Recently I participated in an exercise where I wrote my own eulogy. 

Morbid? Maybe.

But it made me think. 

Before I put pen to paper, I started to contemplate.

What is the legacy I am leaving in this world? 

Every evening I do my best to reflect on my day, and look for times I was acting out of selfishness instead of selflessness. I ask myself: how was I helpful or of service to others today? I try to leave a positive impression in my brief encounters with those around me each and every day, even though I know sometimes I fall short. I review my day and find times I was living in the past or focused on the moment, and look to do better tomorrow.

It’s so easy to get lost in an endless cycle of worry, fear, doubt, and stress. When I find myself stuck in these thoughts, I’m no longer present. I can’t really listen when someone is talking to me, because I might be too worried about what’s going to happen 5 minutes from now, what happened yesterday, and what they think about me. 

When I’m able to put these thoughts behind me and move past them, I can be present. Active listening is so crucial to human engagement, yet we’re so consumed by the chaos of the world and multitude of technology around us, that we often forget to really just “be”. 

When I can sit and be with someone - that’s when the magic happens. Whether it’s a client, friend, family, or simply a stranger in need, we all crave the need to be really heard. We desire that human connection and the authenticity that arises from conversations when we can shut out the world, and nothing else exists but two human beings interacting fully as themselves. 

Allowing myself to be real, raw, and vulnerable produces powerful results with those I interact with. I allow myself to be seen and see others - for exactly who I am and who they are in that present moment - whatever that may be. Good, bad, or indifferent. So today I come to realize It’s ok to be as long as I am being truly me.