The Art of Being
It’s been over two years since I left behind my corporate career and started my own company. I remember the transition vividly and my one regret looking back is that I wish I took more time off as I transitioned, because guess what, I didn’t take any! My last day as a corporate employee was on a Friday and my first coaching event was the following Tuesday. Thank goodness that Monday was a holiday! 🤦♀️
Reflecting back, and right from the get go of having embarked on this new endeavor of entrepreneurship, I was immediately on overdrive and continued that “always on” way of living that I previously had done so for 15 years as a corporate employee. I woke-up in the morning, got to work (be it attempting to build the perfect brand, learning from the industry experts, generating leads, etc.) and continued working. That “always on” approach started early in the day and lasted well into the evening.
Wait a minute, whatever happened to freedom and flexibility? Wasn’t this entrepreneurship thing supposed to be fun? Where was the balance?
Now it’s not to say that what I learned during my corporate career wasn’t beneficial and rewarding. Learning the importance of hard work, dedication, resourcefulness and courage served me extremely well along the way. But with it came this habit of being “always on” that honestly I wasn’t fully aware of until I became an entrepreneur and actually hired a coach who helped me to reflect back on how I was living this new career of mine. My coach helped me to see that I was:
Sitting in front of my computer “working” even if I didn’t have a meeting or a purpose for doing so.
Compulsively checking my inbox to see if a new email came in to validate my time and worth during the day.
Staying put or at home during the traditional work week and continuing to limit my personal time to the evenings or weekends.
Embodying a “fight response” in my physical body (e.g. tight jaw, stiff shoulders/neck, forward leaning posture, etc.), ready to pounce as antsy energy filled my bloodstream from head to toe.
You see, I had created my dream job, but I realized I certainly wasn’t living it. I was trapped in my old ways of doing, rather than playing and practicing in a new art of being. I had to break out, but when doing is habitual, the opposite takes A LOT of work and feels WAY uncomfortable. And that’s exactly how it felt at first. It felt awkward, unproductive and invaluable. I mean I wasn’t accomplishing anything - or was I? There was space in my schedule that I needed to fill - or did I? I couldn’t leave for a mid-day adventure - or could I?
This practice and play in the art of being requires learning and grace. Personally, I was so disconnected that I had to teach myself (and am still doing so) that not only was it safe to slow down but also how to make it happen. And as with anything you do for the first time, it requires consistent and repetitive action to create courage, confidence and ultimately a new habit that supported the life I desired.
Consciously participating in the art of the being is an active practice that requires presence. It’s learning to move past the logical protective mind and towards all the inputs of your body (emotions, sensations, temperature, posture, smell, taste, sound, intuition, etc.) to inform your conscious response to both the menial and meaningful activities in our lives. Just remember and rest assure that:
Being is what builds intimacy.
Being is what generates self-trust.
Being is what expands your capacity.
Being is what creates engaging relationships.
Being is what allows you to hear the unseen.
Being is what deepens your leadership.
Being is what empowers intention.
Being will ensure you’re open, connected and fully present for the entirety of the experience. And once you’ve started to BE, the new way of doing will enable you and those around you to get a sh*t ton done in a more meaningful way than ever before.
Both being and doing have a purpose. Both being and doing have their place. Balancing both is the key.
Use these questions below to begin your journey towards the art of being and if you're interested in how coaching can help you, feel free to schedule a free 60-minute discovery session with me to learn more.
