This is Your Life
I wanted to dispense some sage advice for those who have experienced any type of “failure” recently. But every time I tried to write, the words seem somehow inadequate…not the sort of thing that would be heralded as the next hot trend in leadership!
My mentors have kindly reflected to me that I'd be much more effective if I could sit still for even a few minutes, instead of jumping into action the minute an idea comes to mind. So I gave it a try. I set aside any need to offer wisdom to the world, for a few days at least, and got involved in the fun of life with my children. I let that be enough.
One night I was on my way home from dance class, knowing I’d be alone when I returned as the boys had gone to their father’s home, where they live half of the time. Steeling myself for the emptiness that was ahead, I was surprised when this popped into my awareness: This is Your Life.
What? Surely my life is the dark quiet when I get home, the concern for all that I need to take care of tomorrow, the rich times ahead when the boys and I reunite later this week! No, THIS is Your Life. The message was strong, persistent and very clear: Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but This Moment Right Now.
Ahhh…there is something very liberating here for me. Early observations are that my level of worry and anxiousness is down and that my feeling of being enough is up. I’m sure there will be more to say on this in future posts.
Meanwhile, the best offer I can make to you is the same one my guides and teachers make to me: an invitation to pause, hang out in the messiness and discomfort of the current reality and trust that in this quiet, abundant and unexpected possibilities will emerge.
The time for striving, driving and forcing things to happen is behind us, for now. In these complex times something different is required, something which will challenge each of us to use our unique strengths in new and uncommon ways. For me, the action-oriented do-er, the hardest thing is to stop and sit. Yet this is increasingly what I’m called to do and in the few times I’ve been able to will myself to do it, it has yielded profound riches and rewards.
What has unfolded when you’ve given yourself the gift of some down time? How easy or challenging is it for you to remain in the present moment? What do you think would happen at work if the leadership of the organization took a stand for quiet, even if just for a day or two?