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being present

Like No One’s Watching

November 1, 2015 By Michele Woodward Leave a Comment

 

Sing Concept Clipped Cards And Lights

My daughter leaned over to whisper in my ear, “See that girl? Third from the right?” I nodded. “She’s awesome.”

We were watching a showcase of performing arts talent on my daughter’s college campus. Seated outside on a glorious fall day, we’d seen students doing modern dance and step. We’d heard a capella renditions of songs by Swift and Sinatra. And now we were getting ready to hear a gospel group sing.

The young woman my daughter pointed out was bespectacled with long, swaying braids. In the second song of the set, she took the microphone and moved one step in front of the group. The leader raised his hands and the keyboardist began to play.

I was ready for something astounding – hadn’t my daughter said this girl was awesome?

When the young woman opened her mouth to sing, I was a little mystified. You see, it was a traditional call-and-response piece and she was taking the lead.

But her vocal range was probably just about four notes, and two of those gave her some trouble.

She was not the most tonally gifted singer I’ve ever heard.

The audience began to fidget in their seats.

But she kept going. And her group kept following her, clapping and swaying in time with the beat.

She’d sing out her line, the rest of the singers harmonized along. She sang with passion, with attention, and with joy.

And she was totally in the moment.

Pretty soon a huge grin took up all the space on my face. Because I finally knew what I was seeing.

I was witnessing a raw display of powerful courage.

This young woman, pushing her glasses up on her nose, was singing her heart out in front of five hundred people.

In front of many of her classmates. Their parents. Their grandparents.

She was even being filmed.

Doing something many of us would shrink from doing if we couldn’t do it absolutely perfectly.

Yep, there she was, standing up in front of her entire community, doing something she loved.

Doing it as if no one was watching.

Doing it for the sheer joy of doing it.

I leaned over to my daughter and said, “She’s the bravest person I’ve seen in a long time.”

My daughter replied, “See? I told you she was awesome.”

 

 

Filed Under: Authenticity, Blog, Clarity, Happier Living, Uncategorized Tagged With: being present, bravery, courage, performance, success, success on your own terms

Out On A Limb

May 3, 2009 By Michele Woodward Leave a Comment

Wow, this feels big. I mean, just saying it out loud.


Deep breath.

Here goes: I have started writing another book.

There. Now it’s out and I’m on the record and have made a promise.

You’re my witnesses and I can’t back out now.

What I’m attempting to do with this book is tell the story of one coaching client, blending fiction and self-help so that any reader can use the tools to help themselves learn and grow. And any coach or would-be coach can get insight and instruction about how a coaching practice really works. And, with any luck, the story will be compelling enough that a general reader will enjoy it, too.

What’s the emoticon for happy/excited/yippee? Because that’s how I feel about writing this book. It’s an absolute joy — which is how I know it’s right.

OK, I’ve only just finished the first chapter, and, true to form, on the re-reading one line presented itself for further inquiry. When I posted it on my Facebook page, I got some immediate, strong reaction, so I thought I would write about it today.

“So many of us spend time seeking that we don’t stop to enjoy what we’ve already found.”

Know what I mean?

It’s like spending six months planning your wedding, and when that happily anticipated day comes, you’re totally focused on…the honeymoon.

Or sitting in a weekend personal development workshop, perusing the catalogue to see…what workshop you can do next.

Or, the family joke, eating breakfast while discussing…what’s for lunch.

Brings up a couple of ideas I’ve written about before. Remember Here But Not Here? How using a cell phone or Blackberry conveniently keeps you from being present right here, right now?

And even last week’s 3 Ways to Get Out of Your Own Way. We are foursquare in our own way when we’re so busy seeking the next great thing that we can’t appreciate what’s right in front of us.

Because seeking means we’re looking ahead. We’re looking somewhere else. Anywhere but here. Raising your hand and saying, “Absent.”

It takes being fully present to fully enjoy what you’ve created. When you create, then drop your creation in favor of something new, what you are actually creating is a never-ending cycle of never being satisfied.

That’s being driven, most certainly. Icky driven.

So, dare to be present. Dare to say, “Hmmmn. This feels great. Think I’ll be here right now and…enjoy.”

Enjoyment. What a concept. A very happy concept.

Like writing a book, if you ask me. And so I bring it around to the beginning. I’m writing a new book, and I thank you for being my virtual accountability buddies. It’s going to be fun, anything but icky, and I’m glad you’re along with me to enjoy the ride.

Filed Under: Authenticity, Career Coaching Tagged With: being present, happiness, happy, life coach, satisfaction, writing a book

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