Feel Gravity Now

In conversation with a few friends last week, one mentioned an idea that I have been unable to stop thinking about — "feel gravity now." At first blush, the statement is simple, much like "focus on your breath," advice on how to slow the world down, regain concentration, and quiet the noise. And it is all that. It is a very efficient use of words, each of the three words packed and powerful. As I meditate on each of the words, I am reflecting on how, individually and together, they become a mantra of sorts — a way of efficiently remembering what’s important, how to stay the course, and how to find balance. Like so many of these ideas, they also become a wonderful shorthand for thinking about how we, as leaders, can show up every day in the best way possible.

Feel. It is easy for leaders to default to thinking our way through life; after all, it is quite likely that thinking is what got us here. While there are certainly many important thinking aspects to leadership, more than ever before leadership is a feeling task. Great leaders understand how to feel the needs of the people who follow them, to have the emotional intelligence to connect with their teams so they can take them where they collectively need to go. As leaders, we must attune ourselves to the feelings of our friends, partners, and the situations that call for our leadership. We must also trust our feeling and intuition when facing the unknown, making decisions that go beyond pure rational thinking. Great leaders embrace and enhance their ability to feel and use it in balance with their thinking side.

Gravity. The first meaning I heard when I heard "feel gravity" was to remember to feel those things that we take for granted every day. I usually only think about gravity when I knock something off the table and it falls to the floor. But gravity is the force that keeps our feet on the ground, it provides the friction we use to get around, and it makes our life possible. Powerful and overlooked. Through the same looking glass, I heard the meaning of "feel gravity" as a reminder to recall what is important to us. There are too many people, places, and things that make our lives possible and celebratory that we overlook every day. Feel the gravity of seeing an old friend for the first time in a while, the ability to have resources to make the decisions you want to make, the responsibility of making decisions that change the lives of the people around you. Feel the gravity of having talented collaborators and partners around you, people who challenge your thinking, expand your horizons and make the work not just better but more meaningful. When we remember to feel gravity, we are called to respect the opportunities we are given and make the most of them.

Now. As the final thought of the short phrase, we are reminded to "feel gravity now" to make this a present practice, not something we will take care of at another time. Now is the time that counts. Now is what matters. When we lose ourselves in the past, we lose sight of what we can do now. When we dream about the future, we forgo the opportunities right before us. There is time in the present to learn from the past, just as there is time to plan for the future. At the same time, by feeling gravity now, we can understand how we apply the lessons from the past and our goals for the future in the effort in the present.

In life and leadership, we are too often pulled away by overthinking, forgetting what is really important and by spending too much time in the past or the future. Remembering to "feel gravity now" can be an easy reminder to come back to the center, to connect with our feelings, and to remember our priorities. A decade ago, I would have heard those phrases and thought them to be soft. In the turbulent world of leadership, I now recognize them as essential. For those we love and lead, we need to start by being our best selves, prioritizing our health and strength so we can support those around us, leading with our heart so others know we care. Regardless of what is happening around us, if we remember to feel gravity now, we will provide the leadership expected of those given the honor to lead.

With love, gratitude, and wonder.

Scott