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Your Business, Life and the World:
I’ve mentioned a few times that I went to an amazing retreat through RadicalLeadership.com
Like I said, I can’t share their proprietary stuff since it’s theirs and you really should go through the program to experience it, but I can share that one of the readings we did was one of my favorites by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I’ve got it printed and hanging throughout my house right now so that I can be reminded of it all day long.
If it makes your heart pitter patter like mine and you’re feeling stuck in the “doing” part of your life, then I suggest you might do the same.
Here it is:
“What we commonly call man,
the eating drinking, planting, counting man,
does not, as we know him, represent himself, but misrepresents himself.
Him we do not respect,
but the soul, whose organ he is,
would he let it appear through his action, would make our knees bend.
When it breathes through his intellect, it is genius;
when it breathes through his will, it is virtue;
when it flows through his affection, it is love.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
I printed out the Emerson quote and hung it on the back of the bathroom door. (I drink a lot of water so I figured I’d read it a lot. lol!)
My take on this is this.
In my life, I can quickly make food on autopilot (while totally distracted) and “throw it at” my family. Maybe I can heat up a frozen pizza or make sandwiches or warm up some leftovers. Whatever. I don’t think about it or really even remember it later. Kind of like driving on autopilot and you don’t remember the drive. It’s just doing for the sake of getting it done and making sure my family doesn’t starve, especially when I’m worn out emotionally or physically or both.
I can also eat my food in the same way. On autopilot. Just letting the busy and the noise stay on the top of my mind and have a mindless 10 minutes of my life. Or maybe I just plop in front of the TV with my hubby and eat, not even really tasting my food or being present. Afterwards, I think “meh. whatever. another meal.”.
That’s all well and good, but doing that for every meal for a week, or a month or a year – just doing the bare necessity mentally and going through the motions scares the crap out of me.
I want to feel ALIVE.
If I’m not alive, am I dead? Or sleeping? And do I really want to be asleep for even one meal?
It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes (from a Celestial Seasonings box of all places) –
“Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea.”
WHY do I so frequently settle for typical prison food (bread and water) when a Queen’s tea is so easily within my grasp?
I much prefer when my meals are this:
I take my daughter with me to the store and chit chat and touch produce, laughing and joking, enjoying her little dances through the store. I take time to chat with the cashier and enjoy the walk back to the car to put the groceries in. I usually park far away when I’m in essence so we can get in a little more fresh air. When we get home, I grab my son out of his room and hubby, too and bring them into the kitchen with me and my daughter, and we all put away the food and prep dinner together (even if it is a quick dish). Then, we sit down to eat a delicious meal together at the table and chat about our day or talk about some more important things. Afterwards, I think “life is good”. <- YES THAT.
I know sometimes, that I can’t do all of that, and that’s fine. A frozen pizza will do the trick. However, I CAN be present even in that. I don’t have to run on autopilot. I can STILL be “there” with my family eating frozen pizza, the same as if it were a 10 course meal at a 5 star restaurant. The only difference is whether I choose to be there or stuck in the noise in my head.
ok. So what about business?
When I go through the motions, people can tell. Plus, I’m unhappy and I stay buried in BUSY. My results suffer and my message does not get through the same as when I am aware and am aware and am not just the body but also in touch with my soul.
When I personally engage deeper into my business, people respond. MY impact is greater. And, obviously I feel happier and more fulfilled in my work.
Try it. And please post in the group if this message resonated with you. <3
Hugs and high fives,
Nicole