These Eyes

I have to be reminded quite often to stand in someone else’s shoes for even just a brief moment in time in order gain empathy for others in order to take focus off myself, my own problem and what I think is so important.

It’s oh so very easy to get stuck in our perspective of the world and never see otherwise. However, it can only take a second to choose to see the world from someone else’s eyes.

In doing so, we become more empathetic, a bit softer and maybe – just maybe more loving.

Who couldn’t use more Love? I know I can.

Stop Down

Call it what you want. Down Time. Stop Down. Unplugged. A Breather. A Break. Meditation Time or any other name that makes sense to you, we could all use a consistent and scheduled time to ground ourselves from the frantic pace and constant electronic distractions we experience in our day. I certainly know I can.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or even very creative; a walk around the block, 15 minutes of quiet-time without your phone or even a quick cat-nap are ways to disconnect from the matrix of life and give yourself some time for some deep breaths.

We all need to reset our computers every once in a while in order clear our hard drives/screens and the frenetic energy the day brings with it’s stress and tight schedule.

Give yourself a few moments each day and you won’t regret it. You may just find yourself looking forward to these times.

People Over Institutions

Whether it comes to politics, religion or any other organization that we encounter in today’s world, more times than not, I’m going to choose the individual. The person.

Why? Because we are social beings. We emotionally connect with people not institutions. We Love people not parties. We bond with individuals not groups. We’re empathetic to close friends who have had a tumultuous past. We relate to a sibling because of our shared history. We find a deeper kinship with those who call themselves out due to their short-comings. We create an inspiring and nurturing atmosphere with like-minded folks in order to inspire others in order for them to be the best version of themselves possible.

Yes, there are institutions that are of value and that even need our help in being protected in order to continue on in the capacity with which they serve, but it isn’t the institution that has a heartbeat, feelings, emotion and deep connection, it’s the human beings within those walls that make our brief moments on this earth have meaning.

Perspective & Self-Awareness

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the smartest guy in the room. Not the second smartest and not even the third. Most likely, I’m towards the bottom when it comes to intelligence. That’s okay. I accept that. But, there is something I value as a vital skill and continue to work on over the years as I feel it’s extremely important to master to becoming the best version of myself I intend to be and that is this: perspective and self-awareness.

For me, having perspective is about knowing your place and meaning in this world, in your work life, in your family life , your friendship circle and on. It’s about where you stand, how people view you, how you view yourself and how your presence effects others. It’s about not putting too much importance on yourself as we are a social species and are constantly in relationship with others. Even strangers. We are connecting with people everyday at every moment – unless you’re a hermit in the woods.

Perspective is keeping what is truly important at the foremost of your mind in every situation and not letting your emotions take over because you can’t tolerate that red Bronco cutting you off in traffic. It’s focusing on a solution rather than losing your temper when something goes wrong at work or a mistake is made and you have resolve the issue. And of course never forgetting Rule #6: Don’t take yourself so #@5damn seriously.

Here is one of the definitions of perspective I like:  the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. When we are on our deathbed surrounded by our family and loved-ones (hopefully), where does the situation of mistakes made in the workplace fall in importance? I know where they fall for me. So, why would I react in such a way where I look like a fool when it happens? (Not sure, but I’m still working on it). With perspective, we can see the big picture. We can pull back the zoom and see the entire forest for what it is and what is truly valuable and precious to us while we are living our lives out on this spinning marble for such a brief time.

Self-Awareness certainly overlaps perspective, however we now are looking at how our behavior impacts the people and the world around us. And believe me, we have a choice on how we impact others. We can choose to be volatile with an attitude of self-importance or we can move through this world with humility and respect for others looking for opportunities to practice kind and loving gestures to inspire others. Whether they are friends, loved-ones or strangers. Now, I’m not saying I do this each and every day – I’m doing my best to be better and demonstrate the best version of myself – but it’s certainly a work in progress. We all are and I’m no exception. But, one of my favorite attributes that I have and continue to hone is self-awareness – calling myself out and taking responsibility for any and all actions in my life without looking to blame others. When having self-awareness we can see ourselves more objectively (not totally) and welcoming the opportunity to learn more about our own blind spots. We ALL have them. The only difference is some of us are willing to learn more about them so we can learn, grow and evolve.

The choice is yours. But nevertheless, know it’s always a choice.

Loosing A Gift

How do we move forward when we encounter such a loss?

A void that can never possibly be filled with the same substance of Love and life.

How do we reconcile our pain? Our sadness?

Accept the truth and find meaning in the day-to-day? How?

We live our lives to the fullest of our potential now. Today.

We choose to Love and not indulge ourselves in fear.

We engage instead of withdrawing. We risk and not play it safe.

We choose Life.

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