WHY YOU ARE AWESOME

WHY YOU ARE AWESOME

To be candid, I always assumed that I would have my life figured out by now. I would be well established in my desired profession, successful beyond recognition and well respected among my peers. After a successful day of slaying dragons in the business world, I'd go home to an almost "Leave it to Beaver" home life where I would walk-in and be greeted warmly with a passionate hug and a kiss from my adoring wife who, by the way, has fixed an immaculate dinner, and my children are all seated around the fire completing their advanced homework assignments in calculus and biology for the following day. But real life is so very different and honestly so much better. Life is truly a beautiful mess!

If you're like me, some days its just enough to make it through without throttling somebody. The alternative is to become a hermit and hide up in the mountains where no one can find you, living off of tree bark and wild berries.........one can dream, right? Please tell me that I'm not the only one that has had these thoughts!? Anywhoooooo, life is complicated, and it can certainly be overwhelming. But, with that said I am so blessed to have the life I have. I have a wife that I absolutely love and adore. It certainly hasn't always been that way, we've had to earn it. I have three daughters that remind me everyday, when I look at them, that there is a God. That doesn't mean that they're perfect, some days I'd like to ship them off to labor camp deep in  Siberia, not forever mind you, just for a few years. Don't get your underwear all bunched up! 

The point is this, and its the same point for all of us, life is challenging but its also rewarding. We need to learn to celebrate our victories even if there small and even though we may consider them to be inconsequential. Nothing is inconsequential! Every little decision we make leads us on a path to our next decision.
Do I tell my wife I'm sorry when I've hurt her feelings, or do I dig in and act like a $#!#@#% to make a point? Once again please tell me I'm not the only one that has done this, I'm feeling a little vulnerable here. 

Do I take the time to tell my daughters how amazing they are or do I nag them about the boys they're dating? Just kidding, I'm sure he'll be wonderful as soon as he's paroled. 

How do I conduct myself in my work environment? Do I respect the people I work with? Am I honest in my dealings? Do I recognize that they are doing the best they can, just like me? Each little choice, each little action leads to another choice, a re-action. You cannot drop a pebble into a lake without creating a ripple.  

What I have come to understand is just how amazing we all are, and regardless of the tremendous efforts we put into creating the appearance that our lives are perfect, we all are doing the best we can. Sometimes that's all we can do; act like we have it together. But I've come to believe that our strength lies within our ability to embrace our imperfections, to laugh about our screw-ups and to try to treat one another the way we want to be treated. I certainly suck at it, but at those times that I have been able to do it I have felt a peace like no other. I guess the key is to not take ourselves so seriously. Isn't it amazing to realize that life is beautiful if we want it to be, or its ugly and dark if we choose it to be? Perspective is everything.
In each one of us lies the divine desire to be happy. That happiness is coupled with a divine potential. I frankly don't care about the anti-religious sentiment that says "if there is a God then show me. Once I have proof I'll believe". My proof is the human soul and the unquenchable longing that exists in each one of us to love, that burning desire to make a difference and a conscience that is unique to us that tells us the difference between right and wrong.
I believe that each one of us has a song to sing, a Monet to paint, a masterpiece to complete. That masterpiece is our individual lives. Through life's challenges we are stripped of everything seemingly important and forced into direct experience. That is when the real beauty begins and the artwork of our lives commences. When we choose to be stripped of our pride, when we let down our guards, when we see the unique beauty that lies within each one of us individually and embrace it, we are released from that prison of self. Why are you awesome? Because you are! No one can take that from you so start to believe it and go out and create your masterpiece.



         

August 16, 2013

BE THE ONE

Tiger Woods is a polarizing figure. Because of his horrible life choices people either him love or hate him. There is very little indifference when it comes to public opinion. However, I learned a very valuable lesson about “Being the One” the other day. This isn't something that Tiger Woods did for someone else, but what someone else did for Tiger Woods.

I watched a recent interview with the famed Billy Casper on the Golf Channel. He and Tiger had grown close to one another over the years as they interacted through the PGA. After Tiger’s fall from grace, many people who he considered to be friends turned their backs on him. Some of it was justified due to his wanton recklessness and utterly selfish behavior. He quickly became a pariah in the golfing community. He was publicly scorned and quietly shunned by the sport and the golfing community he had once loved. It was expected, he had brought it on himself.

Billy Casper however, took a different approach. He welcomed Tiger with open arms. He made one golden rule that Tiger must abide by, every time Billy and Tiger saw each other Billy got to hug him. Tiger reluctantly agreed and the first few times the hugs were awkward and uncomfortable. Making it seemingly even more uncomfortable Billy would tell Tiger that he loved him. Billy chose to love Tiger regardless of his poor choices and personal shortcomings. He chose to see Tiger for what he could be and not for what he had chosen to be. Those intimate moments have become a cherished connection between the two. I don’t know how much of a difference it made in Tiger’s life however, Billy Casper made the conscious decision to try and make a difference in the life of someone who needed to feel loved in spite of himself. He chose to love his brother when his brother needed it the most.

Are we any different? Through our life’s journey we will unavoidably offend others and be offended. We will inadvertently step on others toes and likewise have our toes be stepped on. Human nature is such that it is easier to hold a grudge towards someone than it is to forgive those that offend and yet we all need the opportunity for personal redemption.

We live in an increasingly complex world. Turn on the news or read the newspaper and what is highlighted are the stories that emphasis the ugliness of the human experience. Neighbor pitted against neighbor, insatiable greed, countrymen killing one another over religious differences and political corruption.

Conversely, if media outlets chose to focus on the positive and highlighted stories about all of the good that happens would that make a difference in the world we live in today? I argue that it would. I am a firm believer that a rising tide lifts all boats. So if they’re not going to do it then we have too. We have to be the rising tide. We have to elevate ourselves above the fray. We have to be better than we are. Each one of us has a choice; we can choose to make a difference. We can choose to serve one another. We can choose forgive. We can choose to love. So choose to be the one!