Sometimes repetition results in mistakes & forgetfulness

As an actor who had to repeat the same lines to the same people over and over again sometimes over a period of years, the challenge was always how to make everything one says and does fresh and open to discovering nuances and creativity each time. It’s about being in the moment, living in the moment, trusting that the past has been incorporated into this moment and the present is clean and open just waiting to be tasted, embraced, and open to creativity.

Being fully present in the moment means what we see, hear, feel, taste, touch, and do is for the first time. It is experiencing life and every part of it anew. It happens by practicing being present every moment. When we live in the moment life is more exhilarating. Our baggage is laid aside making our journey easier and less burdensome. When we are in the moment at work and are used to doing the same things over and over again, we see with fresh eyes and are more careful and more cheerful. I am also aware that I pay more attention to what I am doing thus avoiding errors or spotting them quicker when they occur due to my human fallibility.

I once worked as a receptionist in a detail shop where they used very sophisticated and dangerous equipment and asked the owner if people got hurt often. His reply was, “Not if they pay attention” (in the moment).

When we engage in repetitive action there is a tendency for our minds to wander. Being in the moment requires mental discipline. It is a kind of meditation, just come back to the stillness, let your wandering mind return to the present, and focus on the task, on another, on life. It very often is accompanied by a smile both inwardly and outwardly.

Rochelle
(Hospitality Director of Lupin Lodge)