Life is busy, that we know for sure. We all, and very easily I might add, get caught up in the daily fires, issues, problems, joys, and other distractions of life. And, while this is life as we know it, when we get mired in the challenges and opportunities that face us everyday, we have the potential to focus on exactly that – ourselves.
Recently, I had the opportunity to consider sending a encouraging message to a friend. I had a brief, momentary lapse in projects, problems, and to-do’s, and thought about someone I hadn’t considered in a while. And I thought of sending an e-mail to say as much.
But something gripped me. Something interrupted that conscious flow and brought me back to the hear-and-now. It might have been a phone call, or another e-mail, or a television program, or the dinner being served. And for whatever reason, the moment slipped away.
How easily it is for each of us to forget to recognize the relationships in our lives. It is that simple – to push send on an e-mail – but it gets interrupted by the immediacy of that which is right in front of us.
From now on, I indeed “push send”. I have learned that I have to consciously avoid getting stuck in the issue du jour and to “push send” on recognizing others; on saying hello to a friend; on buying flowers at the market; on listening with intention; on getting outside of myself and into a relationship with those who are important to me.
I invite you to push send. I invite you to engage in a relationship with those around you in fresh ways. I invite you not to miss the moments that can slip by in the flash of a beeping microwave oven or buzz of a text message. Don’t let petty distractions keep you from honoring your relationships. Practice this habit of pushing send. Practice being engaged with others. Practice moving outside of yourself and back into the relationships you’ve put on hold for a while now.
People with recognize your effort and will reciprocate. Push send!