What Will You Bring?
It’s Thanksgiving in the US this week.
What (energy/presence/being) will you bring?
It is so easy to focus on the “content” of the experience, and to ignore what else we choose to bring.At a concert this past weekend, I experienced someone who focused on his energy as fully as his art. David Wilcox brought his guitar and his music as expected, but threw in lots of curiosity, joy and wonder throughout his performance. His lyrics challenged us to courageously listen to each other; his presence encouraged us to take ourselves less seriously.
The experience was surprising and deeply refreshing.
How we do something is always as important as what we do. Our energetic habits, like all habits, take some time and awareness to shift.
My suggestion? Use this Thanksgiving holiday (or any other event of your choosing) as an opportunity to build your “energy awareness” and to put some intention into how you show up.
Take five minutes right now to ask yourself these questions:
- What energy do I habitually bring to this type of event?
- What works well about that?
- What doesn’t so work well?
- What kind of experience do I want for myself and for others?
- What is needed from me?
This year I plan to bring extra gratitude, plenty of curiosity and quiet joy to our Thanksgiving. The people with whom I’m celebrating may bring something totally different. I don’t get to choose how they show up – only how I show up. I trust it will make all the difference.