Be present!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 12:40AM It's been a little crazy here, in Casa Williams!! My English friends were here for a few weeks and my life turned upside down, but in such a great way, I loved it and I was sad to see them go today when I dropped them off at the airport.
There are some friends that you can pick up where you left off after a year or two of seeing them, and you are still great friends and that is how it was with these guys and I can't wait to see them again in September when I head home.
Staying connected to people is important and today was about connecting. I have missed Charlie recently as he is with my parents and it's been hard not to have him around but Skype bought me and my little man closer last night... which is lovely.
What we have to do is stay connected, not only to people but to ourselves, sometimes we get lost in our own world we forget who we are and what makes us happy. It could be some thing as simple as getting up on a Sunday morning and going to a local coffee place for breakfast with the paper, but if you have allowed life to creep in and disrupt something you enjoy so much then you are neglecting what makes you happy.
We have to stay true to who we are, and be present. Be present with yourself know what you want and what makes you happy and stick to it. It's not easy but determination will help you. I have to visualize it and often write out what I want or get pictures on a board so I can see it. Be present.
But also with those people who are important to you. when someone calls you, don't do two things, stop what you are doing and listen, be present. You can always explain that you haven't got long but for those short minutes you have be focused.
Zoning out is easy and we can all do it, which is sometimes good, but people don't always want to repeat themselves, especially when they think that you have listened the first time, so stop, take a minute and stay connected.
It's amazing how many more things you will notice, learn and understand if we do just that!
Happy days!!!
With love
Lisa xx
Reader Comments (30)
Hi lisa im pregnant with my 3rd baby and i cant wait to find out wat im having as im only 11wks..i was wondering when you were pregnant with charlie did u know what sex he was?
xxx
Hi again Lisa,
You know, I am busy reading the book "The Road Less Travelled", and I am on the chapter that covers real 100% listening, whether to a friend, a spouse, your children, or whomever. The author (a psychiatrist) mentioned how seldom we take the time to listen properly. He also says that to listen properly one needs to put aside everything else that you may be doing at the time and really and truly concentrate on what that other person is saying. At the same time, you need to set aside your own perspective and put yourself entirely in that other person's shoes so that you understand totally what they are saying and where they are coming from. Making such an effort is an act of love because it means that you are setting aside your own interests and thinking of that other person entirely.
I must agree with the author, I really don't think we listen nearly well enough when others have something to say, and I feel we could all learn to listen better. He also gives some very good advice on being connected to the children in your life. I think I have been pretty good in this regard as I spend real quality time with my grandchildren, but I know I can always improve as well. Also, being a libran, I am reasonably good at seeing all sides of a story, but I know that I can put more effort into understanding another person's viewpoint without trying to foist my own views onto them.
So, as far as connecting goes, listening well goes hand in hand with that.
Blessings,
Jeanette
By the way Lisa, I LOVE the new pics of you. It is nice to see some new ones especially if we visit the site every day, as most of your members do... LOL. Would love to see a few of Charlie too.
Hugs,
Jeanette
I agree wholeheartedly with this entry. I'm an American living abroad and I cherish those few friendships I have back home where I know that no matter how much time passes between visits, everything will be just like it was the last time we hung out. Those friendships are incredibly important and even though I'm a shy guy and not good at making acquaintances or meeting new people, just knowing that I have friends like that makes me not worry about trying to impress strangers or make new acquaintances in a forced manner. Strangely, I feel that my connection with those close friends has to do with us sharing similar life journeys despite living on opposite sides of the world... every time we reconnect it feels like we just recently learned the same life lesson or had eerily similar experiences. I don't think anyone should underestimate their connections with their good friends. There's a reason you're friends!
Happy days lovely. l did get your message,no cheese,got it. You should try Zumba. Get Jonesy and a few of the girls and go and do it, it is so much fun. You dance around and shimmy like a mad woman . l went tonight with 3 of my gal pals and we laughed the whole time. If you do decide to give it a go you need a good sports bra because those suckers fly everywhere. Love you lots. xoxoxoxox
Lisa,
You look so marvelous..............thank you for being such a light.
Blessings,
peg
Bonjour Lisa.. ;0)
Hope that you had a great Time with your Friends!
And about technology and staying on focus (one thing at a Time)...it's how we're using it ..
You know i see people everywhere ..talking to their cells... Hope that they talk to real persons sometimes!
If you remember when we were kids...the phone was literally on the Wall... and we can't say it was cordless one!! So you just had one thing to do .... listening! LOL!
(((XoX)))
;0)
Thanks for a thought-provoking blog, and for encouraging people to be "present" when interacting with people. We're so electronically connected in this era, with so many distractions, that we do not savor the moment and appreciate our friends and loved ones. It's so important to count our blessings and not take anything for granted; life is short and so much can be missed and unappreciated if we are not "present". I try to be maintain a thankful heart for the basics of living - to thank God for having food, shelter, clothing, clean water, heat, etc. - which many people in the world have never known.
Thanks for a thoughtful blog, Lisa.
Dear Lisa, it's so true and especially during summer holidays, it's nice to catch up with the people you haven't spoken to for a while. It also gives me time to focus on what I want so I take a moment by myself to medidate a bit, and realise if I'm happy or not and why...
I love the new colour of your hair, it's beautiful ! It's a bit like a rainbow...
I send you much love from Nice, Lisa and hope you and Charlie will chat some more on Skype ;-)
Lise
Hi Lisa.
I love you so much, you are amazing .
I can't wait to see you in montreal (friday 27th august 2010) I hope you will have a message for me and my mother :)
We Love you.
Stephanie xx
Hey Lisa ;o)
good to hear that you had so much fun with your friends!
Have you already found somebody for your trip on the desert island?........;o)
I must say,your new pictures......WOW!! It's so good to see them!
You look so damn lovely...these pics make me a little bit nervous but okay!OMG
Now to your blog...sorry when I cannot agree in everything what U have written.
You say,staying connected to people is important today.
I say, why staying connected if you're ignored?
In one of your last blogs you said,think about yourself...If you're the one who doing this or doing that for others to stay connected and no reaction comes there,STOP it..Okay and this is what I think..I have this situation..I try to make contact for months,
no reaction,I tried it directly I tried it carefuly,no reaction.This contact was so important to me,for the other person probably a stupid joke,this has injured me!
This person hast not listen correctly to my message..but okay..Sometimes it's better to breaking off the contact at the human level and on the soul level if you don't want to be hurt.I have done it but I am still injured! It's so much aching but better...I needed this spiritual contact so much because it made me happy. But know feelings develop I cannot control and I can't deal with,so it's better to break the spiritual contact too...
So it's not simple....So I say...LISTEN to what the other person want to tell you,LISTEN a second time to understand!!!
Love You Lisa
Hugs and a Smile
Sina xxx
Dear Lisa,
I know you reach a lot of people personally with your blogs, but my goodness it never seems to fail the sycronicsity of your blogs, and the thoughts that you write are never far from what is on my mind.
You, and your network are an inspirition in my life...
I love you and your work,
Terry
Love your blogs Lisa... and glad you had a great time with your friends,,, your posts have so much wisdom in them and touch so many.
Hi Lisa
I want you to know that I think you are wonderful and I am delighted to have found your blog. I try and watch as many of your tv shows as I can and want you to know that I think they are fantastic as you bring so much joy and consolation to the people who come to meet you.
When you come to Ireland maybe I will get to see you them.
Love & Blessings
Liz
I need to know about my uncle.
Thanks Lisa.....perfect timing as always! xox
You have read my mind~! I have always stopped what I've been doing and focused on what people are saying to me, either in person, or even on the phone. I think it show's I care. But...my partner just doesn't really listen to me and I have to repeat myself 2 or 3 times. He says it's because i mumble, but no one else has ever said that to me. It really hurts because I sometimes think he just doesn't care enough to listen to what I have to say. So thank you for sharing this, because I will in turn, share it with him. And one day, I truly hope to attend one of your shows in person. I'm not sure how you keep the schedule you do, but all of us who believe and enjoy what you do, so appreciate it. Thank you~!
Hey there Lisa,
Awesome blog that is SO key and true!
So I am just stopping by to say 'hi' and to tell you that your new pics are just amazing and fabulous. Of course you always look beautiful girl, but what I see in these pictures is your true inner light shining bright and that is what makes these photos extra special. I believe there is a butterfly emerging... :)
Hugs and Love to you,
DS
even so it must be present...I do not really succeed and this is very bad for me
Hello, I wonder if you would like to help me look up my memory card for my camera. It is full of memories from my last day of school and I can not find it. Thinking if my sister who is two years old might be hidden it away, but where should I really look? checked in many places but all I find is dust. So if you could just give me a little hint on where to locate it would be worth gold for me, thank you in advance! Hugs!
I just wanna say that you are a beautiful person :-) your`e soul is shining so bright sometimes....If I`m not wrong I will say you are a person with wings who just are visiting us on earth ;-)
Me? I`m from Norway,I hope I`ll see you when you come to Oslo ;-)
Have a wonderful day <3
Marita A.M.
Oh you also have friends like that ;0). You don´t see them in ages and still there´s no awkward silences during discussions. With true friends the connection seems always be there. Luckily this works with my relatives too - in my family there hasn´t ever been much of a culture to go and visit the relatives unannounced although they live in the same city. I love them but I seem to be needing some good reason (birthday, sharing the good cake recipe, lend a hand or if I feel they need me drop by) to pop in for a visit. I´m always welcome though and they know that they can drop in any time. I guess that´s characteristic that many Finns can relate. It´s a cultural thing partly.
I usually don´t write comments to blogs but for about a week ago I for some reason noticed myself thinking about your blog that I remembered you mention on your TV -show long ago Lisa and felt I simply have to take a peek. Keep on writing, I will be returning to read more ;0)
Hi
I wanted to send my love from Sweden. Your words in this article are really true and I really believe that stay in this moment and try to listen carefully to whom we are and to those we have around us is very important.
Continue to be the great person you are.
Greetings Lena Sunhappiness
Dear Lisa,
I'm aware that many people ask you many questions about many subjects.
So, I would like to send you a link to a blog that may interest you and your
friends.
http://truthofthepresentmoment.blogspot.com/
Thank you for being there,
Your friend,
Christine
Dear Lisa,
I'm aware that many people ask you many questions about many subjects.
So, I would like to send you a link to a blog that may interest you and your friends.
http://truthofthepresentmoment.blogspot.com/
Thank you for being there,
Your friend,
Christine