Back in 1994, Steven W. Vannoy published a book that has played a significant role helping parents raise happy, productive, and responsible children. The book is titled, The 10 Greatest Gifts I Give My Children: Parenting from the Heart, and is available through many outlets, if you are interested.  The principles of The 10 Greatest Gifts are terrific for parents or, really, anyone else.  They also apply very well to adults working in the business world.  These principles can help us work better with others and understand, for ourselves, how we can be most productive and effective in every walk of life.

Over the next few weeks, The Porch will feature the principles described by Vannoy with a special emphasis on how they can benefit us in our business lives. So, today, we look at the first principle… Feeling Fully.

When I first saw this principle, I thought, “Ah, feeling full… like right after eating half a deluxe supreme pizza.” However, the principle is feeling FULLY.  In other words, experiencing life with all our senses and with a focus on what is happening all around us.  It is the opposite of being in a rut with your head down.  Feeling fully means to look and operate outside the normal patterns of life… out of your comfort zone.  You have heard the saying, “To enjoy life, you need to stop and smell the roses.”  In a sense, that is feeling fully.  It is broadening your viewpoint to be more inclusive of the people, things, and events around you rather than just slugging through another day doing the same things you did yesterday.

Feeling fully is looking at each new day as an adventure. What new will happen today?  Will I meet anyone new today?  Who will I spend more time getting to know today?  Who will I try to help today?  What can I do today to make the day better for someone else?  How will I be different at the end of today?  What new thing will I learn today?  Feeling fully is not allowing any of your senses to take a pass on the day.  It is turning off the automatic pilot and taking the wheel with your own hands.  Feeling fully is another way of saying ‘Living Fully.”  It is living with intentionality so you don’t miss anything.

A few years ago, my wife and I began looking for a new “project” at our house. Before we knew it, we had found some land in the country, engaged with a home builder, and were designing and having our new home built.  We had never done anything similar to that before.  We took a giant, for us, leap out of our comfort zone to do something we had only dreamed about.  The result has been nothing, but fantastic for us.  We love it in our country home, yet we could have missed it had we not decided to “just go for it.”  We decided that for that one thing, we would live fully.  I would recommend it to everyone to take that risk that you’ve been reluctant to try.

So, let’s get our heads up, our ears open, and our senses attuned to what might come our way today. Thanks for all you do and have a fabulous day!