Snowstorms…spring thaw…freezing rain. Huge fluctuations in weather are quite common in the Midwest. If you’ve lived or traveled in this area you are well accustomed to it.
What struck me during a recent cold spell is how easy it is for some people to focus on the negative instead of appreciating what’s in front of them. The robins are back—scratching for food through what remains of the winter snow. The crocuses and daffodils are poking their way out of the still frozen ground. Yet, what I’ve heard from a lot of people is the negative reaction to our slow turning spring (i.e., “I’m SO sick of winter”). While this is understandable as temperatures remain chilly, it prevents people from appreciating what is around them and recognizing the beauty that is at hand.
It reminded me of a social experiment conducted in 2007 by the Washington Post. World renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, stood incognito on a Washington D.C. subway platform and performed for almost 45 minutes. You may have heard about the story—this isn’t the first blog post that has referenced the experiment. During the time he was playing, it is estimated approximately 1,000 people went through the station; only six people stopped to listen. Two days prior to his ‘performance’ in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston. The average price of the seats was $100.
The philosophical question posed was: “If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”
One might argue that those in the station that January morning had a great excuse—they were in a hurry to get to work. For many of us, the morning rush is not the best time to appreciate what is in front of us.
But what I hear from many leaders is that this rush continues throughout the day…and it doesn’t change as we move from one week or month to the next. I’ll admit that I have been guilty on more than one occasion of running from one meeting to the next and one week to the next without taking time to take in what is around me.
So how do you ensure that you stop and appreciate the world around you?
1. Be an observer. Take notice of the world. Pay attention to the little things. Make an effort to use all five senses to get in touch with the world around you.
2. Slow down. Too often we are in a rush and scurry from point A to point B. If we become disciplined to slow down and enjoy the moment we are far more likely to appreciate the here and now. If you live by your calendar, strive to schedule time between meetings (building in some breathing room).
3. While it has become common place to view multi-tasking as a necessary part of business, if you can batch work together so you can get in “the zone” with your work tasks it creates the opportunity to complete work more easily and seamlessly. Even batching tasks like email and phone calls can be helpful.
4. Demonstrate gratitude. If you find yourself complaining about what is or isn’t, start your quest to be thankful for the current situation. Create a gratitude journal or demonstrate appreciation, compassion, or empathy toward someone else. Giving back to others is a great way to appreciate what you have versus what you don’t have.
Tags: Beyond the Jargon, Calibra, Diane Hamilton, leader, Leadership Development, success, work/life balance
