bcg blog

Right Now

It’s an average Wednesday night in July. Betsy and I have just gotten back from a walk with the family dog, Izzy. I say the family dog, but really she’s my dog. At least now, she’s my dog. That wasn’t always the case. She first entered the family as a birthday present for our kids, Ally and Gabe. But, that was seven years ago and she was an adorable, squishy basset hound puppy. They played with her and loved on her - until they moved out. That’s when she became my dog.

In any case, the walk went well, aside from the time Izzy sat down and refused to walk. Not surprisingly a belly-rub generated the perfect amount of energy to make it back to the house - just in time for a facetime call from Ally & Gabe. These are regular occurrences now. I assume my usual position - scrunched into our striped chair beside Betsy to partake in the conversation. 

We listen to their updates intently, trying to gather all the information we can. We’ve realized what they don’t say is just as important as what they do at this point. And, how they say it provides far more information than the actual words they choose to use. Gabe loves one word answers so follow-up questions are essential. Ally loves thousand word answers, no follow-up questions needed. 

We offer guidance here and there, but more than anything we joke, laugh and smile. Betsy and I look forward to the calls as much as anything in our day. When the calls are over, we usually recap them with each other - what stood out, how are they, how could we help? And, we both experience a swelling feeling of gratitude. 

Grateful for our kids. Grateful for our good fortune.
And, grateful for right now.

Why Should We Care?
True greatness rarely looks dramatic - in sports, leadership, or life. It’s found in showing up with intentionality, doing so consistently, and remaining present, regardless of the circumstances or distractions available. Excellence has a lot more to do with the ordinary than the extraordinary.

As leaders, we are drawn to results - the KPIs, the recognition, the applause. But excellence isn’t built in moments of spotlight - it’s forged our smallest of choices. How we listen, how we respond, and whether we pause long enough to absorb what’s unspoken is the life blood of excellence. Seeing meaning beyond words is discernment at its core, a skill every exceptional leader must cultivate.

Leadership honors the moment we’re in. It doesn’t dwell on what could have been or obsess over what might be. It lives fully in the present moment. The truth is we’ll never be younger than we are right now. In thirty years we would trade every award we’ve ever won and bonus we’ve ever earned to be where we are right this second. 

This should make something very clear for us: achievement and money are not the most important things. The present moment is.

REAL TALK - Action Steps
It’s one thing to acknowledge the importance of being present. It’s another thing to intentionally live in a way that makes that possible. Here are a few ideas to prioritize right now:

• Practice Discernment Daily 
  
  • Challenge yourself to notice what’s not being said - in meetings, conversations, and behavior. Emotional tone and timing often carry more insight than words alone. Create intentional space to reflect on these takeaways before acting.
    

• Practice Owning Everything
  
  • Whether it's a task, a relationship, or a role that unexpectedly lands on your plate, choose full ownership without resistance. Treat inherited responsibility as a leadership opportunity, not a burden. Excellence flows from embracing what is.
    

• Practice Gratitude
  
  • Start or end your day with a short gratitude recap - personally or with your team. The more we are grateful, the more we have to be grateful for. If you don’t believe that, then you haven’t tried it. Over time, it deepens culture and relationships in ways metrics can’t.
    

Be present … appreciate the right now. It enhances our gratitude, sharpens our perspective, and reminds us to value others not for what they achieve, but for who they are.

Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!