In her June 7 “Your Best Next Move” video log, Bobbie LaPorte shares some tips for how to practice being in the moment and focus on what is happening right now—important life lessons inspired by her two Golden Retrievers, Posey and Nilla.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT OF “YOUR BEST NEXT MOVE: A DOG’S LIFE: BE IN THE MOMENT”
Hi, everyone. Bobbie LaPorte here again with my weekly tips for “Your Best Next Move,” where I help you have more agency in your work, acknowledge your capacity to act, and see what you can do right now.
Right now, it just got windy out here! Over the last few weeks, we’ve covered some serious topics in this post, and so this week I just want to lighten things up a bit. And, as you might expect, my two Golden Retrievers are going to be part of the story. That’s Posey and Nilla, who are hopefully sleeping someplace.
So I’m working from Tahoe this month, and managing the two girls has really been a challenge. At home in San Francisco, we have a fenced-in yard. Here at the lake, the back fence opens up to the lawn that goes right down to the lake. And Nilla still has not learned good recall, which is understandable at 4 months, I guess. So I always have to have her on a leash. And to add to that, there’s a popular path that runs along the cove in front of all the homes here, so people walking by are always a distraction, particularly for Nilla and Posey, who think that everyone is a member of their fan club.
So every time I’ve had them out, I found myself hurrying them along, not letting them sniff and explore as they love to do. I was getting tangled up in their leashes. Twice, I missed my step on the rocky beach, and I twisted my ankle. I was becoming more and more impatient, thinking of all the work that was waiting for me back on my desk, and I kept yelling at them to move along. And then one day I just stopped and looked at the beautiful glass-like lake, the pure blue sky, the bright green of everything around here.
Now that summer has almost arrived, I saw them totally absorbed in whatever pine cone or duck feather had crossed their path. And I realized that they were finding a way to enjoy these somewhat torturous outings, even if I was not.
And why? Well, because dogs live in the moment. They don’t worry about the past or stress about the future. They focus on whatever is in front of them. They truly take advantage of the moment.
Now, that isn’t to say that action and planning aren’t valuable. Of course they are. But we often miss opportunities that are in plain sight when we just go, go, go from one thing to another.
This Week’s Tip
Well, here’s my tip. Try to begin to practice this appreciation of being in the moment this week by selecting one or two activities. It could be exercising. It could be playing with your kids. It could be talking with a colleague. Just try and focus on what is happening. Just be there. Enjoy the moment.
This helps build the discipline to make this a more regular practice, one that will help you develop the strategic awareness to see what is possible, instead of automatically moving from one thing to another.
I want 2021 to be a year of momentum for you: one of possibility thinking when you take advantage of the agency we sometimes forget we have. That’s my tip for the week.
If you like, you can keep me honest and ask me if I took time this week to really be there when I’m out with my dog. All right, everyone, have a great week. I’ll see you next week. Take care.