Thursday, February 26, 2009

What Are You Doing?

Stop, right now and ask yourself, "What am I really doing?"

Are you in a job that fulfills you or are you there just to collect a paycheck? Are you happy with your relationship or just going through the motions? Are you enjoying your kids or just running them around from Point A to Point B? When is the last time you laughed? When is the last time you cried?

What are you doing?

It's an important question and one we rarely ask. When you do stop to answer it, the first answer is usually a rattled off list of to-dos. "I picked up the groceries, got the oil changed, completed the presentation, helped the kids with the homework," and so it goes.

But as a life coach, you know I'm looking deeper than that. When I ask, "What are you doing?" I want you to get beyond the busy-ness. I want to get down to the heart of the matter. What are you contributing? What lives are you touching? Are you raising great kids? Are you creating lasting memories?

Granted, as adults, we know that life is about a lot more than doing what we want to do. Sure, I'd love to sit at home and write all day but pesky little things like a mortgage, lights and food have to be paid. Yet even as we live our day-to-day lives, I challenge you to do a little more.

I read a statistic that said that the average American worker spends less than 2 minutes in meaningful conversation with their significant other and less than 30 seconds in meaningful conversation with their children. Is that really what we want to do?

Smile more. Use the time in the car or in the kitchen to have a real conversation. Volunteer. Help a neighbor. Spend some time in nature. Spend an hour or two a week, doing something you love. Be present at work and give it your best.

Whatever you do, do it. Do it fully. Do it with excitement. Do it with love.

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