#35: Bee Time

Brinton, to answer the question you posed at the end of your piece, I think more people would place a greater emphasis on being empathetic and on listening deeply to others rather than the sometimes endless chatter in their own brains. And, going back to Julie's last piece, I think people would spend less time being 'Just busy' and juggling tasks and worrying about the next thing to do, and more time absorbing knowledge and beauty in the present moment. I think life this way would have less busy bees and instead more honey bees, passing along the sweeter things :) 

- Amanda 

Brinton Johns:      brinton.johns@gmail.com   

Bee Time

The favorite “job” I’ve ever done is that of a beekeeper.  Every time I go to the hive, the bees teach me something new.  Jorgen’s piece on empathy reminded me of the most powerful lesson the bees continually teach me — becoming completely present and empathic.

I have an unconventional beekeeping mentor.  He's taught me to enter the hive without the traditional beekeeping suit and without the use of smoke.  Okay, it’s weird.  He’s weird.  And at the same time, the process has changed me.

As a beekeeper enters a hive, the bees generate a hum or pitch that ranges from peaceful to annoyed to downright grumpy.  With practice, I’ve come to recognize the hum of the hive and anticipate the movement of its pitch.  The process has been slow and painful.  Because we don’t trick the bees with smoke (which simulates a forest fire and causes them to gorge on honey), or wear protective clothing, there's no safety net to a lack of empathy.  Push your agenda a little too far, a little too fast and the bees will let you know about it in no uncertain terms!

Some days, I’ll block off a large chunk of time and return to the house after ten minutes — the bees are having none of it.  Others, I’ll spend hours in the hives that go by like a flash as time becomes transcended.  

The lesson from the hive is this: 

Slow down

Shed your agenda

Get out of your head

Be present

Listen. 

I’ve heard some beekeepers refer to this state as “bee time.”  What if all time were bee time? 

Brinton's first-person bio:

After 17 years at Janus Capital, I'm taking a sabbatical.  While at Janus, I served as an analyst, portfolio manager and team leader to an incredibly talented group of technology analysts. My biggest joy is to grow.  My second biggest joy is to watch others grow and play some small part in that growth.