G’Day! I am back from an amazing trip in Australia. Most of my time was spent in my own silence, drilling deep into myself and exploring the joy and sadness I encountered there, all the while surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef, or the Outback, or even a thriving city like Melbourne. My journal notes are filled to the brim with discoveries and re-discoveries, largely focused on the following attributes;
Presence
Present Moment = Wonderful Moment
Slowing Down
Attention and Listening
Honouring Self, Others and the Place
Gratitude
Compassion
Solitude
Upon reflection, I’ve written about all of these in the past, and yet have not been able to articulate them into one cohesive place. I believe these to be attributes of leadership. And over the next few weeks, I’ll expand a little more on each of them.
For this week, my discovery of Presence was very important. My usual way of operating is to be “planny planny” as my best friend puts it. While a healthy thing in many ways, the shadow side is that I am often thinking about what’s next, or what tomorrow will bring, and so am not psychologically and emotionally present in the here and now. I learned on a small island on the Great Barrier Reef about being Present, as I stood still for 90 minutes as the tide rose around me, waiting for the sharks and rays to go by on their way to their dusk feeding areas. If my mind wandered, I’d miss the silent shapes swimming by, so I needed to be so very present, in order to experience the thrill of proximity to these amazing animals.
A challenge for many of us as leaders is to be that Present with the people around us, focusing on what they are saying, doing and being around us, and not getting caught up in the possibilities of the future, or the baggage of the past.
May this week be one filled with Presence for each and every one of us.