Companies have advisory boards, why can’t people?

Most of the companies I’ve worked for over the years have had either boards of directors or advisory boards, or both.  Companies carefully curate a group of individuals with the knowledge and expertise they, the companies, need to be successful.  This got me thinking.  If I had a personal advisory board, who would I enlist to serve?

A company selects its advisors based on the business it is in and its mission.  A company’s advisors need to bring specific skills to the table that the company is missing that are important to the company’s success. The experts say the bigger the adviser’s “brand name” the better, the logic being the bigger the brand, the more they know.  Makes sense.

 If we can have Fantasy Football, why not Fantasy Board of Advisors?

My personal Karen “company” mission is enlightenment.  Personal transformation without tragedy.  I want to grow spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally.  I want to live life to the fullest and share my adventures along the way.  So with that in mind, allow me to introduce my top draft picks for my personal Board of Advisors…

Sharon Salzberg, Meditation Guru

As I shared in my post Taming the Monkeys, a regular meditation practice is essential to my growth and transformation.  But it’s hard.  You don’t just plop down on your zafu, close your eyes and it magically happens.  I have found Sharon’s books, including Real Happiness, to be comprehensive and approachable.

Andrea Fedele, Alexander Technique Instructor

All the spiritual evolution in the world won’t help us if our bodies won’t work.  Sitting all day at a computer can take its toll.  That’s why I sought out Andrea.  She is one of a small group of individuals in Houston certified to teach the Alexander Technique, a way of moving our bodies more freely, to prevent physical pain and injury.  Andrea is making a real difference in my life.

Richard Moss, Spiritual Teacher and Author

Andrea turned me on to Richard, author of several books, including Inside-Out Healing, through which he encourages readers to live in the NOW, to be present.  As I mentioned in my post Right Here. Right Now., one of my few regrets in life is that I haven’t really been present.  A planner, I am almost always living in the future, and in so doing I miss out on life’s great pleasures.  If you’re interested in mindfulness, of living fully in the present, check him out.  I find what he has to say to be very intriguing and potentially life changing.

Beth Kephart, Author

One of my passions is writing, and right now, creative nonfiction feels right for me.  I want to tell my story, well.  While participating in my first writing workshop, on memoir at Inprint last fall, I read Beth’s book Handling the Truth.  I loved it so much I gave a copy to each of my classmates.  Her writing is exquisite.  She and her husband have just embarked on a new workshop series, Juncture Workshops, in which I hope to participate this fall.  Check her out.

Alison Cook, Food Critic

All these deep thoughts make me hungry.  But life’s too short to eat bad food.  For as long as I can remember I have followed Alison Cook around Houston.  OK, not literally.  Her reviews are poetry, so artfully written she could double on my Board of Advisors as another writing advisor.  Alison Cook rocks the planet.

So there they are, my hand-picked Board of Advisors.  I am hoping to host my first board meeting in August in the Colorado Rockies.  The six of us will meditate and hike in the morning, stop for an exquisite lunch, then write about our experiences in the afternoon.  We’ll end the day with a sumptuous multi-course dinner with perfectly paired wines.  And all the while, we’ll be fully present, taking it all in.

Who’s your dream team?