This weekend, I did a talk called, How to Show up for Your Life at the Think Better, Live Better Conference hosted by my friends Marc & Angel Chernoff. I’m also on a book tour.
As I mentioned here, I’m having the time of my life. What I didn’t mention is that I’m falling behind on a few work things, like email and social media. And, I miss my loves.
Last night, as I did the final prep for my How to Show up for Your Life presentation, I thought about how I could get caught up on my work over the next few days while relaxing with my husband and daughter. They are meeting me this week while I’m traveling for a little getaway. It took me a moment to see the irony, to realize that by catching up on work while we are together, I wouldn’t be really there for them.
How could I do a presentation and recommend showing up for your life when I wasn’t willing to show all the way up for mine?
I had to make a choice.
a. Stay up late and try to schedule a bunch of social media and answer email before they arrive.
b. Save it for the week ahead and do little bits of work in between family time.
c. Let it go.
I chose c. Which means I choose love. I choose love for myself by getting a good night of sleep and I choose to show all the way up for my loves and for my life. For the next few days, the work can wait. I know we can’t always make a decision like this, and for some it may feel completely impossible to choose how we want to spend our time, but there is always a choice.
I’m not recommending you quit your job, or even call in sick but perhaps begin to notice how you are showing up. Are you present at home or is half of your brain still somewhere else? Did you bring your whole heart or are you trying to split your heart space in the name of getting it all done and being there for everyone? Can you be on your phone, tablet or computer and be fully engaged to what’s going on around you (asking for a friend)? Consider small ways you can change to make your efforts less diluted. What can you delegate, postpone or cut out all together?
And maybe it’s not work. Maybe it’s something else that is removing you from your life. Is it Facebook, other internet surfing, alcohol, shopping, perfectionism, comparison, anger, sadness? Identify it and work on it.
What will you choose to show up for today, this week, next month, and this year?
Will you choose to show up for your life and what are you willing to let go of so you can?