We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maggie Stevens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maggie below.

Maggie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I spent over thirty years in public education. The majority of that time was spent working in my district’s early childhood programs with children birth to five and their families. I loved my work and was able to fill a variety of roles: quality assurance, program manager, and grant writer. My last four years, I was the Director of Early Childhood Programs and the Teen Parent Program. By definition, the majority of our families were at-risk. One could work 24-7 and never meet all of their needs. That didn’t keep me from trying! I began using meditation to deal with the pressure and anxiety. My practice gave me islands of calm in my chaotic life. I decide that when I retired, I would pursue becoming a meditation teacher to calm myself and bring that gift to others.

In 2018, I retired and traveled for a few months. On my return, I found a two-year mindfulness meditation certification program directed by two of my favorite teachers, Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. I signed up immediately, and the course began in February 2019. I went to Washington DC to begin the program but was in ill health. I was having trouble breathing, sharp pains, and deep fatigue. When I returned home, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma. So, for the next two years, I studied, met with my mentor and peers while undergoing chemo and all that entails. Meditation helped me be present with my pain and fears. I wasn’t battling cancer; it became my teacher. I learned to stay in the present moment without catastrophizing what tomorrow would bring. Mindfulness helped me not personalize my suffering. I learned to treat myself and everyone else with more kindness and compassion.

Walking those two paths of cancer treatment and mindfulness teacher training helped me to be a better and humbler teacher. I don’t consider myself the sage on the stage, I’m more a guide on the side. After all, as Ram Dass said, “We’re just walking each other home.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a mindfulness meditation teacher in Fort Myers, Floria. Currently, I’m the chair of a non-profit, Caloosahatchee Mindfulness, which has been serving our community for 25 years. We offer mindfulness classes and activities in our community. We provide classes, retreats, a book group, workshops, and in-services for nonprofits, childcare centers and the community at large. We help people learn the basics and the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of mindfulness. Our western culture values speed and acquisition neither of which are wrong, unless we pursue them to our detriment. Mindfulness can help lessen anxiety and pain, improve our relationships, and support our inner peacefulness. Since the pandemic, we have offered many of our services through Zoom, so we have people in other states or those who are seasonal visitors continue practicing with us online. People can join our organization as members, and they receive a 25% discount on all our offerings. Besides my work with the non-profit, I am also a mindfulness mentor and provide one-on-one support to people as they develop their meditation practice. Additionally, I have recorded meditation on Insight Timer (recently named by the NYTimes as the best meditation app) that people can listen to for free or make donations if they choose. Part of my practice is to write a monthly blog on topics associated with living mindfully. My aspiration is to meet people where they are and help them decrease their suffering and increase their joy.

Any advice for managing a team?

I have always worked on teams, as a teacher, an administrator, and now as a non-profit chair. I learned early on that every perspective is valuable. We each come to our perspective based on our own experiences and conditions. The early childhood steering committee of 12 had over 200 years of experience! We had one “yes, but” person. While she made other team members grit their teeth, I always appreciated her input. She made us slow down and consider all the factors before we made a decision. Letting people know that you value their opinion, even if it doesn’t result in the outcome, helps build collaboration. We also ensured every staff member at every level knew our mission. The cohesion built in our organization through that one priority brought us national recognition. Lastly, I believe that as a leader we are in service to our mission, clients, and people. When people know that no task is beneath you, they are much more likely to follow you.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Working longer and harder than everyone else at the detriment of your health and family is a terrible idea. I was the first one in the office and the last one to leave the school. I brought work home and worked all weekend. That didn’t make me an effective leader; it made me a frazzled one. I learned, only in hindsight, that balance is the key to everything. There are times I now say, “I can’t commit to that.” or “Who is willing to take this on?” We can never be everything to everyone. That seems self-explanatory, but I’m sure many entrepreneurs are working as if they can be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.caloosahatcheemindfulness.org/ and https://mettamindfulness.com
• Instagram: caloosahatcheemindfulness and @mindfulness.metta
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caloosahatcheemindfulness/ and https://www.facebook.com/mettatoday/
• Linkedin: Caloosahatchee Mindfulness
• Other: Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/caloosahatchee and https://insighttimer.com/mettamaggie

  Monthly mindfulness blog at https://mettamindfulness.com/blog

Image Credits

Maggie Stevens and Ellen Salzman