This is one of my favorite quotes that has been in my Instagram bio for years now, but now has an even bigger meaning for me.
I got to listen to Sal Frisella, CEO of 1st Phorm, speak at a leadership conference a couple of weeks ago and afterwards, he did a Q&A. Little did he know, his son was in the crowd and surprised him by getting on the mic to ask a question.
Sal’s face LIT UP when he realized it was Enzo’s voice and his son ran up to give him a hug. He then said, “Daddy, we won our game!” and you could tell that Sal was simultaneously so proud and also a little disappointed that he missed it. This provoked the question, “How do you balance your family life to where your kids know how much you love and care about them alongside your career and your marriage?”
These 5 words - be where your feet are - were his answer to that question.
He said in the morning, he gets up and it’s “his time”. He fills his cup through reading a self-development book, getting a workout in, visualizing, and eating breakfast.
When his kids wake up, his complete focus is on them. He helps them eat and get ready for school.
When he’s at work, he is giving his all to others. He is available throughout the day to put out fires, have conversations, and continue to pour into the business through being completely present and giving it his all.
When he gets home from work and the kids are put to bed, he then gets to focus on his marriage. He spends quality time with his wife and his phone is on “DND” so the distractions are minimal.
This, he said, is how he goes to bed every night and can lay his head on his pillow feeling like he gave the day his best. It’s not always a 50/50 balance, but as long as he was fully present where his feet were, he felt satisfied and proud of the effort that he gave.
This made such an impact on me because I, like many others out there, struggle with “mom guilt” - I constantly feel pulled in several directions and have a hard time balancing it all. But when you choose to give what is directly in front of you your attention, you can end your day with a sense of pride and eliminate some of that guilt.
Do the best you can and know that 100% looks different on a day to day basis. The feelings of guilt mean you deeply care - allow that to be reflected in your actions and choose to be where your feet are.
All my love,
Libby
