Steady

Lately, I’ve found it necessary to engage in “steadiness” exercises for my soul's well-being and am sharing some thoughts on presence here with you.

I cannot multitask. While some might, with proud exclamations,  say they can multitask,  I don’t believe it’s really possible for any of us. When we attempt to multitask, we are not fully present to either task.

In an interview, Tom Hanks was asked about the best advice he’d been given. Hanks recounted an experience of a director who was livid with his entire cast because they’d all shown up hungover to rehearsal. After reprimanding them, he shared this profound piece of wisdom, which Tom Hanks carries to this day and passes on to others.

Show up on time (which means a little early), know the text (be aware of what’s happening and what context you’re stepping into), and have an idea (prepare some thoughts on how things might move forward). 

Clearly, this was directed to actors, but it’s also great wisdom for you and me. For life. For practicing presence. Have you ever been a part of a book study group where some people show up without having read the book? I have. We’ve all done this, haven’t we? We go to meetings, but we don’t take the time to prepare for them.  

In her book, The Monastic Heart, Sister Joan Chittister devotes one chapter to statio - the giving of your whole self to the present moment. Statio means stopping to collect your heart and mind before you begin something. When we are about being who we’re created to be and engaging God’s will for us in the world, we don’t want to be found scattered in our hearts. Statio is about really being where we are - where our feet are. Living consciously and fully, whoever we are and whatever we do.

Whenever I hear the word multitask, it translates in my mind to half attention. This way of being is not an experience of being fully alive. 

TRY THIS: The next time you go to a meeting, a dinner party, or a church service, prepare by showing up on time, knowing something about the context, and arriving with an idea. Watch how this enriches your life and everyone around you!