Slowing Down by 5% | An Interview with Thomas Wirthlin McConkie

Thomas Wirthlin McConkie is an author, developmental researcher and
meditation teacher. As a teenager, he met his first teacher and has
been practicing for over 25 years under masters in the traditions
of Sufism, Buddhism and Christian contemplation, among others.
Thomas is the founder of Lower Lights School of Wisdom, a nonprofit
organization committed to sharing ancient and modern teachings from
the world’s Wisdom traditions. He is currently researching and
writing on the topic of transformative spiritual practice at
Harvard Divinity School. He lives with his wife, two kids, and
rescue dog. Links Atonement: Embodying the Fullness of
Human-Divinity (Deseret Book) Atonement: Embodying the Fullness of
Human-Divinity (Kindle) Where to Start When Members Doubt | An
Interview With Thomas Wirthlin McConkie Creating Space for Those We
Lead | An Interview with Thomas Wirthlin McConkie There is already
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access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 4:05 Introduction to
Thomas Wirthlin McConkie. The work that he is doing. New book
called, At-One-Ment. 7:00 Atonement is a really powerful invitation
to join ourselves to God and with divine life. 8:20 What would you
say to a room full of leaders? Embody the fulness of our divinity.
13:00 I’m inviting people to pay attention in a new way and see
what divine realities reveal themselves. Thomas shares a meditative
exercise to do this. 15:30 Meditative, grounding practices help us
slow down, experience the divine and help us turn off our brain and
feel with our spirit. We are thinking too much. 18:00 To the
skeptical person that feels uncomfortable with Thomas’ approach: We
are allowing love to do love’s work to actually open our hearts.
It’s less about the eloquent words you say but where those words
are coming from. 21:15 What gets in the way of love? How can we
show love? 22:50 Go 5% slower. Say fewer words and be vulnerable.
Let silence make us a little nervous and uncomfortable. As leaders
we don’t have to have quick answers. 29:00 Thomas shares an
experience going to conference to hear his grandfather speak. Elder
Wirthlin gave the talk Come What May, and Love it. At the time
Thomas was not active in the church and he talks about how his
grandfather's talk changed and touched him. 33:00 "What changed my
heart was my grandparents' simplicity." After 20 years he woke up
and decided to go to church. It was simple. 34:10 Leaders that want
to help others come to church. Thomas talks about how he never felt
a shred of anxiety from his Wirthlin grandparents when he wasn’t
active in the Church. They gave him a lot of space and grace that
eventually gave him a mighty change of heart. 37:10 Slowing down 5%
in our leadership and administration. There is no formula on how to
do things. Part of the vulnerability is saying, "I’m not going to
know 'til I get there." Have faith that something deeper to come
through you. 39:50 You might need to slow down 5% or speed up 50%.
If we slow down it will allow the Spirit to speed us up in the
moments that we need to speed up and slow down when we are trying
to go too fast. 43:30 The teaching moments of parenting and the
painful growth there 45:30 Mindfulness and relationships. Helping
people feel felt and known. A divine love. 54:20 What does
At-one-ment mean to you? The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the
top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit
Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better
prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes
for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle
Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena
Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox,
Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R.
Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson,