Human Beings vs. Human Doings

I've just come back from the International Coaching Conference.  This is my third year going and it's been interesting to see my relationship to the conference and to my work in general change.  I am no longer in the "I've gotta fill up every second of the conference" and "I've gotta gather as much information as possible" modes. My theme has been to allow everything to be effortless.  So instead of wanting to meet more and more people, I was happy with the contacts I did make.  Instead of feeling bad that I'm missing out on some event, I was happy to go back to the room and rest.  Instead of learning a lot, I was excited to learn a little bit and apply it right away.  Instead of trying to know, I was excited to experience how liberating "I don't know" really is.  So it was effortless.  And I am thankful for that.


Human Beings vs. Human Doings

We all get busy and sometimes it seems all we do is go from place to place, task to task.  What if you stopped and considered who you were being during the course of your day?  Are you being happy, annoyed, satisfied, impatient?

Consider the following formulas:
 
Do - Have - Be
vs.
Be - Do - Have
 
In the first formula the emphasis is on what you are doing.  It's important to do something, so you can have certain things, so you can be somebody.
 
The second formula turns this around.  You be somebody first -- preferably yourself!  Being yourself naturally leads to you doing certain things, which in turn results in you having things.
 
Looking at the two formulas, which seems easier?  I submit that it's much easier to be yourself and have the life that flows from who you're being.  The other way occurs to me as hard work - trying to do the right thing, so I can have stuff, so I can be somebody.  Why not take the easy route and focus on being you?  What if it were that easy?
 
Who you are being is more important that being busy.  Over the next week play with these questions and see how they affect your life.  And email us to let us know what your life of being looks like - We'd love to hear.
 

1. Tell the truth to yourself about who you are.  Cutting out the layers of who you pretend to be, as well as who you are afraid you are, leaves only room for the truth.
2. Let who you are being inform your daily life and activities.  For example, do you want to be loving?  How does that look on a daily basis?
3. How can you put into action - today - the formula of Be - Do - Have?  The smallest of steps can make a huge difference, so be compassionate with yourself and begin from now.

Quote of Note
 
"So the single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment is this: learn to disidentify with your mind. Every time you create a gap in the stream of mind the light of your consciousness grows stronger".
 
--Eckhart Tolle