Take a Deep Breath

Today a gentleman told me that he is disappointed about the way his life turned out.  He shared about all the goals and dreams he had that he had not been able to accomplish.  He talked about his job and how he thought he would be doing something very different and more fulfilling.  He pointed to his residence and indicated that he thought he would be in a better place.  He broken-heartedly told me how he thought he would have had more education and that his whole life would be different.

So sad, isn’t it?  

You want to know what’s even more sad?

He’s 24.

I wanted to scream, “YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!”

Shortly after that incident I was driving through my town and there was a large truck trying to maneuver in a small space.  I was in a line of cars waiting for the truck to move itself so we could all be on our way.  Our line of cars had, at most, a 1 minute delay in our commute.  The tension of the people in the cars around me was evident.   I watched as they inched forward into any open space just so they could get a little closer to their destination.  I listened to the honking horns and found myself wondering how we got to the place where a one minute delay was such a huge inconvenience.

I will be the first to admit that there are times when I rush from here to there and become frustrated with even a slight delay in my plans.  When I have to fight back a heavy sigh when the woman in front of me doesn’t even begin to write out her check until after the cashier gives her the total.  When I dismiss the stories my kids are trying to tell me because I have to pack this, clean that, or go from here to there.  In essence. . . when it’s all about me.

Such perspective is so very sad to me. I guess in a time when dinner can be delivered from one window through another in a matter of seconds and when we can order Christmas presents, check our bank balance and reserve a hotel, flight, and dinner seats for a week long vacation with a click of a button. . . reality is skewed.

When did life become about the destination and not the journey?

Earlier this week I saw this. . .

It’s a quote that I’ve heard before, but seeing the words so big and bold on the brilliant red background captured my attention in a way that I had not experienced before.  It has left me thinking all week about what my response should be.

When I was sitting in that line of cars it hit me. . .

I don’t want to rush through this life and miss the most important part–the journey. 

Maybe it won’t change the world. . . but I do think it will change my world.  Simple acts like. . .

-Taking deep breaths

-Looking, really looking at the people I interact with everyday–from my husband and kids to the woman at the cash register to my co-workers

-Listening to the words of a song, rather than having the music as background noise
-Looking Charlie and Chanelle in the eye when they are telling me a story
-Closing my eyes to listen to the birds or feeling the wind on my face
-Sitting and being still for a moment
-Squeezing my loved ones a little longer in hug
-Examine a flower or a tree to see its intricacy.
-Allowing my breath to be taken away by scenes like I saw last night. . .

. . . to name a few.

As I said these are simple things, but not necessarily easy.  I don’t ever want to feel like the gentleman I spoke with today and feel as though I’ve missed it all–whether I’m 24 or 94–I want to see it all.  And maybe, just maybe, this little change in my life might touch another who will touch another and so on and so forth. . . and maybe that is just how the world will change.

How about you. . .

. . . what change do you want to see in the world?