If the recent 2009 EO Barcelona University taught us one thing, it was to shut up and listen. Before keynote speaker Nando Parrado blew our minds and drove the core theme of the University straight into our souls, we had a hard time grasping the idea of slowing down, being quiet and listening. After all, we’re entrepreneurs— who has time to take things slow?
And yet, that was the challenge laid out to us over the course of the University: For all of us tamed by duty, the challenge was to disengage from everyday work life and take the time to notice the world around us. One specific moment during the University’s after-hours event clearly drove home that message.
Tonia:
As I walked down the club’s winding stairs, I was in awe of the vibe. The beat of the music made it impossible to sit or stand still, the roped-off VIP section displayed Moroccan-style couches and beds for lounging, face and body painting was taking place in one corner, dry ice was spewing from all corners of the rapidly filling dance floor and drinks were being served from a variety of bars.
At the same time, I found myself at the bottom of the stairs, looking at three EO members typing away on their Blackberries and iPhones. I quickly went from awe-struck to appalled, and I wondered what they were doing. Aside from a family emergency, what on earth could possibly be more important than enjoying the experience of being in a club with 300 like-minded people?
I felt both justified and compelled to point this out to them. It didn’t occur to me that, not knowing any of them, they may not take kindly to my addressing their anti-social behaviour. That didn’t stop me. When I spoke up, they looked at me with a “deer in the headlights” kind of blankness, then at each other, then finally at the electronic devices that had previously held their attention. Realizing the error of their ways, they quickly put away their phones and started to live in the moment.
Matt:
I was one of the three EO members being anti-social. My complete attention was on the phone when a Canadian woman strutted down the stairs and looked at us with pity on her face. She must have smelled fear, for her look quickly changed to a smile when she knew she had us in her grasp. As she opened her mouth to speak, I assumed praise was forthcoming— praise us for our ruggedly handsome looks, our tailored clothes or our ability to type e-mails at the speed of light. Instead, her words mockingly pointed out the obvious. We were losers for worrying more about the weather back home, a sports score or our businesses than we were about enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime moment in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. Humiliation works wonders. We pocketed our phones and danced the night away. Thanks to Tonia, we were challenged to stop, listen and just be in the moment. Lesson learned.
***
As EO members, Tonia and I have heard endless presentations riddled with inspirational stories of triumph, adversity and perseverance. Nando’s message, however, rang a different tone. He spoke to the room of entrepreneurs and delivered a message with which everyone could identify, a message that would last much longer than the one-hour speech: In life, as in business, we sometimes need to just shut up and listen. A survivor of the famous 1972 Uruguayan plane crash in the Andes Mountains, Nando was a living testament to the importance of patience.
To quote from his bestselling book, Miracle in the Andes: “Each of us came down from the mountain with a new way of thinking, a deeper appreciation for the power of the human spirit, and a profound understanding of what a wonder it is—for us, for anyone—to be alive. The ability to be truly alive and aware, to savor each moment of life with presence and gratitude, this is the gift the Andes gave us.”
And that is the gift that Nando gave to every University attendee— the tools to cultivate our passions, to identify our priorities and to appreciate the moments in which we live.