| July 2009
Good morning!
How do we keep our eye on what truly
matters?
To say that we are busy is the understatement
of the century. Life
comes at us from all directions at all times. One modern writer
claims that “life is fired at us point blank.” How
true. Processing and prioritizing is challenging. We sometimes
receive even our most reliable information in a jumbled way; the
reported news often fails to distinguish the highly important from
the trivial scandal. Sorting out that which is essential is tough--and
getting tougher. Listening and paying attention takes real
work when your mind is racing with the lists of important matters
which must be tackled. We used to be more subtle in meetings, at
least trying to hide our blackberrys to email colleagues. Now,
manners and decorum have become even less important.
We can’t
change what comes at us-- only how we respond. Technology has become
too ubiquitious to ignore; it can quickly fill our every moment
and space.
I was recently in London for a PathNorth Experience
that focused on Learning From History and Greatness. We took an
incredible four day journey with 24 of our PathNorth friends. We opened the
experience with a dinner in the the Churchill War Rooms. In this
tiny space, Churchill, his Cabinet Secretaries, and his military
leaders, quite simply saved civilization. With 50 invitees
ranging from members of the House of Lords, to Churchill’s
grandson, Nicholas Soames and many other unique and accomplished
friends, it was quite an evening. The former Ambassador to
the Court of St. James, Phil Lader, closed the evening with remarks
that stuck with us for the rest of the experience. Phil observed
that we all pride ourselves on juggling many balls. Most
of these balls are rubber, if one drops, it doesn’t
break, but simply bounces back. He also noted, “Some
of those balls we juggle, however, are crystal. If we drop
one of those, the consequences are dire.” The crystal balls
are those things of vital importance to us: family, health,
faith and friends. Identify your own personal list of crystal
balls (for example, an important or ruptured friendship or
a treasured relationship with an important family member).
Despite
the demands on our attentions, we must learn to prioritize and
figure out what is truly important to us. What crystal balls must
we keep from dropping? Making such decisions requires a bit of
perspective and bravery.
I recall an illustration from Stephen Covey’s book The
Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. Covey suggested that
we think of our lives as a large glass vase. If we fill that
space with the unimportant first, there will be little room for
the essentials. He suggested that instead of putting sand
(unimportant) in the vase first, that we first place the big rocks
(the truly important) in first. The smaller rocks, sand and
water can then easily fill in the gaps. Our tendency, however,
is to do the opposite. There will always be room for these
smaller, less important matters if we place them after we handle
the big rocks of family, health, friends, etc.
It is never too late
to start focusing on our ‘big’ rocks
or to take greater care with our crystal balls.
Let’s get over the guilt and truly change. It’s
time to be true to ourselves and to put what is most important
to us first. When we do that, everything and everyone around us
changes. We see life differently. Don’t wait until others
take the first move, do it! I am reminded of Polonious’ word
to his son Laertes in Hamlet:
“Above all to thine own self be
true and it follows as night follows the day that thou cannot be
false to any man.”
Simple to understand. Hard to execute. Do it! doug
|
