The First Fundamental Practice
A core starting point for cultivating True Leadership.
This short video introduces the very first practice in the True Leadership Approach—a simple but foundational tool for deepening presence and awareness.
Like much of this work, the practice may appear subtle or even obvious at first glance. But don’t be fooled by its simplicity. This is one of those tools that works because it’s simple—when practiced consistently, it has the power to shift how you lead, relate, and show up in the moments that matter most.
It’s extremely common to know that self-awareness is essential. It’s unfortunately rare to practice essential self-awareness.
My recommendation? Give it at least a month. Commit to it. Return to it. Let your experience reveal what’s possible.
The full video training is above. An accompanying article is below.
A Foundational Gateway to True Leadership
Awareness is the foundation of everything.
In the True Leadership Approach, we start with a practice that’s deceptively simple. So simple, in fact, that many people are tempted to overlook it or underestimate its impact.
But here’s the truth: how you meet yourself in any given moment shapes everything that follows.
That’s why the first fundamental practice is not about doing more. It’s about coming into contact with what’s already here—with what’s actually happening in your experience—before you act, respond, or decide.
It’s a practice of awareness.
Most of us move through the day in a kind of auto-pilot mode—managing demands, solving problems, pushing toward outcomes. In that state, we’re often reacting from habit, stress, or unconscious patterns.
Natural awareness interrupts that cycle.
It’s a return to presence.
This kind of presence isn’t about zoning out or trying to clear your mind. It’s about noticing—with curiosity and without judgment—what’s going on in your body, your breath, your thoughts, and your surroundings right now.
Noticing without needing to fix.
Listening without rushing to act.
Allowing yourself to be before trying to do.
This creates a powerful shift:
From reactivity to choice.
From fragmentation to coherence.
From striving to grounded leadership.
Why This Practice Matters
The practice I’m about to introduce—when practiced consistently over time—will help you cultivate a superpower.
No kidding.
To begin to understand the value of this superpower, consider a really hard time in your life.
Maybe it’s happening right now.
Maybe it was a while ago.
Now, imagine what it would have been like—or what it would be like now—to experience immediate relief from that hardship without anything needing to change.
This is possible.
And it points to the superpower of awareness.
That’s what you begin cultivating with this first practice.
The Practice: Notice Your Thinking, Feeling, and Actions
Here it is:
Simply notice your thinking, feeling, and actions as often as possible.
That’s it.
It might sound too simple, but the simplest practices are often the most powerful. They are closest to your essence.
Let’s break it down and explore why this works—and how to actually do it.
Why Noticing Is So Powerful
In order to notice something, you must not be identified with it.
And identification with your thoughts, feelings, and actions is the root of so much struggle, confusion, and hardship.
Here’s an analogy to help:
Imagine you’ve bought a ticket to a theater show. You find your seat and start watching.
What’s happening on stage is full of drama—someone’s struggling in the story.
But you’re not struggling. You’re just watching.
Now imagine this theater as a metaphor for your mind.
The stage is your thinking, feeling, and acting.
Awareness is the part of you in the audience, observing.
Awareness doesn’t have thoughts or feelings about what’s happening—it simply notices.
If there’s a thought, feeling, or action, it’s not awareness itself—it’s the object of awareness.
But here’s where it gets tricky: in your own mind, you can become so absorbed in what’s happening on stage that you forget you’re the one watching. You lose touch with awareness—and begin identifying with what’s happening.
When this happens, you experience life only from within the story.
If the story is good, you feel good.
If the story is hard, you feel overwhelmed.
Your well-being becomes tied to conditions you can’t control.
This is the trap. And it’s one we all fall into.
The Way Out: From the Stage to the Audience
Noticing your thoughts, feelings, and actions is what shifts you from the stage back into the audience.
From identification to awareness.
From reactivity to presence.
The more you practice, the more you begin to rest in the essence of being—awareness itself.
Being that is not based on external conditions.
And this is freedom.
From this place, confidence, capacity, and presence grow naturally and effortlessly.
Practicing Noticing — In Detail
Let’s look at how to notice each aspect of your experience.
1. Noticing Your Thinking
This can be tricky, because most of us are deeply identified with our thoughts.
So here’s a helpful tool: language.
When a thought arises, try saying—aloud or in your mind—
“There is the thought that…” and name the thought.
For example:
“There is the thought that I might mess this up.”
“There is the thought that I need to try harder.”
This simple language shift moves you from being the thought to noticing the thought.
2. Noticing Your Feeling
Here we include both emotions (like sadness, guilt, anxiety) and physical sensations (tightness in the chest, butterflies in the stomach, etc.).
Use the same structure as above:
“There is the feeling of…”
For example:
“There is the feeling of sadness.”
“There is the sensation of tightness in my chest.”
This helps you bring gentle awareness to what you’re feeling, without merging with it.
3. Noticing Your Actions
This is about becoming aware of movement and sensory experience—bringing awareness into your body.
If you’re walking, feel each footstep.
If you’re eating, notice the taste, the movement of your hand, the act of chewing.
You can notice sitting down, standing up, brushing your teeth, opening a door.
Anything.
This grounds awareness in the present and strengthens the witness.
The Practice Is Everywhere
This isn’t just something to do on a meditation cushion.
It’s meant to be lived. Practiced in real time.
Try it now:
Take a short walk
Grab some tea
Step outside
As you move, simply notice your thoughts, your feelings, your actions.
After a few minutes, pause and reflect:
What did I notice?
How do I feel?
That’s it.
Integration: Making It a Habit
The recommendation is to practice this as much as possible throughout your day—until it becomes a habit.
Because for most of us, the default is not noticing. The default is being lost in thoughts, emotions, and activity.
So you’ll need support. Here are a few tips:
Use anchor points.
Choose common daily moments to remind yourself to practice:
getting in the car, stepping into the shower, walking into a room.Use visual reminders.
Write “Notice” on a post-it note.
Put it on your mirror, computer, or fridge.Use the guided meditation provided in this session to help anchor the practice more deeply.
And above all—practice with gentle persistence.
You will forget.
Forgetting is part of the practice.
Just return.
Forget → Remember → Return.
That’s the rhythm.
A Final Note
Don’t let the simplicity of this practice deter you.
I recommend committing to it fully for at least a month. See for yourself what it makes possible.
Happy practicing.
