How are you arriving to your day? How are you arriving to work? How are you arriving to your family? How are you arriving?
I learned to ask this question working with the Steward of the CMM Institute. At the beginning of a meeting, we all took some time to share "how we were arriving" to the meeting. We shared about other events going on in our lives and how they were affecting how we were showing up to this particular meeting. We shared where our heads were at and what energy we were feeling. We were honest about the fact that we all had different experiences that week or that day that shaped us. We didn't pretend that we didn't have a life outside this meeting. We didn't act like everything isn't connected.
Why aren't we doing this in every workplace? Why aren't we doing this in each of our homes? Think about asking your kid this question when they come home from school, or your partner when they come home from work, or your coworker at the beginning of the day, or anyone you interact in your day.
When we take the time to ask people--whether it is our co-workers, our family, or our friends-- what else is going on in their lives, how it's affecting them, and what they are showing up carrying, it gives us more context and a better chance of empathizing and understanding the other person better. When we, ourselves, can share how we are arriving, it helps other people to understand us better, too.
Asking this question gives everyone a moment to reflect and put into words what they are feeling. Can you ask this question of yourself today? Can you ask it of someone else?
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