 By Brooke Maffia Wang
“The second people felt alone… usually in the space between things— leaving a therapy session, at a red light, standing in a checkout line, riding the elevator— they picked up devices and ran away from that feeling. In a state of perpetual distraction, they seemed to be losing the ability to be with others and losing their ability to be with themselves.” — Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk To Someone The buzz and awkward social exchanges were palpable in the theater of a thousand-ish people who had just placed their cell phones in an unassuming green pouch that locked for the next two and half hours. It was a requirement to see Bruno Mars live in Las Vegas. Right of center stage, in the front row of the balcony, at the MGM park theater we all erupt to our feet. The fiercely dressed young black couple to my left, my Asian husband in his tired Nike’s next to me, and the balding white man in is 50’s decking his Hawaiian shirt that barely covered his pot belly— who had already started dancing before the music began. Bruno is hands down an extremely talented entertainer. However, what made this experience powerful, and more than a concert, was the collective positive moment of human connection and presence he invited us strangers into. He set us up to be able to receive the gift of being in the present moment. Each from different places in life, but we were there together. We felt the thump in our chest, let the energy move our bodies, and lived in real time. We savored as it penetrated our ears and hearts. Fascinating that Bruno had effectively shifted the collective focus of this group of strangers (and let’s be honest, spiked some anxiety) before he even taken the stage. Beauty, connection, presence, delight and so much more were created by this generous exclusion. The phone and all it connects me with did not get to be in this space, but what was received by setting this boundary, by being present to the moment, was so valuable. What if connecting and practicing presence in today’s world has something to do with embracing those moments of awkward, uncomfortable, slow spaces? What potential lies in the spaces that can easily be labeled waste? Maybe it’s not your cell phone, but what are your instinctive responses when you feel alone or in transition spaces? Is there a place you could practice generous exclusion to invite more presence and connection? A boundary you could practice to help you show up to the present moment just a bit more or in a new way? This week may your ears and heart be penetrated and your body moved as you attend and savor the beautiful that crosses your path. Comments are closed.
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