Slowing down the speed of life

I've been reminded again in the past week how important it is to find time for silence, meditation, reflection or prayer if you are going to be working as a coach or consultant.

I was talking to a client who is also a company consultant and trainer, teaching around the world. She said how she used to work full throttle up until the moment of her presentation or coaching. Working to get everything perfect. She recently decided that she wasn't going to do that any more and instead she gets to her training sites a day in advance, has a massage and spends time on quite reflection.

She says her presentations are twice as powerful since she started doing this. She also said that if you want to effect change in busy executives you are working with you must come to them with a different form of energy. If you are coming stressed out and overworked and you are wanting them to find more balance and reflection, your energy wont show them the way to find what they need.

Another example of this came from our minister's sermon this morning. He talked about how you only find God in silence and how it is ever more important, with cell phones, I pods and instant messaging that we find the time for quiet and silence.

For myself I have been taking time every 6 weeks for 30 years to go to Lake Superior. I go and do nothing. I watch the lake, take hikes and sleep. I do connect with God. One side of that is that I write poetry while I'm up there. I don't write poetry and flunked the subject in high school. But when I slow down and connect with God it just comes out, effortlessly. I know when I return I am a better listener, boss and father.

Whether you are a coach or someone between seeing, give yourself a present and find some time on a regular basis to slow down the speed of life.