Did You Hear That

“Part of doing something is listening. We are listening. To the sun. To the stars. To the wind.” ―Madeleine L'Engle

Wait, did you hear that? Stop what you're doing, turn down the radio or TV and listen. At first it sounds like complete silence. But keep listening, the noises going on around you, the conversation in the distance, a plane going by overhead or maybe the bark of a dog.

It is difficult to hear all of these different things when you don't stop and listen carefully. Focus on the silence and now think about when you are listening to someone speak to you. Are you focusing on what they are saying? If we don't listen carefully, we miss out on a chance to learn something new. J.W. Marriott, Jr. said and I paraphrase, "...one who doesn't listen well risks missing critical information, losing (or never winning) the confidence of the other and forfeiting opportunity."

There are times when I will sit in a quiet room and simply work on listening. Practicing how to focus on different sounds and trying to identify them. One of the things I work on is simply being still. It was said by someone that said, "...in order to say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time." Listening to others comes very natural to some and can be a learned skill by others. But either way, listening is important to our daily lives.

Try it some time - focus on the other person and absorb what it is they say. Regardless of how slowly or fast they may talk. Whether you agree or disagree with them, you may just learn or find new possibility. Wait, I did hear that!

Having a Meal

"Strangers are just friends waiting to happen." -Rod McKuen

Have you ever just invited friends, family, coworkers and neighbors to your house for a dinner? A mixture of folks that are just great to be around and to have around for a couple of hours. This form of human interaction is a great thing for your attitude.

My wife is great at putting these things together, getting everyone to bring something to eat and share with others. Everyone sitting around talking, building relationships and just enjoying themselves. It brings a lot of positive feelings when people of varying backgrounds come together in the atmosphere of your home.

These types of get-together events are good for the soul...not only your's but those that attend. Friendships are renewed and strengthened. It is a chance to have a positive effect upon those around you; to lift them and bring a bit of good into their lives.

So why do I tell you this? It is because I have written many times about impacting the lives of others. Of stepping out and doing something. Simply starting to place one foot in front of the other is the way to do it. So here is a way to do just that and its easy. Invite one couple or two; maybe your brother-in-law and his wife as well. Make it a potluck dinner.

potluck: a communal meal to which people bring food to share.

Make it simple and don't over do it. Nothing special to do, just chat and maybe a ball game is on the T.V. Allow people to just talk about anything. And yes, talking about the weather is just fine. But try something folks, step out and start impacting folks.

Find your friends again...find a stranger and make them a friend. Maybe even for breakfast some Saturday morning; it could change your world.

Breakfast Interrupted from Marlin Network on Vimeo.

Stay inspired, you, my friends.

Let It Go

"We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." –Joseph Campbell

A single act that occurs to you can set the tone for your entire day, if you choose to let it. Those seemingly small 'slights' that are thrust upon you by another person. An example would be getting cut off in traffic.

This happened to me recently at a two lane right-turn when a person in the righthand turn lane decided to get into a hurry. They moved over into my lane as I was turning and nearly hit me. Now out of all the articles I've written, life happens and you should just let it go. But of course I couldn't for the first five or so minutes.

How could this person do this, 'what a jerk' and all the other thoughts you develop in these situations. Physically I could tell that it was upsetting me, I identified it and began a series of thought processes to bring me up from that low point.

You first identify that is has upset and is effecting you. Secondly, ask yourself why you are reacting in this manner. What is the reason that action upset you in the first place. Then begin to think about how you are going to let it effect you the rest of the day. If you decide to hold onto it and let it fester, the rest of the day is going to be miserable.

Let it go, chalk it up to simple human interaction. There was no real harm, so no real foul and you both move on. The problem is if you don't, it will impact how you deal with others during the day and can have disasterous results. Letting it go will free you to move on and have a productive day.

Release Your Fear

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." -Bill Cosby

My thoughts are simply, "step out of your fears today, to better position yourself for connection with others when you cross paths." Do not be afraid of placing yourself out there to experience change. To meet someone and later tell yourself, "if only I had...." will serve to keep you from achieving a better place in life. Release your fear of change today and look forward to your next encounter at the cross roads.

Stay inspired my friends.