Getting better at getting better is what Rise With Drew is all about.
Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we at PCI are doing in our quest to earn a spot on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.
1: We start today with a passage from author Fred Bryant.
“A vast ocean of snowy summits stretches as far as the eye can see in all directions.
My friends and I stand silent and in awe, marveling at the cosmic tapestry spread out before us, drinking in the magnificent panorama.
We have climbed all day from a camp far below to reach this rocky high point. We have surmounted thousands of feet of steep, fractured granite and icy snow to get here.
We have planned, imagined, and anticipated this moment for years. Twice before, we have been unsuccessful in trying to climb the mountain, and finally, here we are! I embrace my friends and tell them how very happy I feel, and how much it means to me to share this with them. . .
I give thanks to God in a silent prayer for the blessings I am enjoying. . . Tears of joy well up in my eyes, as I realize how special the gift of this experience is and how much I have to be grateful for. . .
I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life, so I build the memory of it actively and deliberately. I slowly turn in a circle and let my eyes seek out what they find attractive. . . I take a deep breath in the thin, cold air and slowly let it out. . . I close my eyes and listen to the wind as it rushes up the mountain from the valley below.
I think of my late grandfather, my Daddy Jack, whose spirit of adventure lives on in me. How much he would have loved this place, this wild sanctuary of rugged beauty. . . How proud he would be of me now.
Then the wind shifts and picks up speed as the weather begins to change. We each take a final glance around us. . ., knowing full well that we shall never be here again.”
2: Fred’s real-life “mountain top” moment is a wonderful example of savoring.
So, what exactly is savoring? In their book titled Savoring, Fred and his co-author Fred Joseph Veroff define it as “the capacity to attend to, appreciate, and enhance the positive experiences in one’s life,”
Life happens fast. The years fly by. Time is not our fried.
Add in the constant distractions of modern life. Our beeping, buzzing, ever-present phones. The lure of multitasking: I can do this and that all at the same time. [Actually, we can’t. But that’s a different blog post!]
3: Choosing to savor life is an altogether different way of showing up in the world. When we savor, we have “a clear, deliberate goal of amplifying or prolonging positive emotional experience,” write Fred and Joe.
We “intentionally reflect on these experiences, mulling them over, ‘swishing them around’ in one’s mind, as one would savor a glass of wine or one’s palate.”
This summer, I’ve been intentional about savoring different experiences. Over the next couple of Fridays, we will explore the key elements of savoring and how we can bring more of this positive force into our lives.
More next week!
_________________________
Reflection: Do I spend enough time savoring the meaningful moments in my life?
Action: Slow down. Pay attention. Be grateful.
What did you think of this post?
