“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”
~Henry David Thoreau

I was driving through the mountains of Colorado recently, on the way home from a long ski weekend. I was fully aware of how lucky I was to have had the weekend I’d had, and, I thought, fully alive and awake to the moment.

And then I looked out the window, at the snow on the ground on the side of the road, and it was sparkling. Truly sparkling.

Now, I know it was just that the snow was a bit iced over, and that the early morning sun was hitting it just right. But it sparkled in a glorious, beautiful way.

As I marveled at the beauty of the moment, I realized that I could have missed the sparkling. I could have been caught up checking email on my phone or not paying any attention to my surroundings. I could have not been awake to the moment, even as I thought smugly to myself how awake to the moment I was. I could have missed it, or been too preoccupied by anything to have taken the splendor in.

I realized that potentially whole days could go by with my not really noticing what was happening or what was around me. Opportunities to connect with people, make a difference, accomplish something great, have more fun – it all could be passing me by and I could be caught too deep in myself to notice. I could simply not be aware. Or awake.

I have the opportunity in this day, in this moment, to be fully awake. I have the possibility of being fully awake myself, and in inviting, and exciting, those around me to be fully awake as well.

Thoughtful Leadership is being present – and awake. Being intentional – and awake. And being authentic – and awake. Thoughtful leadership allows me – reminds me – to be completely in this moment, in this day, in this world, in this situation. To see the best of it, and to have it bring out the best of me.

I can be fully awake.

How do you practice being fully awake to what is?
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If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.


For support in being more awake, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.

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