Are You Here?

If you were flying a plane do you think it would call forth an intense focus in you? It does for me. I'm on the edge of my seat looking for other planes, watching my altimeter and speed. I'm also looking to see if my wings are level, as I tend to lean to the right (hmmm, I do the same thing in skydiving, wonder what that is about?!). My mate is more relaxed than me, as he is the one with massive hours in the air under his belt.

Last week two commercial pilots lost their license to fly as they flew a commercial airbus 150 miles past their intended destination. How did that happen with all the technology they had aboard? They were out of radio contact for 91 minutes. What were they doing? They were on their personal laptops and were brought back to awareness by a flight attendant.

I'm not going to go into a rant about integrity, although I can't imagine being responsible for 150 people's lives and losing track of my job. But what I do want to point out is that they were not connected to their inner guidance and literally somewhere else.

Is what they did outrageous? Well, in one perspective, yes. And I see the majority of people around me checking out like this all the time. Are they flying a plane with other people aboard? No. But the impact can be more devastating.

Thankfully, nobody got hurt in this incident. But when you discover that you are not being present at your job, mistakes happen that cause many people to have to go out of their way. Communication snafus happen when we are not listening or don't take time to check in with our team or clients.

Most injuries occur from not being attentive to the task at hand. About eight years ago, I was hosting a dinner party and rushing to clean up so I could go to my boyfriend's house. I slipped on my kitchen floor. I broke my elbow and had to have pins and screws put in it. I may have been in my kitchen when it happened, but my mind was miles away.

I know many parents who attend their children's activities and are not really there. They're talking on cell phones, thinking about what they have to do later that day or complaining to the other parents about their busy schedule.

None of this is a crime, it's just a way of living that doesn't serve your heart or mind. It sells your soul. You live like a person who has been caught by the ocean's current and is frantically swimming and not making progress.

Retreat from your mind. Come back to your breath. Slow down and choose how you want to feel and be present to the choices you make throughout the day. All that you want to "get done" will get done smoother and faster when you keep your focus on what's most important.

As Abraham-Hicks says, "Nothing is more important than you feeling good." It never feels good to be in several places at once. Pick one.