Anita Sanchez - Author, “The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times”
Anita Sanchez
Anita Sanchez, Ph.D., Aztec and Mexican-American, is a transformational leadership consultant, speaker, coach and author of the international bestselling book, “The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times.”
Anita bridges indigenous teachings with the latest science to inspire and equip women and men to enjoy meaningful, empowered lives and careers. With four decades of experience coaching and training executives and their teams in dozens of Fortune 500 companies, governmental groups and non-governmental agencies, Anita is an established leader in global organizational change initiatives.
She is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council with luminaries such as Jack Canfield, Marianne Williamson and John Gray, as well as the Association of Transformational Leaders, the Evolutionary Business Council, and serves on the Boards of the Bioneers organization and the Pachamama Alliance. Anita holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Development from the University of Colorado, Denver. She resides in the mountains outside of Boulder, CO with her husband and youngest son.
I’m so excited for you guys to connect with Anita, check out her work, and follow along as she continues to share indigenous wisdom with executives and their teams all over the world.
I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.
I’m Anita Sanchez, PhD in Organization Development, of Aztec and Mexican American heritage. I’m a trainer, consultant, speaker, and author of international award-winning books, including “The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times” from Simon & Schuster. I am focused on amplifying the wisdom of indigenous elders to help meet the challenges facing our world.
How did you get started?
At the age of 26, I became the youngest executive director of a community YWCA. Soon after, I was elected to the World Council of YWCAs where I was enlisted to provide visionary leadership training and to mediate between women of countries at war with each other to create joint policies and programs on peace and development. This was the training ground for me to leap into my full-service organization development consulting and training business where I focused on diversity and inclusion, as well as leadership development to Fortune 100 international corporations
What inspired the work that you're doing?
There were two huge inspirations for my work.
First, since the age of four, I’ve had a recurring dream that I was to connect the hearts and minds of people around the world. In kindergarten when the teacher asked each of us five-year-olds to draw what we were going to be when we grew up, I drew the earth with lots of stick people of different sizes and colors; each had their hands on the other’s heart. As an adult, I found that I loved teaching and training, which combined nicely with my desire to see the world and do my part in creating peace and prosperity for all people.
Second, in 1994, I was about to give up my career in supporting business to embrace diversity and inclusion. Then, while doing volunteer work with indigenous youth, I received the Eagle Hoop Prophecy with the four gifts from indigenous Elders to help humankind to remember how to be in healthy relationship with each other. The four sacred gifts are the power to forgive the unforgivable, the power of unity, the power of healing, and the power of hope in action. I continually incorporate the gifts into my life and the lives of corporate and global nonprofit leaders. My international best-selling and award-winning book, “The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times,” shares those gifts with people around the world.
So it was meant to be that my life-long dream of connecting hearts of people around the world, along with my desire for freedom and peace for all people, would lead me to get my doctoral degree and provide me with additional tools to inspire others to be champions of diversity and inclusion in their communities and workplaces.
What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?
For more than four decades, I have been living my dream, connecting the heads and hearts of leaders in communities, universities, and Fortune 100 companies and global nonprofit organizations.
What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?
I feel most alive by continually rediscovering and helping others in business and communities see that we are all intricately and inextricably interrelated, as shown by indigenous wisdom keepers and modern science. I especially light up when I lead my annual journey of business owners with their families and friends into the sacred headwaters of the Amazon in Ecuador. There I create the space for people to learn from indigenous people, the Achuar and Sapara people, about their powerful cultures and about the beauty and importance of the Amazon rainforest, the heart and lungs of our earth.
How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?
At the start of the day and end of the day I have a routine:
First, give thanks, listing what I am grateful for;
Second, meditation or prayer;
Third, chant or read something inspirational;
Fourth, repeat three affirmations;
Fifth, I take a moment multiple times a day to orient on and to fall deeply in love once again with the natural beauty around me.
What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?
My younger self would be joyful that I am fulfilling my dream. The younger self would be quite proud of me for not letting obstacles (limiting beliefs, social or economic circumstances, etc.) stop me from living my purpose and contributing in a big way to people and the planet.
Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?
Mantras that I say at least twice per day for the past four years are:
“Thank you, thank you, great Mystery” (as I turn and face the East – the Red Direction of the element of the earth, the South – the Yellow Direction of the element air, the West – the Black direction of the element water, and the North – the White direction of the element fire)
“In gratitude, you have watered seeds of love in me, in gratitude. In gratitude, I will water seeds of love in others, too.” (A song out of Thich Nat Hahn tradition in walking meditation.)
“I am expanding in happiness, health, wealth, and love, sharing my gifts with people around the world.”
What is your biggest dream?
To do my part to reverse global warming, by creating the environments for people to connect with their minds and hearts to each other and the earth.
To learn more about Anita and her work visit her website www.SanchezTennis.com and to download a free song and check out her book www.FourSacredGifts.com and you can access her press kit here: anitasanchez.onlinepresskit247.com
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