Word-Of-the-Week #1062: Presence
December 13, 2024 by Susan Clarke
Presence – the ability to give your full attention to what’s right in front of you at the moment.
Have you ever been so immersed in an activity that you totally lost track of time? How often do you find yourself getting distracted?
This week’s WOW “The Power of Presence” is another great article from longtime friend Bill Marvin, The Restaurant Doctor.
- Presence and Enjoyment
There’s a direct connection between your level of presence and the enjoyment you derive from what you’re doing.
Have you ever been so immersed in an activity that you totally lost track of time? If so, you’ve had the experience of operating in a state of high presence. You were in the moment without distracting thoughts.
If you find your job irritating, the only problem may be that you’re distracted. Quiet your mind, drop distractions, slow down to the speed of life, and see how enjoyable things will suddenly become. Anything worth doing is worth doing with your full participation.
- Presence Is a Natural State
Presence isn’t something unnatural — it’s something we’re all born with. Little babies have amazing presence because their heads aren’t yet all cluttered up with thoughts — they only know how to deal with what’s right in front of them at the moment.
This sounds too simple, but look what happens when you bring a newborn baby into a room. Everyone’s attention shifts to the baby. People feel better, start to smile and forget their own problems for a few minutes. The baby isn’t doing anything — it’s just being there — yet everyone around them feels more positive.
We call it the Helium Principle: If you maintain a positive state of mind, other people will naturally rise to that.
This demonstrates the power of presence to make others feel more positive. High presence is our birthright, but it’s also something we can easily lose sight of as the pace of business speeds up, our lives become increasingly complex and we take on more responsibilities.
- Start to Notice
It’s unrealistic to think you will always operate without distractions, but you can start to become aware of distracting thoughts when they start to clutter your mind.
One way to tell this is happening is when the people you’re talking with get restless or when you see a glazed look in their eyes. If your attention wanders off track, so will theirs.
The good news is that simply becoming aware of the fact that you’re distracted will automatically start you self-correcting again. When you notice you’re drifting off track, gently let go of stray thoughts and allow your attention to return to the task at hand.
Your increased presence will make whoever you’re with feel better-served and bring more impact to your message.”
This week’s focus is on presence. How easy is it for you to stay on track when you have a task at hand? How would it feel to exhibit the “Helium Principle” and be the positive that brings others up?
I LOVE feedback! Join my Facebook community on my FUN-damentals Fan Page.