June 2001

"How I Learned TM"
The Business of Giving Happiness
By John Muliken

I began the Transcendental Meditation technique when I was 15 years old, after seeing a poster in a local library. Two months later, enjoying its benefits, I dragged as many friends as I could into the TM center to learn.

Our experiences ranged from better grades to improved sports to increased enjoyment in learning. But the benefits didn’t stop there—two of my friends were able to overcome very difficult family situations because of their meditation. I found my social relationships were smoother, and I began to "hang out" with smarter, less troubled, more positive groups of teenagers.

As a result of the academic benefits of my practice, I was accepted at the "Ivy League" college of my choice. I became president of the TM club at college, and went on to teach writing and literature at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.

My experience when I meditate is a sense of calm expanding within me, and paradoxically, I also feel energized. These two qualities carry over into my life after meditation, too. The feeling of calm and clarity gives me a greater sense of perspective, and the energy allows me to accomplish what I want in life.

Through the years, my experience both inside and outside of meditation has gone beyond calm and energizing to joyful, giving me a sense of true happiness I had not thought possible.

If people ask what part of my life benefits most from meditation, I tell them all of it. The practice supports me on every level—from my family life, to relationships with friends, to the very active world of business.

When I met my wife, she was a bit skeptical about the TM technique, and wondered how it fit in with her religion. During the three and a half years we dated, I didn’t try to convince her to learn; I simply described my own experience and continued my regular practice.

As time passed, she noticed my ability, particularly after meditation, to give more to our relationship and be flexible in difficult times. From her observations she concluded that the "fruits" of TM were good. She began herself, and has enjoyed many benefits since starting.

For the last ten years I’ve owned and managed my own business. We have annual sales of about $3 million and hope to grow to $100 million or more in the next few years. We offer the Transcendental Meditation program as a benefit to our employees, and we allow time for them to meditate on the job.

There is a strong connection between the health, clarity and well being of an employee and their job performance. Since the TM technique helps improve all these qualities, my company’s performance benefits as well. When employees meditate as a group, there’s a collective effect that improves the overall "atmosphere" of the company.

Business is both exciting and challenging. Business people need all the competitive advantages they can get. The Transcendental Meditation technique gives any company a tremendous competitive advantage, and all of Maharishi’s other programs add to that success. They not only help the bottom line, but also strengthen and harmonize the company as a whole.

I feel so fortunate to be able to offer such an amazing set of programs to my employees. I know that whether they stay at my company or decide to start their own, I’ve given them a gift that will support them for the rest of their life.

John Mulliken is CEO of The Trade Alliance, Inc. in Boston