Our preparation began the previous evening when the group would get together before dinner to review the route for the next day`s bike ride. We were all given detailed road maps of the area and the leader marked the desired route to the next hotel with a colored marker on his map. We all dutifully did the same and reviewed his route instructions. The next morning we packed our bags, took them to our van, and headed for breakfast. Having nourished ourselves for the day`s journey, we headed on our way.

Holland is an amazing country for bike riding as almost every road has a separate bike trail and there are even separate traffic lights for bikers at each controlled intersection. However, when we rode into a city, the map was insufficiently detailed to prevent us from getting lost as we navigated through the crowded streets and intersections. Eventually, we came to a sign post and realized we were no longer lost because each sign post is numbered and the numbers appear on our maps. So we quickly figured out where we were, often wondering how we got there, and plotted our course to get back on the route, ultimately reaching the next destination.

The light bulb turns on

About a week into the trip, I couldn`t help but notice what a fabulous time I was having. Being the inquiring soul that I am, I spent a morning noticing what I was experiencing. I trusted I would reach my destination even though the route was unclear at times. I was very present because I was travelling in unfamiliar territory and had to be attentive to road conditions and each sign post. It quickly became clear that any and all thoughts from the past had disappeared, the future simply didn`t exist, and I was simply being present to the exciting adventure I was participating in.

Think about what I just said and remember the last time you were on vacation or elsewhere and having a fabulous time. Can you see whether or not what I said was true for you then? It all seemed so simple at the time. Perhaps, in order to experience joy, all we need to do is be present to the exciting adventure that life is, and forget about the past and the future.

What I realized next was how much we do not normally live our lives experiencing the present moment, which is likely why I see so little joy in people`s lives in general, and in the workplace in particular. In the ordinary course of events, we focus our attention in one or both of two places, neither one being the present.

Living in the past

Many of us spend a lot of time dwelling in the past, either feeling resentment for what we believe someone else has done to us or feeling guilty for what we feel we have done or not done to another. What a waste of time this practice is! The past is past and there is nothing that can be done to change what happened. I`m not saying that things didn`t happen in the past that we resent or regret. But no amount of resentment or guilt is going to change it. So, with regard to our resentments, we need to simply forgive the other person involved, and with regard to our regrets, we need to forgive ourselves. Forgiveness doesn`t justify the behavior but rather comes from a recognition that whenever we don`t forgive, the only one we hurt is ourselves, since we are the one carrying the burden of the resentment or guilt.

It is amazing to me how much we resist this obvious and simple lesson. In organization after organization I have worked with, people are walking around carrying all kinds of baggage with their partners, co-workers, employees and bosses. In every case, this baggage gets in the way of true teamwork and effectiveness and negatively impacts the bottom line. Yet, while people often see this going on, they refuse to clean out the garbage, insisting instead on being right about whatever injustice they perceive, even though it costs them dearly both in peace of mind and results. It`s such a shame. Countless numbers of organizations break up simply because these issues don`t get resolved. It is a reality of life that you either can be happy or be right, the two being mutually exclusive. Unfortunately, most people think they get to be happy by being right. Not true! And choosing to be happy necessitates a willingness to forgive.

Worrying about the future

The other place we dwell is in the future. In fact, everything in our culture tells us that we should be spending lots of time planning for the future. This wouldn`t be so bad if not for a very significant fact: the most predominant human emotion is fear. We actually live in a fear-based culture, therefore most planning for the future is grounded in fear. Of course, the thing people fear the most is not having enough - a belief in scarcity. We have been told since we were born that the resources of our planet are limited and scarce (were you told people were starving so you had better clean your plate?). So in just about every organization I`ve worked with, an underlying drive is to plan more, do more, work harder, bill more hours, etc., without anybody realizing that what drives all of this is the belief that we have to accumulate vast sums of money in order to plan for our future and feel secure. Unfortunately, when the underlying belief in fear and scarcity is not recognized, no amount of money is ever enough and the rat race never stops.

Stuck in the past/future paradigm

What I saw so profoundly on this trip was how much this whole process of resentment, guilt, fear and a belief in scarcity totally robs us of our aliveness, joy and vitality and how much pure plain fun we don`t have at work. Ask yourself - when was the last workday that you woke up raring to go and literally had fun all day. And if your answer is frequently or regularly, ask the same question of your co-workers. If the answer is rarely or never, I would be willing to bet that the likely reason is that you or your co-workers are stuck in the past/future paradigm.
Which leads me to why this trip was such a life altering experience: I got to see the degree to which I was caught up in that paradigm. I could see how much my experience on the trip didn`t match my daily experience back at the office. And I saw how unacceptable it was to experience joy and true aliveness only a couple of times each year. So, being me, I made a commitment. I committed to learning how to live my life, every day, focusing on the present, letting go of the past and the future, and just taking care of what`s in front of me, and staying present to the exciting adventure that life really is. And it`s been pretty amazing. It certainly hasn`t been that way every day; I, too, sometimes get caught up in worrying about the future, but every day it seems to get easier and easier to just stay in the present. The result has been a level of peace that I could not even have imagined before. And it`s been particularly noticeable not only to me, but those around me. Of course, many of them think I`m taking something - probably illegal - but I assure them that`s not the case.

Where are you and your organization?

So, as always, I write these thoughts to provoke your thinking and I invite you to think about what I have said. Are you spending precious present energy dwelling in the past or worrying about the future? Are the others in your firm or company similarly focused? Is teamwork and cooperation in your organization missing because of unresolved resentments from the past? Is your organization spending an inordinate amount of time worrying about the future and planning from a place of fear? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, I invite you to join me in my commitment to live in the present, take care of what`s in front of you, and enjoy the process.

Life is indeed a journey...not a destination. And if you`re carrying some baggage from the past, let it go. The problem in our world today is not what we got or didn`t get in the past, it`s what we are not giving in the present.

About the Author:
Scott Hunter is a professional speaker, workshop leader, consultant and coach. He speaks on creating meaningful, quality relationships in the workplace to increase productivity, creativity, teamwork and profitability. He can be reached at scott@thpalliance.com. Visit his web site: www.thpalliance.com.

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