Slow down and pay attention.
When you notice something, you become aware and “see” what was previously unnoticed or unseen. It’s been there all along, but something happened, and you suddenly paid attention to it.
It might be that someone pointed something out, or you just happened to be in a state of mind to see it. If you can slow down and notice what people are saying and doing, or what is there or what is happening, it can change how you see things around you.
If you notice things that have previously gone unnoticed, things that you’ve been totally blind to, what will happen? You might discover a lot!
Many of us run through life in such a hurry that we pass right by the obvious. We might find ourselves working to the point of becoming a workaholic and completely ignoring our families and friends.
How many times have you driven somewhere and when you arrived you could barely remember any details about the trip? Have you ever been on the phone and passed right by the exit where you needed to get off the highway?
How many times has someone been speaking while you concentrated so much on what you planned to say or how you planned to respond that you missed part of what they were saying? In the era of cell phones, have you been guilty of being so absorbed in your phone that you don’t hear or see what’s happening right in front of you?
To become more aware, slow down. Pay attention and use your senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Become curious and look for things you’ve not previously seen.
The key here is to slow down so you can begin to see more. When you do, you will come across to others as more caring, more interested and interesting, more personable, more valued, and more respectful.
Don’t the people you interact with daily deserve to be respected? Of course they do! When you take the time to notice more, you will begin to respect and value your associates and even your own life more.
I leave you with one last thought:
“If leaders today do not step back, to stop momentum, to gain perspective, to transcend the immediacies of life, and to accelerate their leadership, we will continue to crash economically, personally and collectively.”
— Kevin Cashman
It’s your choice. Choose to become more present with those people you care about, and even those you don’t. Imagine the possibilities, the changes that may occur in your life should you make the decision to do so!
©2020 BillAbbate.com
Read more on this subject in Uncommon Sense