Full Engagement

The octogenarian Rolling Stone, Keith Richards made a very interesting and remarkably inteligible comment about playing music in a recent interview. Mr. Richards was asked what he thinks about when he is playing a show–a question for the ages. His response was that he wasn't thinking about the music, he was in the music.

Artists, scientists and athletes often report that when they perform they are not "thinking" about the performance. They are not figuring out in advance where they are going next nor are they assessing what they are doing in any way.

What the heck are they doing, then?

They are simply present to the unfolding now. Every gift, talent, aptitude and ability is engaged in the act of full expression. They are being what they are doing.

This high-wire act of awareness, acuity and sensitivity comes to those that give themselves totally to what they doing. In other words, high performance results from full engagement.

Here are some of the factors that lead to this state:

• Trust-you must be able to trust that your gifts and your resources are sufficient to meet the opportunity or the circumstances.

• Commitment–you can't be half-hearted about what you are doing. You must give it your all.

• Surrender–the ability to abandon yourself totally to what is emerging and let go of any self-consciousness or ego-identification.

• Openness–this is the way we maintain the flow of what is emerging within us, through us and around us. Be staying open we allow ourselves to experience the emergence of the unexpected, extraordinary and marvelous.

Full engagement uses every resource we have-those we are aware of and the hidden resources that only come to light when we are challenged.

That is the fruit of full engagement and the goal of every Visionmaker.

© Patrick O’Neill 2010. All rights reserved