Penetrate into yourself to start working with renewed vigor, find the inner freedom and inspiration to become an even better leader. Twice a year the UCU Lviv Business School (LvBS) gathers those who are ready for a change in their lives and business for Reflexio –a unique leaders inspiring program.This program gives you time to stop, rethink and move forward with new vigor!
The participants of the last winter Reflexio at LvBS mentioned that the program was a great opportunity to find new answers and seemed to be a kind of a reset. During the program they had a chance to meet for breakfast Oleh Turiy and Natalia Klymovska,vice rectors of the Ukrainian Catholic University,as well as Fr. Ihor Boyko,rector of Lviv Theological Seminary, Doctor of Moral Theology, the head of the School of Bioethics at the UCU.Moreover, they had an excursion around the multifunctional building of the UCU, Cathedral of St. Sophia, the Holy Wisdom of God, and the future library of Andrey Sheptytskyi.
«When you get nothing from people, you can start creating yourself, or you can change nothing. We’ve chosen the first option, so now the most important thing for us at the UCU is our reputation» – pointed out Oleh Turiy.
In her address to the participants, Natalia Klymovska was dwelling upon the relationships: «It is important to be able to express your gratitude. Moreover, it is vital to believe people. You must be able to trust people great things. I often practice this approach with my team. When someone is trusted, they reveal their true nature, they’re changing. And sometimes they may come up with something that will be a pleasant surprise for them and people around.»
Myroslav Marynovych,vice rector of the UCU, discussed withthe participants the importance of sacrifice as well as friendship and relationships that may undergo difficulties. Taras Dobko, the first vice rector of the UCU, enlarged on the phenomenon of happiness and whether we can make it our path in life.
«As it was noted by Aristotle, we all are seeking happiness, moreover, we can not but seek it. The true happiness means that a person goes beyond their limits and recognizes that the world has so much more, something that is decent, well worth living or even sacrificing your life for the sake of it» – Taras Dobko pointed out.
The next stage within the Reflexio was a workshop on iconography at the «Radruzh» school where the participants had a chance to try their hands at painting their original icons! Mariana Baltarovych, a teacher at «Radruzh», says: «We paint on the wood using natural materials: paints based on chicken eggs as well as dyes made from powdered stones, particularly semi-precious ones. This technique derives from the tradition of writing icons in the 15th-16th centuries and we preserve and develop it. We are really into working with natural materials. The wood on which we paint lives eternal.»
After the workshop the participants had a chance to experience the sacred art even closer in a unique Ukrainian gallery «IconArt», founded by a graduate of the Key Executive MBA program of the UCU Lviv Business School Kostiantyn Shumskyi. The idea of establishing such a gallery came into his mind mainly during the studies at LvBS: «I wondered if I can somehow contribute to the art. This gave a start to «IconArt», a project which is not related in any way to my major activity. In the space of six years we have held more than 80 exhibitions, the gallery was visited by 90 thousand people… The Ukrainian icon is undervalued, as it is not widely known. However, a very interesting fact is that the sacred art is not limited to an icon only. Quite often some authors integrate some of their ideas into the very concept of the sacred, and it is very valuable.»
One day of the program the participants spent in Hnizdychiv, where they had a spiritual renewal with Father Vasyl Oprysko, after which theywere taken on an exciting excursion around the Monastery of St. Gerard (dating back to the 18th century). Here, the miraculous icon of Kohavynska Mother of God, which was crowned by Pope Pius X, is preserved.
Another unique event within the Reflexio program was the workshop «Discover yourself: feel your body language and give new sounding to your voice» held by the actors of Les Kurbas Theater Natalia Rybka-Parkhomenko and Mykola Bereza. «Everything in our lives happens only through art or through love. And between them there is an equal sign. This workshop offers very specific and powerful experience helping people to discover their true nature and get to see the others. Such experience is invaluable. All people by their nature are very agile, flexible, and vigorous. But often because of our dynamic life we forget about it» – mentioned Natalia Rybka-Parkhomenko.
The final event,and this time a new one within the Reflexio program, became the acquaintance with the practice of «Mindfulness» – the art of keeping your attention – with Roksolana Kravchuk, the head of the Visions Center at LvBS and the author of the Open Mindfulness course.
«My main goal is to feel free and let others feel this way. Just being yourself is a great value. Today, many companies use «mindfulness» as a leadership practice. When we are complete, when we follow our inner guidance and realize our talents, not only do we become effective, but we also recognize our own uniqueness and can fulfill every dream that will serve for the benefit of others. And the practice of «mindfulness» helps us to take our first steps in this direction» – noted Roksolana Kravchuk.
The program finished with a friendly dinner during which the participants shared their experiences and impressions:
Tetiana Borys: «In the midst of life’s events finding time for yourself is a real challenge preventing us from taking the right steps. Indeed, sometimes the steps are rather spontaneous, very hasty. The Reflexio program offers exciting discoveries that allow rethinking our lives and help us continue moving more confidently and more consciously. It helps us become stronger and far happier!»
Andriy Tatchyn: «I enroled on the Reflexio program because I felt the need to get out of the daily grind cycle. When I received an invitation by e-mail, I immediately realized that this is exactly for me! I am very satisfied, it was a three days’ journey, in the course of which I managed to refresh and discover so many interesting things!»
Maryna Khmara: «Spiritual practices and icon-painting help people deal with their inner emotions. People need such programs, especially those who want to achieve in their lives professional growth through their personal… I was most fascinated with painting the icon of a cherub. This is my personal discovery, my new passion. I like drawing, but I was really shy about that. Sometimes we think that we are not able to do something, and now I plan to enrol on studies at the summer school of icon-painting! Come and enrol on Reflexio as well!»
Halyna Shcherbata: «It was fascinating. Inside each of us lives a child and the workshop in performing on stage is a good reminder of this – it’s a real gift to yourself. In our lives there are so many masks, and here we were given a chance to remove them and just allow ourselves to be who we really are. As for me, participating in Reflexio meant finding the inner peace. For it is often lost due to the dynamics of our life. But the peace is actually what I want to carry on. I’m not talking about the absence of emotion, but about the state of gratitude, love, and faith. It is really precious».
