Value Presence: Part 1
We are currently on a journey through Imagine Thailand’s seven OUTWARD FACING VALUES. This is the third value in our series … We Value Presence.
So what that does that even mean? Isn’t “being present” a little obvious? We could be cynical and say “no matter where you go, there you are”. Ha, ha, ha. But there’s a lot to this concept, and a lot of wisdom to glean from it. So let’s scratch below the surface. Here’s a primer to get us going and set the stage. The second “act” will follow next month.
Consider this … “80% of the success in life is just showing up”. It’s a great quote, or it could be if we actually acted on it.
When a friend’s aged mom ended up in the hospital, our friend said, “I love my mom, but I just don’t do hospitals”. Bad experiences, the smell of death and urine, awkward conversations, the heart-wrenching emotions dealing with a dying loved one. No thanks! Don’t want to even go there. I don’t have the emotional strength. Yet, facts are stubborn things. Her mom, HER mom, was in the hospital, dying and alone.
We encouraged our friend to “just show up”. It took a few days, and a lot of prayer and soul-searching, but she went. Reluctantly and fearfully, she went.
When she didn’t know what to say, she read words of comfort. When conversations were awkward, she tenderly stroked her hand. When her mom could no longer talk, she laid beside her, put her head beside hers, and let her breath fall on her cheek. When her mom lost consciousness, she quietly sang songs of hope and longing.
A gentle smile never left her mom’s face. And it said it all. I love you. I love you more than words can say. Thank you for loving me, thank you for being here, thank you for walking each twilight step with me.
When eternity arrived, our friend kissed that care-worn cheek one last time, then let her tears flood onto the pillow that had held that precious head.
She sobbed for herself, for her mom, for the aching loss. She sobbed, thinking of her own shallowness and at what she might have missed. And she sobbed out of a heart of indescribable gratitude for simply “showing up”.
People—like you and I—need to show up. Communities need to show up. Organizations need to show up. Imagine Thailand needs to show up.
And THAT is exactly why one of Imagine’s most cherished guiding values is to value presence. And show up.
There’s a lot more to this value, far too much to cover in one sitting. So next month we’ll be looking at how and where Imagine is showing up. Stay tuned.
In the meantime: Add value. Act with valour