Meditation has gained popularity with the increasing online encouragement of self-love and the rising emphasis on prioritizing mental health. Now, meditation is the new secret weapon in the corporate world. It is estimated that more than 18 million Americans have incorporated meditation into their daily routine, and many of those people are successful entrepreneurs. From bulletproof coffee and vision boards, to manifestation and meditation, we are constantly looking for ways to boost productivity, and achieve our goals and dreams.
Contrary to popular belief, meditation doesn’t have to be a spiritual or ritualistic practice. Meditation has been modernized to fit into the hustle and bustle of our modern-day life. Meditation is a wellness and anti-anxiety practice that comes with a host of benefits that can greatly improve your mental focus and mental wellness, which in turn, can improve your productivity.
Successful People That Have a Meditation Practise
Meditation is the practice of mindfulness, clearing the mind, and living in the present moment. This quality is particularly helpful for highly successful people, as they can give their whole attention to being creative and solving problems without splitting their attention. Meditation can help an entrepreneur with personal problems put those problems aside and focus on the task at hand. This can lead to a shorter time spent on working on tasks, and lead to greater productivity. Besides that, other health benefits of meditation include reducing stress, healing from trauma, boosting immunity, improving brain function, and increasing concentration. All of these benefits of meditation can greatly contribute to the success of highly successful people. Below is a list of highly influential celebrities and CEOs that have a meditation practice.
1. Jeff Weiner, CEO of Linkedin
Jeff Weiner launched the hugely successful, professional business-social network called Linkedin in 2009. It currently boasts over 774 million members globally. Weiner is a major advocate for meditation, and he constantly talks about meditation during media interviews. He uses the guided meditation app Headspace, and meditates daily for gaining the clarity to strategize and work on his business.
2. Bill Ford, Chairman of Ford Motor Company
One of the benefits of meditation is that it can alleviate stress, allowing your brain to have the capacity to focus on what’s important for your success. Bill Ford relied on a consistent meditation practice to get him through his bankruptcy. In an article published in the Harvard Business Review, the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company shared that “the practice of mindfulness was what kept him going during the darkest days.”
3. Steve Jobs, Ex CEO of Apple
Jobs, a Reed College dropout, spent a few months in India cultivating his meditation practice. According to an article by the Business Insider, He started to practise Zen Buddhism following the flourishing Zen Buddhism in the states. The simplicity of Zen Buddhism influenced how Steve Jobs conceptualized Apple’s famous aesthetic. Jobs explained that his meditation practice gave him the tools to see his mental processes clearly, allowing him to empathize and intuitively sense the desires of his customers.
4. Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder of Huffington Post, CEO of Thrive Global
Arianna Huffington is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, including “Thrive” and “The Sleep Revolution.” In a world that glorifies high performance and a state of constant hustling, Huffington relies on her self-care routine that consists of meditation to keep a healthy work-life balance. Huffington told High Existence that she used to have trouble finding time for meditation, as she used to view it as something on her list she had to “ do”. However, she soon changed her mindset as she realized that there is nothing to “do” in meditation, and that meditation in itself is relaxing and transformative.
5. Oprah Winfrey, Media Proprietor, Actress, Philanthropist
This media mogul made it her mission to spread the message of health and wellness in her talk shows, as well as O: The Oprah Magazine and her television channel, Oprah Winfrey Network. She teamed up with spiritual gurus to curate meditation and wellness content for her readers to help demystify wellness trends and help her readers achieve mind-body balance. According to Oprah, she describes meditation as, “A heightened state of being that lets whatever you’re doing be your best life, from moment to astonishing moment.”
6. Katy Perry, Singer and TV Personality
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and television personality. With up to 9 US number one singles under her belt, she is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In an interview with the David Lynch Foundation in 2016, Perry acknowledged that constant traveling can be stressful, and she likes to use Transcendental Meditation to find clarity and peace.
7. Sir Paul McCartney, Former Beatles Singer-Songwriter
In an interview with TM Blog, The former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney was looking for something to center himself when he discovered Transcendental Meditation from the Indian sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Meditation helped him find moments of serenity through his busy schedule and helped him find calm. In another interview with TM Blog in 2014, he promotes meditation practice as he likes to think that it is especially helpful to provide “young people a quiet haven in a not-so-quiet world”.
Meditation for Success: The Takeaway
From clearing your mind to focus better, boosting productivity, and finding stillness in a busy schedule to avoid burnout, there are plenty of reasons why highly successful people meditate. There are more and more types and styles of meditation practices as meditation becomes more mainstream. Finding the right one for you can be a little overwhelming. Check out our article on the different types of meditation to find out which type of meditation might suit you best. Additionally, take a CircleDNA test to find out if you are genetically more prone to stress or sleep disorders. This knowledge can help you narrow down which type of meditation is the best for you. If you aspire to be a highly successful individual, you should start cultivating your own daily meditation practice to help you work towards better wellness and a higher likelihood of reaching your goals.
