Originally posted on Facebook HERE
A rare Monday edition of the “Looking out my back window” posts. Yesterday we had a change in plans that required me to go way off my routine. We had a great day except for the last part where the Packers got creamed, but I digress… we just let the day come to us, and we wound up meeting some really cool people along the way, and discovered a couple awesome shops we never knew were there even though we’d passed by them several times over the course of years. And now they’re part of our reality. How did we miss them in the past? Why did we finally notice them yesterday? How many opportunities are passing us by because we’re just so focused on where we’re at, what we’re doing, our normal routines that we miss something that’s right there in front of us? One of my favorite things is learning the back story of the people I meet. Why are they where they’re at in life? What are their stories? It’s one of the reasons I like to read and/or watch stories on the lives of famous people. What drove them? How did they get to where they got? We’re all so different. We all meet people and sometimes have this instant “connection” with them – like even though they’re new to us, they feel like lifelong friends. We also sometimes meet people and get just the opposite feeling – right out of the gate some people rub us the wrong way. Why? What’s that all about? Is our instant personal intuition always right, or is it based on past experiences? Like, somehow a new acquaintance triggers a response due to something in their demeanor that subconsciously reminds us of a person who had done us wrong in the past. Then there’s just the people we have to deal with on an ongoing basis – friends, family, co-workers. My wife Laurie and I were talking yesterday about how blessed we were to have the family we have. Not a lot of drama or infighting. We’d all help each other the instant anyone needed it. That’s not always the case for everyone and we know and appreciate it. And for whatever reason, there will be people in our lives who know how to push our buttons and will do so whenever they can. And sometimes it won’t be easy to avoid them – if it’s a family member or a co-worker for example. But the older I get the more I realize that whenever possible, I need to remove the antagonists from my reality. I can’t spend time being pissed off and frustrated because of someone else’s issues. Not enough time for that. And… there’s probably a lot of awesome opportunities to meet people who will help lift my life up that I’ve been walking past for years. I love routine, but I also like expanding my horizons, meeting new people, finding out what makes them tick. Sometimes the best things, the best friends, our greatest gifts – are just beyond our comfort zones. Be aware. Hang with the people you feel good around. Find ways to limit contact with the naysayers. Step outside the norm once in a while. Maybe that’s where the magic will be.
