Today has been a wonderful day! It began with an early morning meeting with a friend who has been mentoring me for the last 13 years. Recently, my time with him has been less frequent, but whenever I am with him I learn and grow. Our meeting took place at my favorite local coffee house here in Lake Oswego. He was pouring into me.
After an hour and a half, he left, and one of my sons came by. He is 17, and is finishing up his senior year with some classes at our local community college. The purpose of our one on one time was to connect and take a look at his plan for the next quarter. It was an opportunity for me to listen to him and to connect at a deeper level. I was able to pour into him.
The reason I wanted to share with you about my morning is to challenge you to think about how you will spend your time this year.
Are you proactively scheduling one on one time with those you care for most?
One on one time is the absolute best way for people to connect, to experience intimacy, to build trust, to share life, to love and support one another, to challenge each other, to affirm each other and to show those around us how much they mean to us. With our busy schedules, this can be quite challenging, but it is worth it. I have learned - by observing those who are further down the path than I am - that those who do this tend to have the deepest and the best relationships.
Many of you are already busily filling in the vacant slots on your calendar for this month or even the entire year, and this is one discipline that will pay huge dividends. These one on one times (or dates, as we call them in our home) should be scheduled first before other things get in the way.
Look at your Life Plan, and make sure your key accounts include the discipline of one on one time with those who are the most important in your life - your spouse, your kids, your close friends, your extended family members. Then make room in your calendar, and invite them to meet with you. Make this a non-negotiable discipline so that it becomes a way of life for you.
I know many of you already do this, and do even more to make the time rich and meaningful. I could learn from you! Others may want to make this a priority, but don’t know where to begin. It starts with one date.
I hope this helps you and those you care for,
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Tags: Communication, Disciplines, Family, Life Planning, Listening, Non-Negotiable, Parenting, Presence, Teenagers
