so many more positive ways. So it's that feedback from those people that really, um, makes you feel like, oh, this matters, and this is worthy of, of continuing to, to share it. Mm-hmm . it's obviously, you know, so ancient, you know, fr like, and it's been taught for that many thousands of years, you know, two and a half thousand years being passed down. Like there is a lot of support behind these teachings and a lot of practice. And now a lot of science based research. Mm-hmm that it's really undeniable now. Yeah. It's really undeniable. It's like, not about. Connecting to source and being well kind of is about source, but like that doesn't need to be your, um, initial intention mm-hmm yeah. To get covered. Whereas it has sort of been like, oh, I wanna get enlightened. Or like, I wanna, like, I wanna, I'm spiritual. I, I meditate. That's not what it is and not what will really, um, get it to people that need it the most. I don't think mm-hmm . So I think it's about acknowledging where, um, the source of meditation has come from and, and making it work for the new places that it is. It is, it is gonna be going out into, and, and so remind now is making it work and organizations and, and people that may have been resisting it for 10. You know, it's not annoying thing. And people have just been like, not for me, can't meditate. My head goes too crazy. I'm not able to, I'm so bad at it. Oh my God. And it's like, that's actually a good sign because it means that you're noticing you're that you're thinking . Yeah. There's no such thing as a bad meditation. No,
Brian Berneman:that's one of the things that I, I tell people, like when someone says, like, I can't, like, I'm not good at meditation. I'm like, What do you mean? Like let's some unpack it up, like, you know, like what do you mean? What's the story behind this? Yeah. And, and, and that's something that is very interesting now for me, that you just mentioned, and that is not only the science that is like, um, proven a lot of this. Uh, it's not even yet caught up to half of it.. Yeah. But I, I think that from a societal perspective, the fact that science is now proven certain things. People now are more open to it. And the different ways of actually talking about it, you know, in the different places that I facilitate or that I work at, I, in some places I talk, I use the word mindfulness more in some others, meditation more in some, I use the word connection and presence. And I think that for me as a facilitator, like that is a big thing of trying to figure out what, how do you connect with. Yeah,
Ursula Griffen:we're using like mental fitness training, mind maintenance. Um, yeah, we we're I'm I've just recently started running, um, through this club grave runners and it has taught me a lot about mindfulness and I've only been running for like, since really lockdown like properly and. I'm like, yeah. I keep on having these sort of epiphanies with this connection between mindfulness and running. And, and I, I know in our course, um, we teach this one concept where in the 1950s, if you were to say to your friend, oh, I'm just gonna go for a run. They would say to you, what, like, what are you running from? Like, why are you going running? And then it became researched. And like they said, you know, you wanna raise your heart rate for 30 minutes a day for, for health. And now if you said I'm going for a run, it's like, yeah, of course, like everyone, you are like, people should be doing exercise. And so I think that's what's happening with mindfulness is that, yeah, it has been a bit like, woo woo. And like spiritual and, um, for a while, and now with the research it's being, we're actually able to communicate with the right brain, um, to explain the benefits and explain how we can actually make it work in our life. Just like we would do exercise mm-hmm so it's yeah, it's a, um, it's a beautiful exercise. Excuse the pun to, um, to be recreating this, this communication style and to be sort of, yeah, just trying to reach new audiences with remind specifically, it's one of our. Biggest intentions for it. Mm-hmm um, and working with artists as well, along on that journey, because artists actually really connected. Yeah. Like innately, innately, connected to spirit and, uh, probably mainly meditating when they're painting or when they're singing or when. Drawing or taking photos, you know, they are, when they're making art, they are in the present moment. Mm-hmm . And so I, I find it, um, really beautiful to work with artists and creatives in trying to, you know, recommunicate or generate a way of communication, um, that is gonna be effective reminded to the places that it needs to. Yeah, it's been really great mm-hmm and acknowledging that connection between mindfulness and art and fitness and you know, all, all these facets of life and work and yeah, that, it's all, um, a part of a greater whole mm-hmm yeah, yeah.
Brian Berneman:There's you know, like for me, there's, uh, With the places like the workplaces that I work with. Um, I, I love doing that because I love introducing ways to use work differently. I love being able to, to, to show to people, as you're saying, like what they have already doing, most people don't realize how much they are Tapp. And how much they are connected. Um, even though for some people it's very small chunks of times, each day, everybody connects. And it's, it's about discovering a lot of times that, and being able to, to see things differently. Like a lot of times, for me, it's about giving permission to people to see like, ah, things are, you know, like there's some things that are going. Mm. Instead, just focusing on the other thing.
Ursula Griffen:Yeah. Yeah. Cause you know, what's that saying with, um, what you focus on, um, what it's like, uh, what you focus on persist or where energy goes, where attention flows. Energy.
Brian Berneman:Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think everyone attention goes and then she flows.
Ursula Griffen:Yes. Yeah. So if you turn your attention to, oh, I really like drawing. actually, then energy goes into that drawing and you, you know, you're gonna, where energy goes, then things grow mm-hmm so, yeah. Yeah. And there's a lot of people have got a lot of self limiting beliefs, right back, definitely through conditioning that we're all dealing with. No one is no one is immune.
Brian Berneman:No. And, and I think in, in these times, it's so like so positive to have people like you and Charlotte and, and everything that you're doing to be able to, to bring some of this, uh, Spaces and space in terms of physical sometimes, or like online, but as well to create space, to be able to see things differently. Like it's just like taking this deep breath sometimes and it's like, okay, like let's create space for what's coming in the day and stuff being completely cut up with whatever stories I'm telling myself.
Ursula Griffen:Mm. Yeah. It's very freeing. Mm, definitely very thing. It can be the beginning of total transformation. Mm. And it quite often is my mom has transformed through mindfulness and self-awareness and, um, taking self responsibility as well. And it doesn't need to be really intense either. No, like it doesn't need to be like this really intense thing. Like it can be actually quite joyful and light, um, depending on how you hold it, or I guess again, what your story is around it, but I'm kind of like done with the really heavy, like self work sort of energy. Mm. And like, we are all doing self work and we can actually potentially. With a glimmer of, with a glimmer of like perspective or something. Like there's a, there's a, yeah, I'm unsure what I'm tapping into there, but it's like just keeping it a little bit light so that we don't to bog down because this earth and this life is actually really, really full of pleasure and joy and laughter and goodness. Mm-hmm . and so we can like build our capability to, to see that and be in that yeah. Once, because the self work can get like kind of heavy sometimes, you know, and you've gotta go through that sometimes too. We
Brian Berneman:can't sometimes yes. Once, like some years ago, one of my teachers challenged me in, in a similar way of this to, and he said, what if life is easy? What if everything is. You know, what, what if there's no effort? What if like everything's just happens? And I was like, ah, like I remember at that moment it just clicked. It's like, well, the story that I had in my head is not that is that, you know, like you need to work and there's effort and this, and you, you are like going against the tide and everything. And it's like, well, what if I take the light and easy and flowy perspective? Mm. Why not?. Ursula Griffen: And what happened? Oh, it's been beautiful. Yeah. Cool. Yeah, like in, in my experience like that, because I, I, I did many years of very intense, uh, practice. Like I, I, I went to live at, uh, ti booth Richard center for a few years, and that was super intense. Um, and. Yeah. And at the same time, then it's like, well, everything else, you know that I've done. It hasn't been as intense as that. And my experience has been beautiful, even though it hasn't been as intense. So it's like, okay, well I need to go through that. That was part of my path. As you were saying before, Dex, some, some of us need to go through whatever we're going through. But as well questioning, why does things need to be hard? Why do I need to work on the heavy and shadow places? Whereas I can work with, you know, as you're saying, like, why not making art? It's just being creative.
Ursula Griffen:Mm. Um, there's some really great meme pages coming out around like self work and taking the piss out of it really on Instagram and on it really good. Like just people sort of just taking the Mickey out of all of the like really intense work. Mm. Um, yeah, which is, which is usually the only way to make a joke about it is if you've been through it. So , it's like,
Brian Berneman:yeah. Yeah. It's very, very interesting. And course, um, I know that we're getting towards the end of this conversation. Um, and I would love to know like want, what are some of the things, and I think you mentioned them already, but. That you wish that everybody knew, like we're going through this life. Like, what are the things that you wish
Ursula Griffen:everyone knew? There's this one concept that I would love to share that, take it, you know, the listeners like take this into your life because I thought good. It was a thought about, um, we were talk, I was talking with a friend and she was talking, she had just written this essay on. And how people leave their days open to chance or not. Mm-hmm and we were talking to her, so it was, um, we were talking about chance and how people led it into their lives or, um, are close to it. And we, I sort of thought, oh, it's cool. Sort of like an open door, like you've either got your door open or your door's closed to someone coming over and. I thought about traveling and how every day you wake up and you sort of wake up when you're traveling and you go, oh, what is my day gonna be today? And you walk out the door and you are open to chance. You're open to whatever. You meet someone and then you end up hiking with them for like three hours, and then they knew your mom and like Dunedin or whatever . And so I had this idea that we all have these doors inside of us and you can open it fully and have your day fully open to chance, or you can close it halfway. And you're sort of like, I've got some work to do, but then maybe I'll I'll, I'll open my door fully after lunch. And what the, what the world would be like, if everyone walked around with open doors mm-hmm and we were all like bumping into each other and being open to the possibility, the potential of what could come from that meeting or, yeah. You kind of become more present as well. And you're like, my door's open. So I've been practicing that recently. It's like my door's open, I'm open to. Seeing what comes and being open to life of what's gonna unfold for me today and having the potential of my day blown out of like, it gets, like, what I think is possible sort of gets blown out mm-hmm and I end up going swimming at 10 at night, or I'll like, you know, find a tree to climb and just go, yeah, whatever mm-hmm open door. I'm gonna climb the tree. Yeah. So that's, um, this sort of idea that I've been playing with is that opening to chance and really allowing your life to flow as it is meant to.
Brian Berneman:Beautiful. Mm that's so beautiful. Like, I love it. Like I think lots of times and like, I haven't thought of it like that, but I think that's, that's what I do mostly, uh, which is a wonderful way of living. Uh, so yeah, I recommend people like you get a chance and open your doors.
Ursula Griffen:yeah. Even just a crack, you know, even just a little bit. And, and I think our doors sort of open and close. Depending on the day, depending on how busy you are, like if you've got like 10 meetings back to back, but then the thing is, is if you have 10 meetings back to back and you close your door, if one meeting goes like a little bit over or like someone doesn't turn up to the meeting, you're like, oh my God, my whole day has been ruined. And I'm never recovering from this, but like, If you've got a little bit of like chance then maybe because that person missed, you know, the meeting, then something else beautiful happens. You run into someone else or you actually take time to eat lunch or whatever, you know? So yeah. There's like, you could have your door closed if you had 10 meetings, but I wouldn't recommend it. Mm-hmm cause I think you're just setting yourself up to get like it's like holding on really tight, right?
Brian Berneman:And, and sometimes with that is like, perhaps not having 10 minutes in one day
Ursula Griffen:yeah. But I think some people just have that much work on yes.
Brian Berneman:Yeah. Everyone's circumstances are it's
Ursula Griffen:different. Yeah. Like some like CEOs and that like their schedules are back to back.
Brian Berneman:Yeah, that's crazy.
Ursula Griffen:But also I think, I think having an open door would be a, um, would be a quality of a good leader. Mm, because if someone does come to you with, you know, say you're a CEO at a big organization and you've got back to back, um, meetings, and someone comes to you in the hallway on your way to your next meeting and has something really deep or important to talk to you, you need to be able to stop and listen and be there for that person and, or, you know, do what's needed. So I think that is a quality of a good leader is being open to chance.
Brian Berneman:Yeah. That's mm-hmm and earth, how comfort people find you and learn more about what you're doing.
Ursula Griffen:Mm. Yeah. So you can find me on Instagram at Ursula Griffin. I'm like the only one in the world. Sorry. It's pretty easy. Um, otherwise I've got a website, Ursula, griffin.com and remind being my newest creation. Uh, find that@remind.nz. domine.nz. And yeah, I've got a single meditation on Spotify under remand, but there'll be more coming and that's where you can find me.
Brian Berneman:made a fun I'm
Ursula Griffen:will email if you wanna like collaborate or get in touch by otherwise connect with the social platforms. And mm-hmm . I do post a lot of stories sometimes. that's right. Not really that relative to everything we've talked on here, but
Brian Berneman:part of the balance of life. Yeah.
Ursula Griffen:Instagrams for entertainment. Isn't it?. Brian Berneman: Yeah. And so sometimes, definitely depends on what, on what you are seeing. It can actually be really inspiring. So. It's about how we use it a lot of times now. Yeah. Yeah. I try to be authentic on social media. Mm it's hard though.
Brian Berneman:It's hard, not only social media anywhere, so yeah. Yeah. Beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you Ursula so much for taking the time for this conversation, uh, for everything that you're doing to, to help, to bring some of this connection and regeneration, uh, Into these times that we really needed. So yeah, for everyone listening, I would love to know what resonated with you. What did learn? What are you already doing? All of these topics that we explore today? Yeah. Yeah.
Ursula Griffen:Very cool. Thank you so much for having that. Thank
Brian Berneman:you. Thank you. And thank you everyone for listening until next time. Yeah.
Ursula Griffen:See ya. Bye. What did you like the most about this episode? Take a moment to think about what change you can make in your life
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Ursula Griffen:One easy action. We would love for you to take right now is to share like, and subscribe to this podcast. This will help us get these messages out into the world and inspire more people to take conscious action in their own lives. Contributing to the better world we hope for.