THE POWER OF NOW

“Don’t underestimate what can be done now. When we prepare “now,” our tomorrows are that much better for it.  Now is the only time we can presently count on – the only time we currently have.  Use it wisely; and don’t miss out on it.”  These words by American author, speaker, and pastor John Maxwell were at the center of many of my reflective moments the past week.   Conversations with friends and family were sprinkled with phrases such as ‘I can’t wait until things get back to normal’ or ‘It’s hard to plan with so many unknowns out there’ or ‘I’ll let you know later once I see what is happening the next few days.’  With so many of those I care deeply about focusing on the past or the future, it is easy to see why I chose to take time to reflect on the now, on the present moment.

The topic of the importance of the present moment isn’t new to my blog posts.  But, it is an important topic and, given the current state of affairs due to Covid-19, one that bears continued focus.  Remember, when we live in the present moment, we are mindful of what is happening now. We are not distracted by the past nor are we preoccupied with the future.

We benefit by focusing on the present moment.  Focusing on the here and now keeps us grounded, connected, and happier.  When we live in the present moment we are ‘movers and shakers’ versus victims of time.  Think about it.  In the present, we do things.  We are active.  We have a purpose and we pursue it.  We are less stressed and more relaxed; less distracted, more focused and better able to concentrate.

Some things we can do to unleash the ‘power of now’ and help us reap the benefits of the present moment include:

• Be at peace with what is.
• Let go especially of things out of our control. 
• Connect to our senses and really experience what is going on around us.
• Meditate.
• Breathe.
• Look for the wonder in ordinary things.
• Slow down and enjoy life.
• Get lost in the flow of the immediate task.
• Practice mindfulness. 
• Have an attitude of gratitude.
• See the bright side of life.
• Catch the energy of present-minded people.
• Unplug.
• Turn off the autopilot and engage in what is happening right now.

We should attempt to be in the present moment the majority of time.  If we visit the past, we should have a reason for doing so like reflecting on successes and mistakes in order to gain insight.  If we look to the future, it should be to plan and prepare for it.  But, we should live fully in the present because today is the only day that matters.  Author and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle talks about how our fears (in the form of worry, stress, anxiety) come about as a result of “…too much future and not enough presence” and how us being non-forgiving (in the form of regret, resentment, sadness) come about as a result of  “…too much past and not enough presence.”

Therefore, if we can have the presence of mind to recognize the importance of the present moment we can then focus on today keeping our yesterdays, tomorrows, and somedays in perspective.   We need to remember that the past is the past.  We have no control over the future.  What we do have is the here and now – the present – and we need to make the most of it.    Maintaining balance in our present moment goes a long way in appreciating the happy and joyful moments that each day does contain.  As motivational speaker and author Matthew Kelly says, “Real hope for the future comes from giving everything to the present.”  Make it a priority to unleash the power of now this week by being more mindful of the present moment.

SHAKE THINGS UP WITH KALEIDOSCOPIC THINKING

On July 1, 2020, I began a two-year term as the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society’s Alpha Beta Chapter (Bedford County, Pennsylvania, USA) President.  The theme for my biennium is “Making Magical Connections…Endless New Possibilities” and I chose a kaleidoscope (k-scope) to symbolize this theme.  Why a k-scope you ask?  Because the bits of glass in it are always the same but when the k-scope is twisted, those bits of glass form new and different patterns.  In organizations, as in life, we might need the same “twisting” of things – a slight rearrangement of things – to help us come up with a new plan that moves us forward in reaching our goals.

Working toward our goals requires growth.  Growth requires change.  When we are in the midst of making changes to enhance growth we may often need to think differently, think creatively, and think divergently because as self-help author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins advises, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”  So, if we want something different we have to do things differently.  And, the k-scope is a wonderful symbol to jump start thinking differently.

I was first introduced to the symbolism of the k-scope and the idea of kaleidoscopic thinking back in 1986 after reading an article on “Creating the Creative Environment” (which appeared in the February 1986 issue of Management Review) by Rosabeth Moss Kanter.  (Rosabeth Moss Kanter is a professor of business at Harvard Business School where she holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship; she is also director and chair of the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative.)   Since then, I have thought her kaleidoscopic thinking provides a wonderful model for a new style of thinking; for thinking and approaching decision making differently especially when adapting to change. She says, “Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility.”

The notion of forming new patterns (or creating new possibilities) from existing information or resources is so simple, yet something we might not normally consider doing.  Viewing things from a new angle is important when attempting to successfully navigate the seas of change. Remember, if we want the end result to be different, our actions and decisions must also be different. However, the difference may come about by doing something as simple as tweaking what we already have.

Seeing things in a new light or viewing them from a new angle is critical if we are to bring about needed changes to help us move forward along our life journey especially when working toward our goals.  Just as the fragments in the k-scope can be twisted to form new and different patterns, a slight rearrangement of the things in our life might help us look at things in a new way, allowing us to come up with plans that move us forward along our life journey. Kaleidoscopic thinking is a way to help us see patterns, come up with new ideas, make creative connections, and see things in many different ways.

Seeing things from several different perspectives gives us options and possibilities from which to choose.   We need to then think about which option we will choose and how we will move that option from thought to reality.  We need to ask a lot of “what if?” and “why?” or “why not?” questions.  Sometimes to see beyond and see the new we have to shake things up; kaleidoscopic thinking does just that.

When we are in the midst of an overhaul or making a decision that may have a long-term effect, doing so with the ‘old way of thinking’ may not result in a satisfactory outcome.  Kaleidoscopic thinking is a way for us to juggle our thoughts, ideas, resources (people, money, things) which then opens us up to seeing things from a variety of different angles.

So the next time we face a challenge, before becoming overwhelmed by it or stopped by it, resort to kaleidoscopic thinking.  Shake things up or around.  Engage the creative mind to begin repositioning what we face.  Gain new ideas and insights. Visualize new patterns or arrangements.  Then think about ways to actually bring about a new pattern or arrangement.  Remember, when we are willing to radically change our thinking and question conventional patterns we open ourselves to being more creative and innovative in our approach to things.  And being creative and innovative may be just what we need to move beyond any challenges we face on our life journey (or in our organizations).

“YOU CAN’T DRAW WATER FROM AN EMPTY WELL”

It was September 1992.  I was working at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon as the Associate Dean for Developmental Education.   It was a time of change for the college as we were working on our preferable future.  During an inservice presentation titled “Put Your Own Oxygen Mask On First,” I shared the following remarks:

In the past five months I have flown so much that I feel I could be a stand-in flight attendant.  When people ask me where I live, I answer the United terminal at  any airport.

It was a flight this past June (my fourth in three months) that provided the inspiration for my thoughts.  You know the routine.  You’re all strapped in, taxiing to the runway, and the flight attendant says, “This cabin is pressurized for your comfort, but in the event of an emergency, an oxygen mask will automatically appear.  You all know the next line.  If you are traveling with young children, put your own oxygen mask on first, and the put the mask on your children.

This got me to thinking about taking care of ourselves, particularly because as people who care about others, we tend to go around putting oxygen masks on everyone else and sometimes we forget to put on our own oxygen mask!  This concerns me because if we don’t start putting on our own masks first, if we don’t start taking care of ourselves, we will become depleted.

Oxygen rejuvenates; it gives stamina.  It provides the ability to go back and continue to “slay the dragons.”  This is going to be a challenging year for us.  Challenging because we have many needs and not enough funds to meet all those needs.  Challenging because not only will we be dealing with our day-to-day operations, but also  working on the college’s preferable future.  It can easily feel like overload and I don’t want to see anyone get burned out this year.

It’s all the little things; all of the things that stack one by one on top of us.  It’s like the saying, “You can get nibbled to death by ducks.  No one takes a big bite, but all those nibbles eventually get to you.”

 I don’t want us to get nibbled to our nubbins by the little things.  Therefore, we need to be conscious of what gives us oxygen…what keeps up going.  And, we need to make a conscious effort to pay attention to the warning signals of oxygen depletion and get that mask on in time so we don’t take oxygen deprivation out on each other — we’re all in this together.  We need to work collaboratively.

So, what’s your oxygen source?  What will you do this year to regain stamina, to rejuvenate?

This opening led to all of us talking about the importance of self-care.   Someone on my staff offered, “You can’t draw water from an empty well.”  Isn’t that the truth?!  When the well is empty, we are more likely to feel stressed, react rather than respond, open ourselves to burnout, experience fatigue and even health problems, and/or not be mentally sharp.

This then led to all of us sharing our oxygen sources, things like:

MAINTAINING SIGHT OF WHY WE ARE HERE.  Whether in our personal or professional lives, when whatever is going on begins to deplete our resources, we need to think about why are here to give us the boost we need.

CONNECTING AND SHARING MORE WITH THOSE AROUND US.  We need to avoid the sense of being in ‘this’ alone.  Stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues.  Share what is going on.

MAINTAINING BALANCE IN OUR LIVES.  We need to equalize who we are and what we do; align what we must do with what we want to do or enjoy doing.

TAKING CARE OF ALL ASPECTS OF OURSELVES (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual…) by applying healthy habits to our daily lives: create daily routines, find ways to relax, minimize bad stress, relieve tension, and carve out some “me time” (time to renew) each day.

SETTING PRIORITIES.  Align what we do with our values then prioritize what we do in line with those values. Establish boundaries and limits.

AVOIDING OVER SCHEDULING and OVER COMMITTING.  Think beyond the day that dawns. Look to the week, even to the month and plan ahead. Prepare to do lists.

BEING FLEXIBLE.  Maintain perspective. When stuff happens, roll with it.

SIMPLIFYING.  Drop activities that sap our time or energy.  Minimize time spent on activities that don’t enhance work, family, health, friends, or spirit or that don’t bring happiness or satisfaction.

MAINTAINING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE as it brings optimism into our lives and makes it easier to avoid worrying and negative thinking.  We are able to cope more easily with the daily affairs of life.

KEEPING OUR GIGGLE GOING.  Smile often and laugh enough more.

No matter how busy or chaotic our lives get, we must remember to put on our own oxygen masks first so we are able to help others.

When our “tanks are full” we are in a better position to deal with everything going on with us and around us.  In the coming days and weeks, let’s do all we can to ensure that the “well is full” so we can continue to move forth with our lives in a way that allows us to do what we need to do for ourselves and for others.  Each day ask, “Did I make use of at least one ‘oxygen source’ today?”  Doing so will help ensure that our “wells remain full.”

 

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

Pictures of my great godchildren riding a merry-go-round provided the inspiration for this post.  If you’ve watched children on a merry-go-round, you see them in a variety of positions on the animals –  some stand up, some ride with both hands around the animal’s neck, and some like Hudson below just hold onto the pole.

The merry-go-round goes in one direction and while the children come back to the same place with each revolution, every moment on the ride is an adventure for them because they ride with a sense of adventure and an attitude and mindset full of possibilities.  As adults, our life journey can be likened to a ride on the merry-go-round.  We go round and round and the days pass and become weeks and the weeks pass and become months and the months pass and become years.  It is very easy to just ride, to accept schedules and routines.  But there is more to life than schedules and routines.  Yes, certain things in our lives are fixed, but our approach, our attitude, and our mindset belong to us. They are ours to experiment with; ours to use.  This week, I want to explore the importance of finding variety in our life’s ride so we aren’t just going round and round.

Back in 1785 English poet William Cowper in his poem “The Task” wrote, “Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.”  Cowper is telling us that life is more interesting and enjoyable when it includes new and exciting experiences and many different things.   Just as spices are used to add flavor to food, having variety in our lives – diversity in things – adds a dimension of heterogeneity that allows us to live life with a sense of adventure and an attitude and mindset full of possibilities.

The feeling of possibilities infuses us with the excitement of something new happening, of options to pursue.  It allows us to imagine and be creative.  It opens a door to an abundance of new adventures.

Variety in life also helps us progress beyond the ordinary and the routine.  If we do the same thing over and over again, our approach and outlook adapts to what we do and how we do it.  Our ability to be creative and adventuresome slows dramatically and often makes us feel as if we are in a rut.  By simply changing things up once in a while we will be able to prevent “plateaus” and boost the happiness and productivity in our life.

According to Cassie Mogilner, a marketing professor at Wharton, variety in life makes us feel happier because, “…it keeps you engaged.  It offsets that potential for boredom and burnout.”  The variety can be as simple as doing several different activities throughout the day or more complex things like changing how a routine task is done or trying a new and different activity.   Research indicates that when we do the same things over and over, even things that we love and find wonderful, we can grow bored.  So varying how we do things and what we do may help avoid boredom and may increase our overall satisfaction and happiness.

Without some variety, life would be dull and monotonous.   Variety – things like a slight change in routine, a new idea, and a different approach to something – may be all it takes to enrich the quality of our lives.

Just as young children do, we need to ride our merry-go-rounds of life with a sense of adventure and an attitude and mindset full of possibilities.  Albert Einstein (German-born American physicist) in a letter to a friend later in his life said, “People like you and me never grow old. We never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.”   Einstein never lost the intuition or awe of a child; he never lost his sense of wonder at things most adults find commonplace.

We all need to be Einstein-like in our curiosity and with our sense of wonder and awe.  If we can rediscover or reconnect with our inner child it might be easier to spice up our lives with variety.  See with the eyes of a child. Find wonder and awe, joy and happiness in the mundane, in everyday things.  Don’t take anything for granted.  If we can channel childlike wonder, we will find that we are more creative, imaginative, innovative, adventuresome, and willing to try new things.  All of this will make our ride on the merry-go-round of life more satisfying and pleasing because our attitude and our mindset will be focused on the possibilities.