Cynthia Morris

The Place de la Concorde métro station in Paris is paneled with white tiles. On these white tiles are blue letters so when the train comes into the station, you feel as if you’re entering a tunnel of words. But only if you use the pause to see the letters will you see that they’re not random letters.
One day I picked out ‘contribution publique’. Public contribution. I love that. It made me question my contribution.
What am I contributing to the public space?
Often it’s something along the lines of:

• Irritation
• Hurriedness
• Anxiety

When I become conscious of my state of being, I can slow down and choose something other than grumpiness.
I do this thing in airports where there’s a lot of tension and anxiety. I consciously emanate calmness. Moving slowly through the space, I act as if there’s no need for fear or worry. I relax and trust that all is well. I usually find a wall to the side of the waiting area and practice a few yoga asanas.
Often I see people start doing their own pre-flight stretches. People have approached me and asked about yoga. I see the ripple effect of a few public stretches. I know I’ve sent out:

• Calmness
• Peace
• Trust

For my life online, my policy is to not put negative comments into the space. Often I want to complain about something. A snarky response dances at the edge of my fingertips, wanting to get out there and show how clever and smart I am.
But I hold back. That’s not the contribution I want to make.
I can do this anywhere – send out ‘good vibes’. This is one possible contribution publique, to be mindful of the energy I put into the world around me.
The Occupy Movement is another public contribution. Giving money or food to people begging on the street is another public contribution.
As part of the American Thanksgiving celebration, consider your public contribution.
What do you contribute and what would you like to contribute? 

To keep things fresh and operating smoothly, you update you software and apps. You change the oil in your car and get your hair cut regularly. You may even do a spring and fall cleaning of your home.
You keep things current. If you don’t, your systems aren’t operating at full capacity. You are limited in what you can generate if you’re not up to date.
You’re good about these external updates, but what about updates for your inner landscape?
When is the last time you refreshed your commitments and beliefs? If you’re feeling stale or uninspired, pressured, it may be time to get current with your beliefs.
Getting current with France
In February 2000, I stood in the Pere Lachaise cemetery. It had been 8 years since I’d been to Paris. I was enjoying a few days there after my job as a hot air balloon chef in Switzerland.
Standing among the mossy sepulchers, I had a blinding realization: I speak French. I speak French, and this francophilia was a huge part of who I had always been. I missed France and loved speaking French.
Right there, I made a commitment to myself to return to France every year.
Fast forward to 2011. I’ve almost kept my commitment. I’ve been to France every year but 2002 and 2004, and during those years I’d gone to London. (Close enough, right?)
In Paris this year with my friend Tonja, I recount this story of my commitment to return to France every year. She listens, nods, and finally says, “You don’t have to come back every year.” “I know,” I say, brushing on to the next thought.
But later, I reflected on what she said. That’s right, I thought. I don’t have to come back every year. That commitment I made 10 years ago needed updating.
When I considered not coming back every year, I felt liberated. I’ve satisfied my francophilia. I’ve improved my French and learned more about French and European culture. I’ve shared this love with people on my excursions.
Getting current feels good
I probably will come back regularly, but I don’t have to. Updating this commitment helps me stay open to new commitments, like publishing my novel and offering my new writing workshop. It puts me at choice in the present.
Getting current like this has inspired me to look at my other beliefs and commitments. I’ve made a list and am checking in with what’s true for me now. I renew some beliefs  and release others. It feels good to do this updating of my inner landscape. It allows me to grow even further than I imagined when I made those commitments.
Try this for yourself. What beliefs and commitments can you update? Share your experience with this process in a comment below.
I help my clients get current so they can more toward what they want in life. Work with me to make life sweeter, easier and more authentic to your original impulse.

If you’re like me, your description of what you do can be a run-on sentence. “I’m a coach and an author and a speaker and a traveler and a yogini, and…”
Or, you have an idea for a project. It’s a brilliant core idea, and it’s got a lot of branches. “It’s a workshop and an e-book and an app and…”

Or, your description of what you’re currently up to resembles a train with a million cars attached. “I’m working on my novel and an e-book and a series for this workshop I want to lead and…”
Do you see the problem with ‘and’? I’m exhausted just writing about it. You’re probably overwhelmed thinking about all you’re trying to do. And the person you’re telling this to? Completely incapable of grasping or caring about anything past the first ‘and’.
It’s okay to be juggling multiple projects. We all do it. Whether we’re doing it successfully is another topic.
Stop the ‘and’
If your descriptions of what you do are peppered with ‘ands’, I invite you to embrace the full stop period instead of ‘and’. Try sharing just one thing.
“What are you up to?”
“I’m working on publishing my novel.”
From there, the conversation can deepen into this one topic. Perhaps it will spread to other subjects as well, where you can share the other things you’re up to. Leaving out the ‘and’ allows for a little more breathing space and perhaps a bit more focus, for the duration of the conversation at least.
Works for writing, too
The ‘and’ can detract from your writing as well. This is one of my personal writing weaknesses. I want to pack so much into a sentence that all my sentences are compound. This kind of writing can be confusing and distracting. Run-on thoughts leave the reader tired and overwhelmed. (See?)
Is this true for you? Put your antennae up for ‘and’ this week both in your speech and writing. See what it’s like to use a full stop. Enjoy the simplicity of focusing only on one thing at a time. Notice what’s different for you, and let us know in a comment below.