Be vs. Do

Who was your favorite teacher? It’s amazing how for so many of us, a name immediately pops into our heads. Mine was Ms. Vanvoris - 4th grade. I don’t remember a single thing she taught me. But I do remember that after taking a trip to her home state of Washington, she brought each of us a delicious (and surprisingly enormous) Washington apple. This thing was an entire meal to a 10 year old! She was thoughtful, she connected with me, she cared about me and how I learned. I felt it. She didn’t teach like it was her job. She taught like it was an extension of who she was.

The Principle

Whether it’s a teacher, a coach, a doctor or anyone else we look up to – what they’re doing isn’t nearly as powerful as who they’re being. Being is about how we show up, how we embody a well-developed character, and the experience we create for those around us. Who we’re being makes what we’re doing much more powerful.

The Practice

Practicing the art of being is foundational to building trust and connection. Here are a couple of ideas to nudge your thinking about how you can begin to practice this principle:?

1. When you get a strong reaction from someone based on something you did or said (positive or negative), pause to consider who you were being in that moment. Did you show up in a way that drew the person to you or in a way that drove them away from you?
2. Write down the type of person you want to become. Two - three sentences is plenty. Pick three or four key traits that encapsulate that type of person. Before each zoom call, client meeting, interaction with your kids or any other human interaction you have during the day, remind yourself to create the type of environment a person with those traits would create.?

What other ideas come to your mind? Start with what feels right to you.

Till next time,

David