I am a follower of thought generators, folks who share insights, observations and straight up wisdom.
For some time now, I’ve been following sourcemessages on Insta, from Pedro Santos. Reading and reflecting on his wisdom grounds me and has become part of my daily practice.
Here’s one that stopped me in my tracks. It was about the power of showing up.
“One of the biggest reasons why things are able to come together for you now is because you spent years showing up. You didn’t know where you were headed. You didn’t know how or when things would materialize. A big part of you doubted they even could, and yet, you showed up. You loved yourself so much that you looked doubt in the face, walked by it and embraced faith instead.”
CHILLS.
So many things come to mind here. The occasions when I showed up, the occasions I didn’t and the hundreds of times it never even occurred to me that I was or wasn’t. Let me tell you, I’m now more aware of my show-up-ness after reading that message.
Showing up. What does that even mean?
In her article The importance of showing up, author Stephanie Wells wrote “This can be showing up at work by making an effort to grow, showing up for your family by listening to them, and showing up for yourself by pursuing your goals.”
Showing up is not necessarily a grand gesture or a showstopping performance. It can be a simple act of service, committing to do a little more, or a little differently, for yourself or someone else.
After pondering this, it occurs to me that showing up starts with willingness. To participate no matter what. Not such a big deal for the smaller stuff that isn’t too disruptive to our day. A very big deal when we find ourselves in a high wind situation that completely blows our plans and schedule out the window.
Is it simply about being present? Shaking off autopilot by bringing all of you - your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self to the moment? Yes, and as I’ve come to realize in exploring this, it is the BEING part.
In an interview with Michael F. Schein for the Psychology Today article What does it really mean to show up? author, speaker and strategist Marcy Axelrod said “The two core components are knowing ourselves and engaging in conscious preparation rather than just assuming your best self or expertise will shine through.” Conscious preparation. Well that would be the DOING part.
Commitment lives here as well - to yourself, and the outcomes you are pursuing. Running through your presentation one last time, spell checking your report or resume, getting up a bit earlier so you are not rushed when you arrive at that meeting you’ve been waiting weeks for.
The icing on this cake is a healthy measure of belief. In your worth, your gifts, your purpose and abilities.
So What is the ‘so what’ here?
I think Stephanie Wells sums it up beautifully.
“What actually matters is showing up to what’s happening in front of you and all around you. Showing up for life means showing up for other people, and showing up for people helps us show up for life. This is how we are of service to others and ourselves.”
AMEN.
Food for your thoughts:
What does showing up look like for you?
What do you notice about your energy when you show up?
The articles referenced in this blog, can be found on my Resources page.
