Like many people, I found myself reflecting on another passing year, wondering if it was the year I wanted it to be when it all began. To find the answer to that question, I did what I often do, which is have a conversation with myself. One of the many advantages of working for yourself, is that you can't be fired for moments of insanity. While chatting with myself, I asked the following questions.
Did you laugh? And if so, was it frequent and uncontrolled? Did it attract the attention of others? Did it make strangers want to know what was so funny?
Did you cry? And if so, did you act as the gate keeper who rationally decided enough was enough, or did you let nature take its course and allow the cloud to release all that it had before moving onto new lands?
Did you learn? And if so, did those lessons add value to your life or the lives of others? Did you seek and obtain knowledge that deepened your understanding of why trees grow, babies cry and sports fans scream?
Did you feel? And if so, what did you feel? Was it the excitement of a new beginning or perhaps new lips against your mouth? Was it a yearning for something more or more of the same thing? Was it a crash of the unexpected or the swoop of fond memories? Were the feelings real?
Did you sense? Did you take time to taste the salt on the tip of your tongue or did you just eat? Did you see the way he looked into her eyes as he stood aside so she could pass through? Did you hear the train conductor offered her co-worker a portion of her lunch? Did you smell the strong fragrance of the old lady who has lost her sense of smell? Did you feel the pillow that supports your thoughts and dreams?
Did you give? And if so, how much? Was it all you had or an amount just less than your definition of scarcity? And what denomination did you choose? Was it with money, time, smiles or ears? Was it enough to make the receiver remember?
Did you work? Or did you get paid to play? Did you remind yourself that there is a difference and that a person's DNA does not dictate which one you have?
Did you create? Was it for you or for others? Was it calculated or abandoned? Did you finally let yourself feel the joy of letting that idea that's been floating around in your mind have its moment in the sun?
Did you ask? Was it a question you have been avoiding for too long? Did it force you to consider whether this isn't the car you are meant to drive? Did it hold someone else accountable for the things they say without thinking? Have you held yourself accountable to your own answers?
Did you try? Although the fruit was too high to reach, did you try to build a step ladder or did you eat the bruised pieces on the ground? Did you get distracted by the party around the trunk or did you try to climb above the heads of those that settle for expected outcomes?
Did you love? Was it someone or something? No matter what it was, did you let yourself love it enough to feel its glory and to fear its loss? Did you let love dance without concerning yourself with the beat of the song, but with the beat of your heart?
Did you live? Did you forget the unchanging past or the unpredictable future to soak up the greatness of now? Did you live the eulogy you one day want read? Did you play it safe to increase the guarantee of grey or did you take a risk that would guarantee colour? It may not be the colour you wanted, but any colour is better than grey.
With each passing year, the movie our life becomes that much longer. New characters are added and some scenes may change. There are reactions to other movies playing around us and there are times when you decide to drastically rewrite the script. And at the end of each year you have only one question to ask yourself. Is this movie worth watching?
I am writing this week's newsletter with an ice pack strapped to my left shoulder because of an injury I sustained while pushing the limits of my own personal film. And although it hurts tremendously, it's a scene that I get to watch over and over again with a smile on my face.
Days, months and years will pass. Eventually a time will come when there will be no more room left for New Years Eve. And that is when we will close our eyes and watch the movie we created. Here's to making it the greatest film of all time!
In his regular column "Be Positive" in July 2009's Costco Connection member magazine Wally Amos offers the following. Even though he's known for cookies, he says his Watermelon Credo, written in 2002, has become a foundation for his speaking and a guide that has helped him and others through rough times:
W - Whatever you believe creates your reality. Believe that life is a positive experience and it will be.
A - Attitude is the magic word. Your greatest asset is your attitude. Be positive regardless.
T - Together everyone achieves more. There are no limits to what we can accomplish together. I am more than I am, but less than we are.
E - Enthusiasm is the wellspring of life. There is no limit to what can be accomplished with enough enthusiasm.
R - Respect yourself, as well as others. When you begin to respect yourself, your whole world changes.
M - Make commitments, not excuses. There is overwhelming power in the words "Yes I will!"
E - Everyday can be a fun day. Fun is the lubricant that keeps life moving forward. Laugh a lot.
L - Love is the answer. Whatever teh question, love is the answer. It's the greatest force in the Universe.
O - One day at a time. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. All of life happens in increments of one.
N - Never give up or become a victim. You are guaranteed to lose if you give up. Winston Churchill was right, "Never, never, never give up." It works if you work it.
For more great Be Positive articles, visit www.Costco.com, enter 'connection' and in Online Edition, search "Wally Amos."
The Costco Connection member magazine for July 2009 cover story is "Making a Difference: Costco members create change at home and abroad."
While it's filled with many wonderful stories, one especially caught my eye, and I want to share it with you.
Russell Jackson had a dream job: to be a firefighter. He got that job, with the Hoover, Alabama, Fire Department, right out of high school. When his engine company answered a call in the spring of 1992, they arrived too late to save a young boy. He took that event very hard, and a counselor suggested he try volunteer work as a way to cope.
While visiting a severely depressed rural area as a volunteer, Jackson met a young man who's parents described him as 'retarded' because he could only grunt. Jackson sensed in some way that there was more than met the eye, and arranged for the young man to visit a metropolitan hospital for evaluation. A scan revealed a lesion on his brain, which was corrected. That family's life was forever changed.
Jackson realized that there are many people missing out on world-class medical care simply for lack of transportation. In April of 1997, Jackson quit his job, and used his retirement funds to start Kid One (www.kidone.org). His organization provides transportation for impoverished children in rural areas to health facilities in metropolitan locations.
What began as one van and a man with a vision is now nine vans serving 30 counties in central and north-central Alabama. Jackson admits it's only a 'Band-Aid solution' to a larger national medical crisis...but it's a start.
Kudos to Russell Jackson for thinking outside the box!
Often the 'story' stops with the hero - or focuses on the drama. I want to delve deeper into this story. I want to share what happened over time that the hero thought, acted, and then others joined in. I just read an article that caught my eye...about how (Whatcom County) Teen Court Tops Decade of Helping Youths in Trouble.
Bellingham website by Softwired