Are you stealing from your friends and family and don’t even realize it?
Chances are the answer is a resounding YES!
No, I’m not talking about money, belongings, or those cute shoes your friend has that you’ve always wanted.
Your most valuable possession is the quality of your attention.
How often do you find yourself wanting to be present with and connected to the loved one in front of you, but have your mind traveling in 100 different directions? Or catch yourself returning emails or texts while in the middle of a conversation? Or find yourself distracted by to-do’s still undone? Or know you’re just waiting for the other person to finish talking so you can be heard? Or feel so depleted you don’t have energy to invest?
Whatever scenario you find yourself in, most of us can relate to wishing we could feel more connection, more ease, and more consistent presence with the people we care about the most.
To be in the presence of another human being and not show up with your full, undivided attention is stealing.
A diluted attention is robbing others of the full gift of yourself.
Our lives are so easily cluttered. Full of commitments, big questions, unresolved situations, mental and emotional stressors. We work hard all day in our homes or in our offices and when we have an opportunity to pause, and spend time with someone we care about, we are sometimes so used to multitasking and problem solving that we forget to slow down, breathe, and create the internal space needed to give another person our full attention.
The most valuable thing you can give someone you love is the currency of your attention.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that we are actually stealing mostly from ourselves–quality time with others directly correlates to our own wellbeing and sense of happiness. We have to bring our whole hearts and our undivided minds to the table to feel resonance with another. As luminaries, we need to practice mindfully expending our energy, so we can freely give our attention to those we care about the most.
How is the clutter of your life getting in the way of your attention? Who do you want to be more committed to showing up for with full presence and consistency?
With love,
Cara
-Team Luminary
