Bob's Thoughts About Everything

--Max Ehrmann--

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Be Here Now!!! What does that mean? I recently attended a seminar that focused on delivering quality customer service. Part of the seminar focused on the concept of "Be Here Now". This single strategy has made a dramatic impact on my life; both on a personal and a business level. In fact, I am so impressed with the results that I feel like sharing it with everyone.

The concept is simple. The implementation can be difficult. We live in a society that demands multitasking. We want to do more and more everyday. In our quest to do more and more, we sometimes lose focus on our immediate conversation or task. Our thoughts begin to wander astray and the next thing you know, we aren't paying attention to the person that we are talking with, the book that we are reading, or the blog that we are typing. A good example is right now. As I am writing this paragraph, I started thinking about finishing my taxes, calling the client that I am working with this afternoon, the meeting that is scheduled for 5pm this evening, the training session that I have scheduled for tomorrow morning, the fact that this is April 1 and someone maybe trying to pull one over on me today, that report that I guaranteed that I would have completed today, on and on and on. I constantly have to remind myself to "Be Here Now."

The impact of not "Being Here Now" is tremendous. It doesn't allow you to grasp the full meaning of what you may be studying or writing at the moment. For obvious reasons, it is very dangerous when you are driving. It causes a waste of productive time in a business environment. It can cause marriages to suffer. I notice that it is very easy to not "Be Here Now" when I am talking with my wife or other family members. The most critical impact is your level of customer service. You have to "Be Here Now" to provide your clients and customers the top notch service that they deserve.

Think about this next time you are having a conversation with someone. Notice how easy it is to drift away with your thoughts. So, what can be done about drifting thoughts? Here is a list of some of the things that I have tried with success.

When you catch your attention straying;

1. Say to yourself, "Be Here Now". You may have to repeat it a few times.
2. Write the phrase on post-its or a whiteboard or create a background and add it to your monitor.
3. Ask your spouse or friend to remind you to "Be Here Now" when they see you drifting.
4. Write a blog about it. :)
5. Schedule 30 minutes out of every day to ponder the things that keep entering your mind and causing you to lose focus. Keep the schedule and remind yourself throughout the day that you have this window to do your extra thinking
6. Make lists of to-do's. (my wife is excellent with this one)
7. Make a concentrated effort on EVERY phone call to focus on the call, listen to each word, and repeat what the other person is saying.

I challenge everyone to embrace this effective insight strategy. Your relationships will grow, your business will prosper, and you will find that you are much more at peace with yourself. Be Here Now.