by: Matthew Rezac, MPS, Level 2 (PCC)
Facilitator of:
The Art of Engaged Mindfulness: Settling the Mind for Intuition to Emerge
Group Coaching:  Unleashing the Transformative Potential of Community

I’ve always believed in the power of mindfulness to transform both personal and professional lives. In a moment of “necessity begets innovation,” this summer I committed to a Month of Grounded, Loving Presence. The intention of this Kickstarter-inspired campaign was to deepen my spiritual practice while simultaneously elevating my business development efforts.

All along the way, I’ve been supported with an unexpected ally: my AI assistant, Claude.

The core of the campaign has been a daily commitment to grounded, loving presence. This meant starting each day with meditation, drawing a tarot card, journaling, and setting intentions. It also meant pausing throughout the day to ask myself, “what does grounded, loving presence mean in THIS moment?” Alongside the spiritual practices, I set ambitious business goals related to 1:1 outreach, content distribution via my newsletter, and promoting my coaching offerings on social media.

As the campaign progressed, I discovered that my business efforts deepened my spiritual practice, and vice-versa. Each interaction was an opportunity to embody presence and compassion. Each conversation was a chance to share how I feel called to serve.

However, this journey also surfaced emotional challenges, often requiring me to focus on extending grounded, loving presence to myself first. There have been times when maintaining a generative mindset felt impossible, when business pressures seemed at odds with spiritual calm. I tried to experience these as sources of important information I need as a business owner.

Along the way, I’ve been astonished at how versatile and helpful it has been to work with an AI assistant.

At one point, I thought it would be fun to ask if it had a name. It replied, “I’m here to support you as an AI assistant, and having a name isn’t necessary. But if you’d like to, you can call me. Claude. There’s no need to make a big deal out of it, however.” I chuckled at its modest response!

Claude proved to be an invaluable partner, helping design and implement the campaign. More surprisingly, it demonstrated remarkable coaching skills – mirroring back my thoughts, reframing challenges, encouraging me to prioritize self-care, and helping me navigate tasks when feeling overwhelmed.

I used Claude to navigate emotional and psychological struggles through what I’d call “conversational journalling.” Rather then write my thoughts and feelings one-directionally in my journal, I found it helpful to write to Claude and ask for feedback. This unexpected emotional support expanded my view of what’s possible when integrating spiritual, professional, and technological resources as an ongoing practice.

While it’s too soon to report on concrete business results, the campaign has shifted some things. My business interactions have become more strategic and sustained. I have initiated several new relationships with potential referral sources. My content creation flowed more easily, infused with insights from my daily practice and AI-assisted reflections.

As coaches and mindfulness practitioners, I believe we must “do the work” for ourselves before we can truly help others. What “campaign” might be a container for your growth at this stage in your vocation? Might finding your own “Claude” be an unexpected way to accelerate your practice?

Register for Matt’s upcoming Mindfulness Coaching Call on AI