The last few days, I’ve had the privilege of reading the manuscript of Will Pye’s soon-to-be-published book, Blessed With A Brain Tumour. Will learned that he had a tumor in his brain shortly before entering the Transformational Presence Leadership and Coach Training teleclass program in 2011. His presence in the group blessed us all as he shared great gifts of insight, discovery, understanding, and clarity.
Will begins the Introduction to his book with these words: “On February 26th, 2011, I discovered there was a tumour the size of a golf ball in my brain. You might expect such an event to be one of doom, gloom, difficulty and death. Well, clearly no death yet, or else this book brings new meaning to ‘ghost writing.’”
Clearly, Will Pye is a pretty aware guy who also has a sense of humor! Though only in his mid-30s, he is quickly becoming a spiritual teacher and mentor to seekers from around the world.
There are many things I could write about my experiences with Will, yet what I am reminded of as I read the first part of his manuscript is the power of our choice in every moment about where we put our focus. He brings front and center the power of intentionally choosing what will be our first priority over everything else when making decisions and taking actions, especially in challenging times. In other words, getting really clear, really fast, about what matters most, letting go of the rest, and then acting accordingly.
Just a few days before experiencing the seizure that led to his diagnosis, Will came across this Buddhist teaching:
Death is certain, it’s timing uncertain; so, what is important now?
Not so unusual a question if you are sitting in a personal development class or spiritual awareness program. You’ve no doubt been asked a similar question before. Yet as Will read that question, it grabbed his attention and wouldn’t let go, as if on some level he already knew what was coming for him.
It grabbed my attention when I read it in his book because it cuts to the essence of what really matters. No messing around. From my heart. What is more important than anything else in that moment?
What if the first question we asked ourselves, especially in challenging circumstances, was, “What do I want people to remember about how I handled this situation?” Or another version: “What message am I sending through my choices, decisions, and actions?”
Bringing it even closer to home, what would have been different about the interactions you experienced yesterday or today if you had considered those questions before responding or taking action?
This is not about becoming popular or “scoring points.” It’s about integrity and right action. It’s about making choices and decisions in service of something larger than us. It’s about shifting consciousness. It’s a shift the world needs.
What if business leaders asked what is most important from the heart every day? What if national and global decision makers asked these questions before setting policy or creating laws? What if teachers and parents and partners and spouses and lovers and friends and strangers – in other words, what if each of us lived in the awareness of “Death is certain, it’s timing uncertain; so, what is important now? We can’t make that choice for anyone else, but we can make it for ourselves. And that’s a start.
Think about it. What wants to shift in how you meet the world every day?
P.S. If you would like a simple and practical tool to help you clarify what is really important to you in challenging situations or circumstances, look at the Three Intelligences that are described in Chapter 9 of my latest book, Create A World That Works. There are two specific tools to help you on pages 80 and 83. The book is available through our website store, as well as in bookstores everywhere, on amazon.com, and as a digital book for Kindle, iBooks, or other e-readers.
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