If Your Life Were a Book
If you want to learn to appreciate life’s luxuries, take an extended business trip. This stay in Japan is 35 days, working with many spectacular clients and enjoying the rich culture of this fascinating country and her people. I really appreciate my washing machine now that I have been doing my laundry in the bath tub each night.
And I do apologize to all of my colleagues who continue to see me wearing the same clothes week after week! I’ve managed to learn all of the basic colors in Japanese, so my language skills are almost up there to that of a 2 year old child. Nevertheless people here are extremely supportive and encouraging of any progress! It’s a magnificent adventure! I’m glad to be able to take some time to write this newsletter amidst travel, business and the occasional sake.
About 4 years ago it occurred to me to write a book! “How hard could it be?”, I wondered. HA! When tackling an impossible project it’s best not to know too much about the obstacles, challenges and pitfalls we’ll face. If I’d known how hard it would be I would have set my hair afire and run naked down the street screaming “Run away! Run away!” and that would have been the end of it. Fortunately I lurched fitfully forward, blindly groping my way along in a most ungracious manner, buoyed by supportive and far more knowledgeable people. After decades of being determined to be fiercely independent, I discovered that it’s OK to ask for help. None of us is a strong as all of us.
What about YOUR book? Do you have a story to tell? I’m sure that you do. Not that I recommend writing a book, mind you, but I certainly do recommend thinking about your story. Who are you?
What is it that you want to be remembered for? What is it that you are committed to contributing to this earth in your lifetime? Every person I’ve met has a story. Sometimes I am too busy rushing around to stop and listen to their story. Sometimes I foolishly assume their story is not worth listening to. But every time I DO stop and listen intently, I am surprised, amazed, shocked, touched, or moved, sometimes all of the above.
I’ll never forget the day I learned that a colleague I’d been working with for years told me that he swam to freedom through shark-infested water for 3 hours to escape from China back in the 70’s. Or the time I found out a rather ordinary looking grandmotherly woman had worked all over Africa helping to develop their economy. Or the many times I have heard people tell of their hopes, dreams, disappointments and fears only to find out that we share a lot of the same human challenges.
What if your life WERE a book?
- What would be the title?
- What would be the title of the chapter that you are in right now?
- What will be the title of the chapter you are in a year from now?
- 5 years? 10 years?
It’s good to be sharing the planet with you all. We get to write our story every day. Let’s make it a doosey!! . . . something worthy of telling so when we look back on our lives from our 128th birthday we smile contentedly with NO REGRETS!!
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