By Drew Miller
Judging! We all do it. ALL DAY LONG! It gets us through the day. Will they buy from me? Are they nice? Will they help my business? Do I like them? All these questions do nothing for our success. All they do is distract us from the most important aspect of our business. We all need to create an army of colleagues to network our businesses!
Everyone we meet at a networking event is a potential “worker”. Judging only stands in the way of gathering more workers for your business.
I recently had a realization about how I lack focus on the present moment and how important it is to always be focused. Kevin and I had to put down our eldest dog not too long ago. He was a 16 year old beautiful chocolate Lab/Retriever mix. Before we were taking him to the vet, I attempted to take Barcly on a walk around the block. While on our walk, I judged the neighbor’s yard on its appearance. WHAM!!! It hit me. How much time do I spend judging and not focusing on what’s important? I immediately turned my attention back to my good (non-judgmental) friend Barcly.
I have been hearing the words “live in the moment” or “be present in life” all around me. Oprah talked about it with Eckhart Tolle when they were talking about his 2 books, “The Power of Now’ and “A New Earth”. My book club discussed it over several months.
Meditation teaches you to clear your mind for this moment. Yoga is about clearing your mind and focus on your movements and breath. All around us, people are seeing the benefits of living in the moment without judgments.
Lately, with my 21 days of positiveness, I have been noticing how much time in my life is spent in the presence of negativity and judgments. Conversations I am having, people around me, stories I hear, judgments keep popping up making me want to look more closely at my judgments.
My inspiration for this column was a custom tailor I met recently at a networking event. I was wearing a polo and khaki pants and he said, “You don’t wear suits much do you?” I replied “not really, I have a more casual comfortable feel to what I wear”. He gave me his card, said “If you’re ever in need of a custom suit, let me know”. I didn’t even get a chance to learn more about his business.
I thought about both of our missed opportunities. He could have introduced me to business owners, movers and shakers, decision-makers that can afford a custom suit. If I was living in the moment, I wouldn’t have judged him for judging me. I would have shared my knowledge about the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and the vast opportunities available for meeting people who CAN afford custom suits.
Just the other day, I was discussing this subject with my friend Kip Reynolds, a Realtor® with Atlantic Properties International. He mentioned a referral he received from another Realtor®. A couple from another country was looking for a home here in town. Past experiences and general gossip about tourists looking for homes in our area left Kip reluctant to call them, not recognizing them as serious buyers. By not giving in to judgments and living in the moment, he made the call. As it turned out, they were really nice people he enjoyed spending time with. They followed all his advice to the “T” and submitted a contract on a home. Most importantly, his army of workers is one person stronger.
I asked my friend Jeff Corbett, a life coach, how can I come up with a plan or contest for myself to eliminate judgments FROM my life. His reply was simple: “Wouldn’t a contest on judgments really just be about judging your judgments?” “Ah, I see what you mean,” I said.
For me, on that one special day with Barlcy, I realized what “Be present in life” really is. For me now, I want live a life in the moment, with fewer judging thoughts and more attention to the beauty around me enjoying inspirational stories. Seeing everyone I come in contact with as a potential army of workers vs. judging them as a good fit for me and my business. My question to you is, are you judging if this could work for you?
Drew Miller is a business and networking consultant. He can be contacted at Drew@DrewMiller.biz.
Business Networking Schedule
GLBX Leads Group
August 3, 2011 and August 17, 2011
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce
512 NE 3rd Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Biz to Biz
August 3, 2011
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Chima Brazilian Steakhouse
2400 East Las Olas Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
NonProfit Committee Meeting
August 10, 2011
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce
512 NE 3rd Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Trustee Reception
August 10, 2011
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Pelican Grand Beach Resort
2000 N. Ocean Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
GLBX Afterhours
August 11, 2011 and August 25, 2011
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Location To Be Determined
BIZ PERKS
August 12, 2011
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
1922 Cordova Rd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Business Afterhours East Side
August 18, 2011
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
China Grill
1881 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Member Orientation-FTL
August 19, 2011
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Greater Ft Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce
512 NE 3rd Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Biz to Biz
August 24, 2011
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Solita Las Olas
1032 East Las Olas Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL