Every day, we have a choice about how we’ll show up. Are you consciously listening and replying to a conversation you’re currently having, or is your mind somewhere back in yesterday’s email? Being in the present is the most powerful place you can be for yourself and those around you.
Earlier this week, a call I wanted to take came in when I was writing content for my blogs. Pulling away is difficult when I am in total concentration, so I wrestled with what to do. I picked up the call and let the person know I was grateful for it, but I was tied up for a bit and asked if a call back in half an hour would work, which it did.
I could be fully present in both situations by delaying that call until I reached a planned stopping point, and the outcomes were far better—a simple and effective solution. I realize you can’t always do that, but I wonder how many times, if you had, the result would have been better.
Thoughts/ideas pop up for me in the strangest times. Sometimes, an idea pops in while I’m walking out running errands, so I take the time to stop and write it down in the notes section on my phone. It doesn’t take me away from what I’m actively doing, but it also doesn’t come back in the middle of the night, or even worse, get lost entirely. Whether it’s a note on your phone or a post-it on your desk, putting your thoughts down on paper can be beneficial to creating, remembering, or working through something in your life – and it’s another way of showing up for ourselves.
With that same thought, pause and breathe in between projects or events. By making a definitive break between what you are doing and what you are about to do, you give more power and clarity to the task. An easy way to do that is by taking deep breaths. Start with your eyes closed and take a breath into a count of four. Hold, and then breathe out for up to twice as long (e.g., to a count of six or eight). Do this three times, and when you open your eyes, you’ll become present in that moment. Simple, practical, and a gift to yourself and the person or task.
Know yourself, become aware of your limits, and honor them. Then, those around you will reap the rewards as well. How will you show up today?
Hugs,
Cyndi Mariner
Breathing Spaces
