Month: October 2021 (Page 4 of 4)

If you were to ignore the homeless man standing on the corner with a sign asking for money as you wait for the light to change from red to green, you could probably justify that to yourself: “Here we go again. Another person looking for a handout.” If you were drive past the two men pushing a vehicle to the curb that mechanically failed two cars in front of you as you say to yourself: “Looks like they are handling the situation, I don’t have to get involved.” You could justify that as well. Or choosing not to help someone at the airport who is struggling with their bags. “I don’t even know that person.” We can justify all of it. Great. Now what?

Believe me, I’ve been that person who chose not to help. Repeatedly. And what is even more bothersome is I slept just fine those nights. What interests me is the people who choose to stop and help. They felt drawn to help another person while setting aside their own lives even if just for that moment. An act of unselfishness in order to help another human being out.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not entirely ruthless. I have chosen to help people out in many different ways over the years and no matter what their response to it, I have always felt better afterwards. I do my best not to judge that person, but I cannot help to wonder what’s going through their minds when I hold the door open for the person behind me and he walks through without even acknowledging my presence. Am I doing it for his response? I don’t know. Maybe. That’s part of it.

Nevertheless, I’m always glad I did it. Because I wanted to help and I that’s more important to me than anything else.

I know for me, with space brings perspective and with perspective brings reflection and with reflection comes a way to objectively assess where I’ve been and where I am now. It then becomes a opportune moment to get clear with my intentions as I move forward.

I’ve heard, “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail.” I’m not sure about that. It seems to be more true than false in my world. The times I’m clear with where I’m going and come up with a strategy for myself, I have more times than not accomplished my goal and/or attracted the intention I set before me.

When I’m in the thick of it, I’m not able to “pull back the zoom on my life” to see where I am or where I’m going. Space allows me to have that perspective. It doesn’t have to be a two week vacation or a retreat into a monastery – although I’m not discouraging you – it could be an hour during the day you schedule in after lunch – or even during lunch – to ask yourself questions about how you’re doing. “What has been working lately? What has not been working? If I continue on this path where do I think it will lead? Am I focusing on what’s important right now? Am I being fulfilled by what I’m doing?” I could go on and on. But, What I think is important is to begin.

Get some space from your “everyday.” Ask intelligent questions and listen for the response you hear in your head/heart.

Even if you break it down into “mini-space-moments” – a walk around the block, a trip in the car listening to relaxing music or you alone in your office – you can find moments to get the space you need in order to cultivate yourself and put in the important work that will define the next moment.

Space out!

My fear is I’ve been telling my “story” for song long, that there’s a part of me that feels the need to live that tale out. Even though I don’t necessarily like where it’s going.

Have you ever met someone, who within the first 5 minutes of meeting them, tells you their who tells the events of the entire life – much of it tragic – unsolicited? And how those past experiences are keeping them from moving forward. I have. God bless those people, but they are living by the constraints of a narrative from an event that occurred to them 20 years ago. They become a victim from their own history.

I have to reassure myself repeatedly that the future is not written and the past does not equal the future as each and every moment is a new one. Anything is possible. This is vital as we must see it as such, leaving the strings of the past experiences behind. Otherwise we are tethering ourselves to the ground when we could be soaring among the clouds.

Most of the time it’s just me having to get out of my own way. A dog doesn’t wake up depressed because of the events that occurred yesterday. Every morning she wakes up her tale is wagging when she greets you ready to start a new day with all the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.

That’s how I intend to face the day.

What say you?