Being in the moment. Now this is something that I have talked about before and I’ve written about in my book but yesterday I had this what kind of a revelation. I’ve mentioned before that I am part of a number of sharing groups. These groups are a place where people come together and share their lives. The hope is that the sharing will help other people handle life problems through a common bond of support and through sharing all may find a solution that works for a specific situation. Very gentle, comfortable, and graceful programs.
Yesterday, during the sharing time, one lady brought up the topic of being in the moment. Of course, my ears perked up because that’s something that I try to teach—being in the moment being present when you’re on the microphone. She was saying that being in the moment, or better said, not being in the moment was her equivalent of being unhappy. I had never considered this idea before. The thought of not being in the moment was equal to unhappiness. The idea was definitely a different perspective. She said she’s very busy worrying about the might-be and could-haves. The might-be’s are the situations that have not happened yet but we imagine all of the things that might be. Something in the future might be bad and we sit our mind to contemplating how bad the bad might be and before too long the might-be consumes our present. The could-haves, and her sister would-have, are all of those things that have already come to pass. The two sisters occupy the mind with the idea that if only (distant cousin) a certain action would have happened (or could have) then our present would be different. Of course, the two sinister sisters and their cousin change the present by occupying it with things that cannot be changed. All that junk was keeping her away from focusing on the here-and-now and the things that bring happiness in this place at this moment.
The woman explained that she was so busy out there in the future or back there in the past that being in the moment, some call it being away, was alluding her on a regular basis and therefore causing unhappiness in here everyday life.
The revelation for me was the power of this tool that we bat around like the latest phrase de jour. The incredible power of being in the moment when you are behind the microphone has been unjustly understated. When you are in the moment behind the microphone, on the radio, podcast, webcast, whatever, you are unbelievably engaging because you are giving your listener something he or she does not have in their life. The more you do it, the more attractive you are to the listener. Your listener will receive joy from you because you are, by example, teaching them to be in the moment.
In the sharing group the solution for getting in the moment are also applicable to getting in the moment behind the microphone. I heard things like “look at the small things,” “exaggerate your life,” “look for things that you can fill in that gap of this is your life.” Recognizing even the smallest things like the new keyboard I’m using to type this piece or the summer Saturday at Starbucks and hearing some guy next to me talk to his lawyer about patents in China bring are the things that help bring me into this moment.
I know this sounds like an invitation to expand what you say on the microphone. The truth? It may should not change much of the length of content you bring to the microphone; however, it may change your approach to the words you choose to set your stories.
…anyone can speak on a microphone… not many can make a difference in how and what is said.