A Life of Wonder

Doing is relatively easy. You take action. You practice. You get better. You make decisions. You move forward. You fail. You thrive. Ultimately, you’re driving.

“Being” is considerably more challenging. Waiting for results you have no control over. Sitting with feelings. Contemplating. Ruminating. Exploring the unknowing. Paying attention to breath, to surroundings, to life without having any power over it, this is considerably more challenging (for me) .

Can we get better at being? Can we do so through practice? How does the practice of “being” differ from the practice of “doing?”

I want to sit with this question. 

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Today I invited a small group of people I trust to tell a story. That was it. You have about 3 minutes. Go. No rules. No limits. When each had taken their turn, I asked about their experience of being listened to and their experience of sharing. Some expressed a wish to be more vulnerable, while others yearned to improve their story telling skills, and several felt held and heard by the community. What interested me most wasn’t the content of the stories per se, but why the selected the ones they selected. With a lifetime of memories available to you, how did you decide what to select: the most dramatic, the most impactful, the funniest, the one which portrays you in a positive light?

It’s the selection of the content I find most fascinating. I told the story of my first consulting experience and the car ride from hell. It was memorable for me and captured that feeling of wanting to impress while facing potential embarrassment. Maybe I’ll share it with you sometime.

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