Being vs Doing
What you will get: A comparison of being vs doing
“Do you live up to your job title?”
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe you are a human being?
Am I correct?
OK, so my next question is do you live up to your job title?
You see…
We are all called human BEings, and we are not called human DOings.
Yet most people spend most or all of the time doing things and not just being.
Why?
They don’t know how.
They forgot how.
They can’t find a way off the busy hamster wheel.
So what do I mean by being?
Well it could be lots of things, such as…
Having nothing on the agenda.
Meditating.
A peaceful walk in nature being mindful of the sights and smells.
Relaxing without social media and your smart phone
Allowing yourself not to be busy.
Really stopping to notice the wonderful taste of your freshly made coffee.
Giving yourself permission just to have fun and relishing every moment of it.
Laughing until your stomach hurts.
You get the idea.
You see…
If we don’t re-learn to BE more and DO less, we begin to suffer.
Our health suffers.
Our energy suffers.
Our motivation suffers.
Our relationships suffer.
(I say re-learn because as children we all know how to BE and lose ourselves in the moment, right?)
And talking of mindfulness (being present in the moment)…
Are you aware in some cultures they have no future or past tense in their language?
That’s right, they can only talk about the present because there is only the present!
As the famous author and psychologist Robert Holden explained it in a talk I saw him at a few years ago, without more BEing, the typical life story of a busy business person in the developed world looks a little like this…
“Born….childhood….school….busy….busy….busy….college…busy….busy….work….busy…busy….busy….busy….friends….busy….
busy….busy….busy….family….busy….busy….busy….
busy….busy….busy….holiday….busy….busy….busy….
busy….busy….retirement….DEAD! “
Kind of funny and tragic at the same time, don’t you think?
Here’s some questions to think about…
Did you make a “to do” list today? Are you good at making ”to do” lists to prioritise and organise your busy time?
How about a “to be” list?
When was the last time you asked yourself how am I going “to be” today?
When was the last time you deliberately left a space in your diary that you called “to be” time?
When was the last time you were really mindful of the many beautiful things each day brings you, if you allow yourself to notice them?
I’m off to BE now, how about you?
Your success partner
Steve Neale
“Europe’s Leading Expert on Personal and Professional Growth”
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