Episode 79: Creating a Harmonious Life with Ivan Misner

Today’s guest is the founder and current Chief Visionary Officer of BNI. If you aren't aware, BNI is the world’s largest business networking organization. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author. As if that weren’t impressive enough, he’s been called the “Father of Modern Networking” by both Forbes and CNN. 

Are you excited yet? We certainly are. Dr. Ivan Misner is here to talk with us about his business, books and creating a harmonious life. 

Forget About Balance

You might be skeptical about the idea of forgetting about balance. Isn’t that what we’re all aiming for, after all? It might be, but as Ivan points out, harmony is both a more practical and more achievable goal. 

It’s not just semantics, either. When you think of balance, you probably picture an old-timey scale. That’s not how life works, though. To begin with, you’re likely juggling far more than two things. Beyond that, not everything in your life should have equal weight.

Instead, the aspects of your life—work, family, friends, school, self-care, spirituality and anything else you want to include—should exist in harmony. 

Steps Toward Harmony

Ivan highlights three critical steps to take toward a more harmonious life, although there are many more:

• Be present.
• Create margins in your life. 
• Hold on and let go.

Being present is a primary aspect of mindfulness, which is something that many of us practice. Of course, being fundamental doesn’t make it easy, but when you’re successfully present for your family, coworkers or anyone else you might be interacting with, you exude a sense of harmony.

When Ivan says to create margins in your life, he means to give yourself space. He does that by taking a day, usually once a week, that he dedicates to himself. He might still spend time with family, but he also relaxes by the pool or watches a good movie. 

The final step Ivan cites is to hold on and let go. That might seem contradictory, but it’s necessary. None of us have unlimited time or energy. Hold on to the things that align with your values. Let go of the things that don’t.

To learn more about BNI, you can check out the organization’s website. For more information about Ivan, including more about some of the phenomenal books he’s written, you can take a look at his personal site. Thank you for taking the time to join us! We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did.