Ocean Robbins nearly fell climbing a waterfall because he was overconfident and distracted. He learned that attention and presence determine how well you perform and how happy you are, whether at work or with family.
My name is Ocean Robbins@foodrevolution.org I'm working with my dad, John Robbins, who's a best selling author. And we're mobilizing people for healthy, sustainable, humane and conscious food for all. One of my big learning experiences that I apply in my business occurred when I was on a camping trip some years ago and there was a waterfall. And I had traveled upriver for quite some ways to get to the base of this waterfall. And then there was a rope hanging down from the edge of the waterfall so people could use it to help climb up the CL to the top of the waterfall. And I was a pretty, I thought, a pretty adept climber. And so I get to this spot and I was feeling kind of cocky. I'd made it all the way up to this point, so I was thinking to myself, I'm such a good climber, I can just go up this cliff without the rope. So I was running on up there without the rope and I slipped and I fell down that waterfall. And I'm lucky I didn't break any bones that day. And it occurred to me then, really profound life lesson. I am a pretty good climber when I'm paying attention. But when I'm not paying attention, when I'm busy thinking I've got it covered and I'm not paying attention, then I'm as unconscious as anybody else. And I slipped and fell and almost had serious injury that day. And I realized then that our level of capacity is directly commensurate with our level of consciousness. That what we pay attention to, what we focus on, we can become very good at. But where we apply our attention, where we apply our focus, has everything to do with, with what we're able to accomplish. And so my practice, as best I can, is to be in the moment as much as I can so that I'm present with who's with me and what I'm doing. So that when I'm with my wife or with my kids, I'm playing, I'm loving, I'm growing, I'm in relationship with them, when I'm at my desk and I'm in front of my computer, I'm fully in that moment. Because when my mind is off somewhere else and I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing, then I'm not really there. But when I'm really there, that's when my power emerges. And honestly, that's when my joy emerges.
