I introduced the term teliodosis in March of 2023. What began as a simple exercise exploring the integration of conflicting values grew into something far more meaningful. Over the past 18 months, my understanding of the concept has evolved. I now embrace teliodosis as a way of life.
Today, I’ll refine the definition of teliodosis, hoping you can incorporate it into your worldview.
Defining Teliodosis
Teliodosis (noun): te·li·o·do·sis | \ tē-ˈlē-ə-ˌdō-sis \
Definition: A state of living characterized by the integration of doing and being, where actions are naturally aligned with a deep sense of presence and purpose, fostering a harmonious and fulfilling life.
Voila. My refined definition of teliodosis. Thanks to ChatGPT, you even get a pronunciation guide.
At its essence, teliodosis is about the integration of doing and being. Most of us have the doing part figured out. Western culture encourages us to “do.” Pack more meetings into our day. Set BHAGs (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals) and achieve them all. My Productivity Anthology is an offering to the Altar of Doing, whose patron saint is Arete.
When we overdo it, we are advised to unplug. To “just be.” To stop and smell the roses. This advice may conjure the image of a monk living in a remote cave spending their day in contemplative meditation. Or a vacation that is truly a vacation, where you unplug from work and find time to relax.
When we view doing and being in this way, they are separate. Most of our lives are spent doing, and we will occasionally shift from doing to being for a period of time, whether on vacation, on a walk in nature, or in some other “being” activity.
We bring these two states together when we seek the integration of doing and being. Our day is filled with moments of doing and being, and we shift naturally between the two in the moment.*
Doing and Being is Nothing New
As I’ve refined my understanding of teliodosis over the past 18 months, I’ve begun to see the interplay of doing and being everywhere. This is not a new concept. Many spiritual traditions emphasize a balance between the two, including Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Advaita Vedanta, Christian Mysticism, and Sufism.
I particularly like the Taoist concept of Wu Wei, often translated as effortless action. In Wu Wei, we align our actions so naturally with the flow of the Tao that doing and being become one.
It was my first interaction with Ann Betz that produced the term teliodosis. I found it a bit magical when I later read her book Integration: The Power of Being Co-Active in Work and Life and discovered a section where Ann explores the term co-active as the integration of doing and being.
Despite the somewhat universality of this concept of integration, balance, or harmonizing doing and being, no word in the English language describes the actual state of integrating the two. The best ChatGPT could come up with were mindfulness, equanimity, and flow. All of these terms are closely related but don’t quite capture it.
And so I offer teliodosis for consideration as an addition to the English language.
Practicing Teliodosis
When I consider my journey, I recognize I grew up with doing deeply entrenched in my bones. Even on vacation, I wasn’t particularly good at being. I was always considering what else I could do. It didn’t help when I finally relaxed, and others around me questioned why I wasn’t doing something.
If this experience resonates with you, practicing being is the first step in your teliodosis journey. Here are some techniques to consider:
- Mindful Moments: Pause for at least sixty seconds between meetings. Focus on your breath. Look out the window and enjoy the scenery.
- Silent Reflection: Spend time away from technology in quiet reflection. Depending on your schedule, this could be five minutes or several hours.
- Nature Walks: No headphones or phone calls. Spend time walking in nature and experiencing it.
- Meditation: Establish a meditation ritual – even a few minutes a day will add benefits.
- Journaling: Establish a journaling ritual. Reflecting on your thoughts and capturing them can help you tune into your experience of being.
As you get more comfortable with being, you can begin to work on integrating the two.
Consider Buddha’s practice of eating an orange. Focusing wholly on peeling and eating the orange—savoring its taste, texture, and smell—each moment becomes a meditation on presence. This practice transforms a simple action into a profoundly immersive experience, where every bite is appreciated with full awareness, giving us a broader sense of interconnectedness. This way, the practice embodies teliodosis, merging purposeful action with mindful being.
I’ve found coaching to be a powerful practice for teliodosis. You can do the same by practicing deep presence in all your interactions with others.** When coaching, I lead with being, and the doing is in support mode. With practice, it’s become a delightful dance between the two, responding to my intuition to meet the client where they are, knowing when to do and when to be.
Putting It Into Practice
I’ll have more say on Teliodosis in future posts. Consider one small practice you can adopt to embrace teliodosis:
- Add mindful moments.
- Schedule time for silent reflection.
- Spend time in nature.
- Establish a meditation practice.
- Establish a journaling practice.
- Practice mindful eating, being fully present in the experience while you eat.
- Practice deep presence in your interactions with others.
I am an executive coach and life coach with software executive roots in higher education and EdTech. I coach because I love to help others accelerate their growth as leaders and humans. I frequently write about #management, #leadership, #coaching, #neuroscience, and #arete.
If you would like to learn more, schedule time with me.
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* I say we shift back and forth for a reason, and I’ll offer the neuroscience behind that distinction in my next post.
** When I say “others,” this includes your cats.