November 2011

Take time to STOP

If you've ever been to Noosa in Queensland you'll know how beautiful and sparkling the beaches are there and the National Park that overlooks them. I was lucky enough to visit recently with my family when my daughter was a bridesmaid at a close family friend's wedding.

Being the competitive type - and, of course, being a massive advocate of continuous improvement - I take my morning runs (looks more like a walk!!) very seriously. So when I ran up the trail in the Noosa National Park, I was pretty focused on getting from A to B as quick as I could. But something amazing happened on my way up to see the magnificent view, called Hell's Gate, at the top of that National Park.

I was running as quick as I could and a woman called out, 'Stop, look at this!' Thankfully, I did, and as I looked down at the spot in the ocean she was pointing towards, I saw what she could see: a whale breaching. If you're lucky enough to have seen one of these incredible creatures raising themselves out of the water and displaying their massive bodies, then you'll know just how stunning and beautiful they are. It was well worth the brief break on my time trial run.

But I set off again as fast as I could, trying to make up time, and I got no further than 100 metres up through the forest when this time a man stopped me in my tracks: 'Come and have a look at this!' I looked towards the ocean for a whale, but this time saw no fewer than four dolphins, swimming and leaping across the surf. I went on and finished my exercise, but for the rest of the time I wasn't focused on my time; I felt like I was running on clouds. It was a real 'wow' moment for me and I headed back so excited to tell my family about the amazing examples of Mother Nature I'd seen in action.

The next day I ran again and, like I'd won the lottery, I saw another breaching whale!

The whole experience got me thinking and, to be honest, I was a bit cross with myself. If those people hadn't been there on my first morning to tell me about those wonders in front of me, that were better than any of the world's theme parks, I would have run right past them. I would have missed out on one of life's great experiences, I wouldn't have seen those whales or those dolphins. Which, by the way, were all the more wonderful experiences for having those people there to share them with.

In our desire for success and continuous improvement, in our constant busyness and focus on getting from A to B, we can miss out on some of the richest experiences life has to offer. We have to take time to stop and see what's going on around us.

With the festive season kicking into gear, people are so busy and hell bent on buying things. But we need to stop and think about who it is we are buying for and what is the most important component: caring about people. Sometimes we've got to stop and listen and support people - friends, family, colleagues; it can be one of life's great pleasures, too. If we stop and care, we make that great impact on the people we say we care about.

Now, I'm not saying that striving for continuous improvement and being the best you can be is wrong. Of course not! I live by those principles and I know you do, too. It's vital to strive for our own personal 'black belts', be focused on them, but remember, like my run in the Noosa National Park, it's what we see and learn along the way that's as important as the prize.

When I think about getting my own black belt in taekwondo, it was the steps along the way, the people that taught me so much, how my confidence and skills grew as I went up the ranks that was as significant as getting my black belt at the end. It's all about how we grow as people in the process.

We have to make sure that our black belts don't come at the expense of taking time to see the beauty around us, or listening and caring for a colleague, or taking the time to play and have fun with our families. It's a simple question of emphasis - and one we need to get right.

I want to leave you with a question: in your striving for excellence and being better today than you were yesterday, what are the 'whales' or 'dolphins' you might be missing out on? Because, to paraphrase Cat Stevens, your desire to be the best you can be will still be there tomorrow, but the beauty and wonder - and people - around you may not.

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Peter,

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Now, let's go find those whales and dolphins!

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