“I am a human being, not a human doing.”~Dr. Wayne Dyer
It seems quite simple, but it’s easy to forget. We “teach” it to our clients and try our best to model it as well. We try to remember to “be”, rather than focusing solely on “do.”
It’s so easy to get caught up in all of our to-dos. Life has only gotten busier, and expectations have only gotten more immediate. My clients detail for me the pressure they feel to always be on, always be doing, always be crossing things off their lists. I watch my friends (and family members) jump from task to task and event to event. I notice it in myself. The internal tension I feel to GET THINGS DONE.
But life is more about being. It’s why we promote, and try to practice, Thoughtful Leadership – the first tenet of which is Be Present. Be. Be grounded in the moment. Pay attention to what is going on. And just be.
Years ago, someone reminded me that I wasn’t a “human doing” I was a “human being.” But it’s so easy to get caught up in all we have to do and to rush from moment to moment. Challenge yourself to learn to sit more, pause more, take in the moment more, and just be more.
Challenge your team to have meeting-free Fridays and device-free meetings. Work to instate email-free days (or at least evenings or weekends). Leave your phone, tablet, computer, and to-do list at home when you head out for a walk or a drink with a friend. Find ways to simply be…and see how much you actually get done.
How have you learned to be more?
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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 a human being not a human doing, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
Photo Credit: Iakov Kalinin/Bigstock.com
