E-couragement: Grounded

“The enlightened celebrate what others take for granted.” Michael Bernard Beckwith As a speaker, it’s tempting to get swept away in the hoopla. There are exotic destinations, airline upgrades, elegant hotels, and limo drivers. There’s fine dining surrounded by important business executives. Audience feedback might be lavished with praise and appreciation. These encounters can cause ego to soar into the clouds like a helium balloon stolen from a child’s grip. In an effort to counteract that, I rely on several practices to help me remain firmly grounded.

It’s not that we shouldn’t think highly of ourselves. On the contrary, across the board, we could all use a boost in self confidence. We are of great value. Sometimes in our busy doing lives, we get confused between our authentic self and our ego self. In order to recalibrate and stay grounded in the real me, I intentionally embrace a number of activities:

• Laundry duty at home. There’s something about separating whites and darks, cleaning lint traps, and folding clothes that helps me stay in the moment. In a meditative laundry state my mind chatter can quiet itself as life reminds me of its simple nature. 

• Lunch preparation for school. A task that reconnects me to my

  

  daughter while we’re apart during the day. I’ve already had one daughter grow out of this season. In two and a half more years, no one will need me to fix and pack their lunch anymore. In the meantime, it’s honorable work.

• Coffee conversation with friends. These talks, void of agenda’s, outcomes, or action steps refresh and uplift me. I’m reminded how we’re all connected in this journey. Listening to a friend with a nonjudgmental spirit is one of life’s greatest gifts.

• Chats with clients—off the clock. I’ve nurtured meaningful relationships with my clients that get personal. We create informal time, apart from business, to chat about our lives and our dreams.

In our hyper-distracted culture, it can be difficult to remain centered and grounded. If my venues become empty, frequent flyer miles vanish, and fine dining turns into take-out, it’s important to know who I am. I resist the temptation to take the above activities for granted as they ensure I remain close to the real me. After all, at the end of the day, I’m lacking nothing. I am enough.

Leave your comments: How do you remain grounded and centered?