Being Present

We are in the second to last quarter of classwork for our cohort. There are fourteen of us in this higher education executive doctoral cohort (wow, that makes us sound super important) and we are all kind of ready to be done. The classes are interesting, the conversations with colleagues are great, the classroom content is relevant. But we've been in class every other weekend since January 2010. Long time.

Sometimes I get too focused on the end result, the push towards the end, that I tend to not enjoy the journey. Or, I am too concerned with getting to the goal and I don't give myself permission to sit and be present with the actual event, or what we're working towards.

In the past couple of weeks, there has been an explosion of projects, visioning projects, inquiries at the school, prospective student visits...some of these programs and tasks were expected, and some were not. But even in the midst of meetings and conversations, I feel as if I am being told to be present. Not slow down or to cut out, but to be present. Be open to what's going on in that time and that place, and be open to the common threads and themes across these conversations, meetings and visions.

I think that today I am also thankful for relationships with colleagues across the connection. A simple email connection, Facebook post or Twitter conversation can make distance feel like a non-issue. But I also value the face to face connection. This week's meetings included face to face conversations with close friends and colleagues. I was astonished at how life restoring that was (...says the introvert). I feel as though I am being reminded to continue to nurture these relationships, too. 

Finally...it's fall! While the rain makes the world a little dark and wet, the rain is adding a level of freshness. The leaves are turning, there are pumpkins and gourds available for sale on roadside stands, and the air smells of wood burning stoves. I love this season.

Photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt on Flickr - Creative Commons License