I was lucky enough be invited to Pure Growth’s launch of a brand-new speaker series, “The Power Within.” Designed to inspire, enlighten, and interest its viewers, The Power Within will feature some of the most legendary thought leaders of all time. From army generals to neuro-scientists, to movie stars to masters of mindfulness, each speaker will share their experience and their knowledge around what it takes to unleash our human potential, creative propensity, and organizational mastery. The Power Within represents a unique opportunity to learn from, engage with, and even challenge these legendary individuals, as they demonstrate how to unlock the inherent power within all of us.
This new speaker series is moderated by Chris and Ashlee Clarke, a creative duo who touch so many industries. Day-to-day, they are the creative force at Pure Growth, an advertising agency in New York that merges creative and artificial intelligence to create ground-breaking ad campaigns. Outside of advertising, they continue to push boundaries. Their most recent creative endeavor is co-producing Tootsie, the musical comedy that launches this April on Broadway. The glowing reviews received during its preview debut at the Chicago Cadillac Theater and the high volume of ticket pre-sales speak for themselves.
As the leaders of Pure Growth, Chris and Ashlee understand that it is their responsibility to operate from a place of mindfulness and compassion, to promote empathy and self-love. “This is the core reason behind the launch of The Power Within and our commitment to mindful living” said Founder Chris Clarke. “I have seen Pure Growth come to life through daily meditation sessions in the office, weekly yoga classes, group wellness retreats and, of course, now our the new The Power Within series” stated Ashlee”.
The speaker, or source of power, responsible for kicking off the 11-part series was world-renowned author and expert in the field of integrative medicine and wellbeing, Dr. Deepak Chopra who began with a fifteen-minute group meditation. Executive Vice President at Cardenas Marketing Network Elena Sotomayor stated, “After just fifteen minutes, I felt an immediate shift in energy and vibration across the entire room. It felt as though a weight had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders; I felt calm and at peace. The room was brought to a complete state of stillness.”
Next, Chris and Ashlee facilitated an intimate conversation with Deepak, about his journey through life and the lessons he has learned thus far, while remaining focused on how people can tap into The Power Within and reach their true human potential.
If you have ever had the chance to attend one of Deepak’s talks or watched a video of him online, you understand what I mean when I say, Deepak speaks in a manner that makes it as though he exists on another level of consciousness. It is as though he is enlightened, operating on higher wave-length than the rest of us. Initially, I was afraid that Deepak’s discussion with Chris and Ashlee would be hard to understand and relate to. However, this was far from true, and each time he spoke, it felt as though he was speaking directly to me. His wise words felt personal and rang true to my own life experiences. Deepak told stories and gave advice on topics we could all relate to and that every one of us can benefit from. To me, this served as a reminder that we are all of the same essence, the same universe.
What I found incredibly fascinating and impressive, was Deepak’s ability to engage in conversation about topics that, traditionally, are not thought of as going hand-in-hand. In an effort to uphold the integrity of The Power Within series, I do not want to reveal every intricate detail of the discussion with Deepak. I will, however, highlight the points of the conversation that resonated with me most.
Throughout the night, a common topic of discussion was business, and the role it plays in so many of our lives. Rather than speaking of mindfulness as an additional tool that businesses can use to improve processes, or spur business growth, Deepak positioned mindfulness as an absolutely vital part of any successful business. Deepak spoke about successful work units or teams, highlighting that teams are made up of people who appreciate and support one another, they have a shared vision and an emotional bond.
Deepak spoke of the importance of staying to in touch with one’s true self, rather than settling for the self that is created by the way other people see you, or the way you think other people see you. According to him, when someone is living as their true self, they are immune to criticism, totally fearless, and feel below no one. He talked about today’s world and how vulnerable each and every one of us are to the negative thoughts and perceptions of others, as they so clearly have an effect on how we see ourselves. “Ninety-nine percent of our thoughts don’t belong to us,” he said, “so why take ownership of them?”
Finally, what I thought was the most magical part of the night, was when Ashlee asked Deepak, “What has been your greatest miracle?”
His response spoke volumes.
“To me, every single moment is a miracle. The fact we exist is a miracle – one that too many people take for granted,” replied Deepak.