The Quality of Your Presence—with Hoda Kotb

“At the end of a conversation, I want the person sitting across from me to feel lighter.”

Dear Friends,

When I interviewed TODAY Show co-anchor Hoda Kotb, she shared an insight that stayed with me. Each time she’s with someone, she imagines that it's the only time she’ll ever interact with them.

Here’s how she described it in our conversation for Fast Company…

“When I sit with someone on the TODAY show, I don't want the conversation to be about me or reflect what I want to say. I want to give them the ultimate space to say what they want to say and be exactly who they are…

At the end of an interview, or at the end of a conversation with a friend, I want the person sitting across from me to feel lighter, like the heavy backpack can be put down.

We get one ride around the sun. That's all. When I think of it that way, whoever I'm sitting across from, I think: This is my one moment with you. What’s it going to be? How are we going to make this feel?

I hope they feel heard, because being heard is like saying ‘I love you.’

Hoda illuminates our capacity to influence each other, simply with the quality of our presence. As philosopher Simone Weil said: “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”

Imagine how enriched our lives and relationships would be if we embodied this perspective. Presence isn’t solely a gift to the person you’re with. It’s a gift to you too.

In your next conversation, pause and imagine that it’s the only interaction you’ll ever have with this person. Allow that to influence your way of being.

With love,
Jenna