I get it we are all busy, and we all have a lot of obligations and roles to play in this life, but at what point do we stop and reevaluate the things that are actually worth our “busy-ness”? I have fallen victim to this my entire adult life. I have always been a super driven goal orientated person, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I was failing to be present during my own life. I was always thinking of the next moment or being anxious about completing another future task. I’ve realized that there is no destination (until you die), or point in time that you will suddenly wake up and be free of roles and responsibilities and finally get to relax and enjoy life. You have to try to enjoy it now, and that requires you to actually be present (which takes a lot of mental work), whether you are in a meeting or spending time with family, there is no point in physically showing up if your mind is busy somewhere else.

I have a mentor who is the grand master when it comes to finding the balance between major accomplishments and achievements and enjoying moments and the small things in life. This is an amazing quality that I hold in such high regard. When he has a conversation he gives that person his undivided attention for that period of time, and he asks questions and really tries to understand the situation at hand. He runs a very large company and shouldn’t have the time or the mental energy to deal with small tasks, but if it is important to him he makes time. Just seeing this taught me a huge lesson in my own life. I also look back at the best leaders that I have had and this was one of the major factors in why I looked up to them not only as leaders but as human beings.

I used to tell the people that mattered to me (and actually cared about me) that I was just too busy to talk to them, or spend time with them, or even make any sort of plans, and then I had the audacity to wear it like a badge of honor (I am still working on getting better at this). When in reality the badge of honor comes from remaining human and humble and prioritizing your life in such a way that you are adding value with your presence in both your personal and professional life, and at the very least not hurting the world around you. I am not saying that we shouldn’t be productive and at times pretty busy, but we should show up for moments whether big or small, because these moments may not come around again, and these moments are what creates the dance of life.

Be Beautiful. Be Brave.

XOXO

Angela