We’re driving home one evening, and my 9-year old asks from the back seat, “Mom, what’s your favorite smell?”

I paused a moment before answering because…well…I hadn’t thought about it in a while.  And thinking about it made me realize how easily I can slip into “autopilot” as I run through my life.  Like many of us, I run through my day with all thrusters on “Go!” not really stopping to notice subtle, and often important nuances like what my favorite smell is.

It reminded me of a quote from Leonardo da Vinci.  Da Vinci mused that the average human being “looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, movies without physical awareness, inhales without awareness of odour or fragrance, and talks without thinking.”

And you know what…he’s right.

How many interesting things, funny things, reflective things, helpful things, or beautiful things have you completely missed this last week, simply because you weren’t paying attention?

A close friend shared with me recently that, at the top page of his journal entries, he’d been writing the phrase, “Right now, this moment.”  He recognized some crucial areas where he was missing important cues from other people and the world around him and vowed to stop that from happening.  At the risk of sounding like a mystic, but it’s true that the answers you seek are often right in front of your face.  You can’t “see” them because you’re too busy spending time in your own head.

Comedian Bob Nelson in his famous football skit on HBO said, “The mind is a terrible place, never go there alone.”  He’s right, but it’s often not funny.  Your mind can be a source of great strength, or terrible anxiety.  So, don’t believe everything you think.  (By the way, Nelson’s skit is one of my favorites:  Bob Nelson Football Skit)

Challenge yourself to occasionally come up for air.  Take a small notebook and write down something new that you notice each day.  Maybe it’s the sensations from really savoring your favorite foods, or stopping to move to the beat of your favorite song.  Maybe it’s learning one thing new to appreciate about a typically challenging person.  Perhaps it’s walking through your business as if you were a new customer.  Are there elements of your business that create an unpleasant customer experience?  These are likely things that you don’t notice because you’re not paying attention on that level anymore.  By opening your senses, you may notice a worn carpet, a confusing or unattended reception area, annoying on-hold music, a not-always-happy receptionist, or an unpleasant odor.

And speaking of odors.

My favorite smells are:  apple pie baking, a newborn baby’s head, and a quality glass of red wine.

Tags: Business, customer service, Management
Categories: Business, Business Development, Management, Marketing, Success.

Posted on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 10:07 am
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