It’s no secret that we live our lives at breakneck speed. We cram every minute with action, either, or both, professionally or personally. We race from one square on our game board of life to the next square, rarely taking time to think about where we have been but, rather, focusing on where we are going.

Over the course of time, I’ve known people who would say, “Just take it, just for a moment, take it in.” That meant to inhale a deep breath and reflect on what was just accomplished. It meant to stop for a second, maybe even a millisecond, and let yourself appreciate what has transpired.

I don’t know about you but I don’t do that often or well. I complete something, I see a project come to fruition and I immediately jump into “What’s next” mode. And I realize that, when I do that, when we do that, we miss the opportunity to both think it through and recognize any learnings as well as to rejoice, perhaps even revel, in successes.

This past week I had the chance to spend several days in a leadership program in which I am involved. It’s a yearlong commitment with a well defined program and, while I am a coach rather than a participant, I have used the many moments of reflection and journaling to reflect on my own goals and on the program itself.

I have a team of 8 leaders that I am working with, a subset of the larger program, all very different from one another in terms of roles, backgrounds, personalities and interests. And, this week, one of the first chances we’ve had to spend real time (in real life) together, I’ve seen the growth of these disparate individuals into a real team. I’ve seen the connections grow and the comfort increase and, along with that, the laughter bubble up. I’ve witnessed the magic that happens when you combine lots of different thinking and experiences on one topic and in one discussion.

Because this is a year long process and this is the middle, I am not in an “on to the next thing” mindset with it (although I confess it lurks around the edges of my thinking!.) Instead, as I think about how far we have to go to complete our work, I realize that this is a moment to “just take it.” Just taking it, real time, is being grateful for the addition of these special people to my life, being grateful for the chance to participate in this program, being grateful to witness the magic that happens when we bring people together with purpose and thoughtfulness, when we offer them the tools to grow and when we have the opportunity to nurture and enhance that growth.

Giving ourselves a moment “to just take it,” well, that truly is fuel to fill our full hearts.