SPEAKING

We live and work in a very noisy world. And it’s not just audible noise that we experience. There is a constant drone of ideas and pressures, expectations and judgments that constantly ring in our ears, in our minds, and even haunt our dreams. Gil Steinlauf, a leader in the practice of mindfulness and founder of the Jewish Mindfulness Center of Washington, offers insights into how to find a quiet place in the midst of today’s hectic world, and how to use these insights to build a more peaceful and purposeful life for ourselves and for loved ones and colleagues.

For most of us, public speaking is one of the most terrifying things we can do. Most of us just want to get through a speech, and doing it artfully or even effectively eludes us. Learn from a seasoned professional who went from being afraid of public speaking to becoming an inspirational speaker and leader--speaking before heads of state and inspiring audiences of thousands--all without notes! Gil Steinlauf was the senior rabbi of a major American congregation in Washington DC, and he presents his story of how he learned to speak publicly, and teaches his techniques in a way that is accessible, useful and fun.

Gil Steinlauf was the spiritual leader of a large congregation. At age 45, he came out to his congregation--and to the world--as gay. Through that process of self-revelation, Steinlauf learned extraordinary lessons about the power of facing our fears and overcoming our blocks to living from our own authenticity. Through his example, he inspired and helped countless people, gay and straight, come out authentically as themselves and live the lives they always meant to live. In this talk, Steinlauf shares some of his insights to inspire us all to take this journey in our own lives, no matter who we are.

We all want to be people of integrity. And we all want workplaces of transparency. What does it mean to be a truly honest and straightforward person? In this talk, spiritual teacher Gil Steinlauf uses ancient Western and Eastern texts and wisdom traditions to show us how honesty is a deceptively simple and yet powerful tool in transforming our personal lives and workplaces for the better. Learn how the practice of “inclining toward the truth” is a difficult, yet attainable practice in becoming better in our relationships, at work, and in leadership.

We work hard. We spend our lives hoping to make something of ourselves, and to leave a good legacy behind. We all have heard that life is about being “happy”. But what does that truly mean? Are we toiling and suffering now in hopes that we will be happy at some later date? Gil Steinlauf has spent decades teaching people, through his work and through his own example, the real meaning of happiness. In this informative and inspiring talk, Steinlauf shares his own and other’s wisdom to help you create a workable roadmap to finding what we actually all mean by happiness.

omehow most of us live our lives being fed ideas that were never ours that we accept without question. Over time, these ideas can erode our souls, cut us off from our authentic selves, and limit our potential. Drawing from a vast body of ancient and modern texts and knowledge, spiritual teacher Gil Steinlauf teaches us the practice of Inquiry and how it has fueled the great religious and societal movements in history. Steinlauf shows us how to adopt this process to our inner lives, to our relationships, and how to activate this process in the workplace to create a dynamic, creative, and effective environment for everyone.

It’s a given that we all want to be financially successful in our work. But financial success is only a part of a truly successful life. In this talk, Gil Steinlauf, a former rabbi and wisdom teacher, teaches how to find true success even during difficult times. Specifically, he shows us all the ways we consciously and unconsciously see ourselves as victims of others more powerful than ourselves. By identifying, questioning, and overcoming our victim-scripts, we can open up channels not only to coming out of crises, but to finding true happiness and the best kinds of success in life.

We live in a society that seems to reward hubris and arrogance; one that encourages egotism, self-promotion and toxic competition in the workplace. There is a better and more powerful way to live our lives and to make a difference--true humility. True humility is not self-deprecation, and it’s not even about putting others before ourselves. Humility is not an intention that we can set and then act out in our lives. True humility is the effect of a genuine spiritual life. Humility is what’s left when we learn to slough off what is not authentically ourselves and live from our deepest truth. Spiritual teacher Gil Steinlauf shows us, through many sources in ancient Western and Eastern wisdom texts, how to access the unshakable strength that comes from true humility, and how to be a force for good in all the spheres of our lives.

In our time, we tend to think of the word “righteous” in negative ways. We associate it with being judgmental or even self-important. In this talk, spiritual teacher Gil Steinlauf helps us to reclaim the power of righteousness in our lives. Through ancient Western and Eastern wisdom teachings and texts, he shows us that the real core of righteousness is a well-cultivated sense of compassion for others, as well as a developed sense of the abundance of opportunities to correct what is out of balance in our lives around us. The practice of righteousness, far from putting us in judgment of others, brings us closer to the people in our lives. It makes us more effective contributors to our workplaces communities. Moreover, righteousness makes us happier and more generous in our interactions, and gives us the potential to inspire others to acts of justice in compassion in the world around us.

In our world, impatience is rewarded. With the pace of communication, and the high-pressure expectations of our workplaces, forbearance and patience is often conflated with poor productivity and indecision. Spiritual teacher Gil Steinlauf shows us that, in fact, the capacity to forestall reactivity, to take our precious time, to take a breath and to inquire before we act is a rapidly disappearing artform in in the world. Through ancient Western and Eastern wisdom texts and teachings, Steinlauf shows us how to practice patience even in the most high-paced environments, and find inner balance, better judgment, and more effective productivity and leadership in all aspects of our work and our lives.