Essential, Random and Frivolous Thoughts of a Cabinet Maker

Why is it that the moment our sought after goal and/or endeavor is realized, we completely forget the road we traveled to get there and maybe more importantly, how we felt along the way.

Let me explain; It seems rather easy to forget how we felt when we were struggling and striving for that hard-earned goal, when remembering what we were thinking and how we were feeling could be the greatest teaching tool in our ability to gain wisdom.

If you want to go even deeper – to quote the late Kobe Bryant after missing the last shot to win the game when a reporter asked him how he feels about not making it – “How I feel has nothing to do with it. I need to answer the question ‘why’ I missed the shot. I’ve answered that question. Now I know why and I can get to work on it.”

Kobe took a little different spin on it, but all the same. He knows what it takes to get the results he wants.

I would say, we can learn a lot by remembering where our head was while we were in the thick of our struggles. This is a great teaching tool to mark your progress and more importantly, the lessons we learned.

Maybe, just maybe there’s one day out of the year we can choose to change our perspective to one of human kindness, Love, patience and gratitude.

Maybe, just maybe we can drop all of our resentment, fear, worries, and tightly held presumptions we may or may not have and choose to give others the benefit of the doubt. Maybe even bring some joy to their lives.

Maybe, just maybe there’s a day we can see others as an opportunity to give something of value we have away to others. Maybe it’s not money or gifts. Maybe it’s just a “hello,” or “happy holidays.” It could be a smile that connects two human beings to let them know they’re not alone.

Maybe. Maybe Christmas is the perfect time.

Maybe we can take this season of joy – around the holidays – and stretch it out just a wee bit on both sides. By doing so, maybe we can be a little more kind, patient and loving to those around us. Both loved-ones and strangers.

Why not? I know for myself, it takes as much energy – maybe even more – to be angry/not happy/unkind than it does to be kind and loving. How much energy does it take to yell and cuss (that’s me), throwing your hands in the air, etc. when someone cuts you off in traffic vs. not being effected at all and allowing the person in front of you to get where they need to go with Love in our hearts. I know the answer to that.

And I feel good every time I do it. Tis the season . . . of Love.

Sam Harris once said – and I’m paraphrasing – if we can be a good person and remain present in the moment, that is more than enough and will keep us focused and busy the rest of our lives.

Having that been said – and especially during the holiday season – I’m intending to do my best to do just that; Remain present in each and every moment while we navigate our busy schedules, without letting my focus drift to ‘what’s next.’

This is the ‘gift’ I’m going to give myself and to my loved-ones around me – my undivided time and attention.

After all, what’s more precious than that?

Keeping It Simple Silly, is always a better default than making things overcomplicated.

There are so many times in my day that I make things way to difficult by not keeping it simple. I often equate this with reverse engineering.

Not that I’m nearly intelligent enough to be an engineer, I take what I can from the field in order to distill down to what it takes to get from point A to point B. And more times than not, it can fall into 3 actionable steps.

The way I do this is by beginning at the end. If I want to accomplish something: let’s say, shoot a commercial for my cabinet shop. Then I work backwards from there.

In order to do that, I need a script; 1. write a script. Then I will need to have the proper personnel in place in order to shoot it, edit, etc. 2. Gather personnell. Then I will need a day to shoot it. 3. Schedule a time and place to shoot it and get it in the can.

I don’t necessarily think it’s important that you immediately have the perfect steps, but rather distill it down to 3 actionable actions you can take right now. Because everything within you wants to procrastinate.

After all, the details are in the doing, not the thinking about doing.