Author: Jim Gohrick (Page 159 of 159)

I used to think I had an abundance of time when I was younger. Too much sometimes. I didn’t know what to do with it all. The sheer volume of it seemed almost exhausting. The events I was looking forward to couldn’t come soon enough and the tasks I didn’t enjoy took too darn long to get through.

I’m not quite sure what I was rushing to get to. A place? The age of 18? 21? 30? Graduation? Leaving home? Getting married? Where was I in such a hurry to get? To this day I cannot answer that question.

There is one thing I have come to realize: Time is the most precious resource I have. Hands down. And I have taught myself to cherish every moment. Not without some slip-up’s. You want to slow time down, go for a long run. Workout. Do an abdominal workout. Hold your breath. This helps me. Any activity that helps me stay in the moment without going on auto pilot. I catch myself not remembering the drive to the office some mornings. Or at least parts of it. How is that possible? I’m driving after all.

Whether learning how to play an instrument, reading a book, taking on a new endeavor or just getting out of my comfort zone, I do my best to slow down the hands of time, stay in the moment and enjoy every minute. Good or less than good. At least I’m still here.

We all have a limited amount of it here on this earth. Choose wisely how you spend it. From the people you are with to the activities you engage in. It goes fast. Hang on.

But what do I know.

When I was young – around 10 or 11, I didn’t have the the guts or the developed mind to shield myself from kids my age or even older who weren’t good for me. I remember not feeling good at times when hanging around certain “friends.” They didn’t treat me with respect, they always had to be right and everything was a competition. It took me a long time – well into my 20’s to completely eliminate the people in my life that were not inspiring me to be the best I could be. But once I did, that made all the difference.

Now that I’m married and have children of my own, I am very selective with whom I spend my time. Especially if it’s not with my family. I love to inspire others, so naturally I like to be with people who inspire me. People who make me laugh and listen to what I have to say without interrupting because they genuinely want to hear my point of view are quite nice to be around. I like to be with people who question the status quo but aren’t cynical. People that are willing to take a risk of looking at the other side of the argument no matter how foolish they may look in the end. I like people who can admit they’re wrong and don’t judge you if you are. I like people who want you to succeed in whatever you do because there is always enough to go around. I like people who push me to be better by what they do everyday, not by just using their words. I like to be with people who don’t care what others think about them as long as what they do makes them happy.

Here is what I know: life is short on this earth. I have found that I’m open to all kinds of people and I never know when I’m going to connect with another person. And the more I look for those connections with beautiful people the more I will have. We can learn so much from one another if we’re just willing to listen. Stop talking. Put down the phone. Take a moment to pause before that next task and look around you. Find someone you can connect with. Someone who is healthy of body, mind and spirit that you can enjoy their company. A person that feels good about themselves and about you.

Those are the people I like.