Are you here? I mean, really here? Are you fully present as you read this?
Are your here right now?
Good for you if you are because being fully present in the moment has become just as tough as winning an immunity challenge on SURVIVOR.
Our portable access to communication towers and the internet (cell phones/smart phones) has led many of us to being in one place and our awareness placed on a galaxy far, far away. As we weave phone calls, texts and instant messages into our work tasks, lunch dates, and minutes spent standing in lines, someone who is paying attention to where they are and what is happening in that moment has become a precious commodity.
To be completely honest and vulnerable with you, I don’t exactly fall in the precious commodity category. I heart my iphone so much and it often whisks me away from being fully present in my life – it gently bows my head to pray…to the world wide web that awaits me.
My mother will find this post both amusing and ironic considering my behaviour since the iphone has entered my life. Back in February, I spent an evening with my mother and her friends in Florida and shamefully wasn’t THERE because I was texting. It upset my mother and it wasn’t a good look in front of her friends. iphone: 1, Personal Integrity: 0
Yeah, that’s the thing – being somewhere rather than here right now takes away our opportunity to truly experience our life as it unfolds, but it also takes away our opportunity to be kind to and engaged with the people we meet. Isn’t that the number one reason why were here on earth, anyway?
When we’re not fully present in our personal life, we risk offending people and losing friends. What does it risk in our professional life???
Well, let me tell you a little story that answers that question. I was recently at a certain telecommunications retail store (that rhymes with ROGERS) and the employee who was helping me answered his personal cell phone and started chatting with what I can only assume was his friend right in the middle of our transaction. No “hey buddy, I’m busy right now, I’ll call you back.” Nope, he chatted away as I stood there contemplating going over to TELUS or BELL. As this guy was chatting to his friend on his cell phone, he wasn’t at work helping me out anymore – he was with his friend. As we were close to wrapping up my purchase, he started to text someone on his personal cell phone. You and I both know that multi-tasking is a myth so once again, he wasn’t helping me anymore, but typing messages to someone. It wasn’t until the store manager came along and asked him to put away his phone that he became fully present with me again.
My theory stands firm – not enough communications companies exist for FOGERS to decide that being fully present and engaged with customers is crucial to its success.
When enough competition exists, my equation for success kicks in: WHAT YOU DO + WHO YOU ARE.
Being here right now helps you rock out that WHO YOU ARE bit…big time.
This is the opportunity that you have: to put down the phone and be here right now with those you work with and serve.
Whatever you do for a living or where ever you work, there is probably lots of competition that has made your client’s/customer’s experience during service a big factor that greatly influences their impressions of you and decisions. One way you can create a positive experience for anyone you serve is to pay more attention to what’s happening in the present moment…the time you share with them.
While being here right now is such a precious commodity, your light will shine even brighter.
With success being a combination of WHAT YOU DO and WHO YOU ARE, the brightness of your light is a huge deal.
Time to put away the phone a bit more? My experience at ROGERS sure has inspired me.
Big Love,
susan