You're the Most Important Person to Me

After a year in a pandemic and going from one Zoom meeting to the next, has it been challenging to be fully present to others? Do you find yourself just going through the motions and passively experiencing life & your relationships with others?

Although the pandemic has forced us to be socially distant, that doesn’t mean that we have to be emotionally distant too.

In this episode, I’ll share with you an idea that has the potential to strengthen your connections and relationships with the people in your life.

Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.
Follow on Instagram: @myofferingtoyou.
Logo Art by Ella Apuntar. 

Transcript

Arlan | 0:11
Hello and welcome to My Offering to You. I am your host, Arlan Mendiola. From being in community with others, I have always known that my strengths have been my vulnerability, reflections, and stories. I want to share my reflections and stories about life with you in the hopes that it creates a spark, provides clarity, or even new possibilities.

Arlan | 0:38
In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing with you this idea I’ve been exploring lately that has the potential to strengthen your connections and relationships with the people in your life.

Arlan | 0:56
At the time of this recording, it’s the end of February 2021. It’s been at least a year already, of navigating this pandemic, of working remotely from home, of seeing my friends, my loved ones, my students through a computer screen.

Arlan | 1:16
This past year has been challenging. And I can only imagine the kind of year that you’ve been having. I don’t know about you, but I had found myself having a hard time being present for others. Most of my days are filled with Zoom calls. Sitting for periods on end, staring at a screen. It’s always tempting to multitask, while listening to someone else speak. Often, I find myself at the end of the day wondering, “Where did the sun go?” “How did it get dark all of a sudden?” And here, at the end of February, I ask myself “How did four seasons come and pass me by?” It has become very easy to just go through the motions and passively experience life and my relationships with others. If anything, I felt empty at times.

Arlan | 2:21
But there came a moment, while I was recovering from surgery during my time off from work, where I realized, I didn’t want to continue living my life this way, to miss out on the beauty of the moments that I get to share with others. Although this pandemic has presented many seen and unforeseen challenges, it has also presented an opportunity to focus in on and strengthen the relationships that we have in our lives.

Arlan | 2:54
And so, with all that being said, I want to offer to you, what I’ve been posing and exploring lately with the many student leaders that I get to work with.

Arlan | 3:08
We each have many relationships, commitments, and priorities in our lives that require our time, energy, and presence. In this moment, that I’m sharing with you, it’s just you and me. All of those other relationships, commitments, and priorities. There’s already time that’s set aside for them. Right here and right now, we’re choosing to dedicate this time for each other.

Arlan | 3:40
And so it makes me think, if you are the only person right now in this moment, then that makes you the most important person in my life right now. I don’t know if this will be the last moment that we get to share or how many moments we have left with one another. Because you know, life happens. The only thing that is guaranteed right now, is this current moment, for however long it will last.

Arlan | 4:15
And so when I think about all that, it helps me become more present to you. That my mind becomes less cluttered, no longer occupied by thoughts of what I need to do after this moment or who else that I need to talk to. So let’s make this moment count. Let’s take this as an opportunity to strengthen and deepen our relationship with one another. After all, you are an important person to me.

Arlan | 4:50
I’ve been sharing this reflection a lot, with so many different folks. Saying those words, “In this moment, you are the most important person to me.” It’s so powerful to see how it changes the vibe in that moment. It opens people’s hearts even more and adds another layer or dimension to that relationship. I think especially in this time of a pandemic, when folks have to socially distant themselves from each other, that doesn’t mean we have to be emotionally distant from each other too.

Arlan | 5:27
As much as I long for the moments to be with my friends, my loved ones, and students in person, I still have moments with them right now. It just happens to be virtual. When those moments come to be together in person, I know I will cherish those. But I can’t take for granted the moments that I have right now. These moments still count. They still matter. 

Arlan | 5:57
In sharing all of this with you, I find myself revisiting this thought: “The first gift that you can ever give to someone else is your presence.” And so it is my hope that you will share this gift with the important people in your life. That you will experience many beautiful moments that will help deepen and strengthen your relationships with those you get to share your life with.

Arlan | 6:35
Thank you for tuning into My Offering to You. If you appreciated what you heard, consider following on Instagram at myofferingtoyou or even subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Until the next time, this has been Arlan Mendiola, and I’ll catch you, at the next one.