Everyone knows the phrase “stuck in your own head”. There’s so much truth to that statement. The greatest and most exciting life altering conversations I have ever experienced have always been in the company of somebody else. Conversely some of the most damaging and uninspiring ones have taken place with my good old buddies between my ears with me, myself and I.
Most of the time when the opportunity to participate with the greater group is presented one out of my three buddies says no way that will be fun, best to not go, either you won’t fit well with that group, you’re too good for that group, or that group is too good for you. Fortunately, my career has forced me to continually be around groups of people gathering and I say fortunately because professional circumstances have overshadowed my inner voice tendency to isolate.
These days it’s almost humorous to think of the volume of things that my inner voice has an opinion on that I now am aware is in extreme contrast to what is good for me. Over the years I have come to embrace being counter-intuitive and one of the areas that has been most beneficial is in the value of connecting with others. I am a firm believer that there are no coincidences and for this shy individual, the fact that my life’s work is in the Happngs business helps me to engage. I remember early in my event career working in the fashion industry with clients like Vogue, Valentino and Armani the Happngs seemed to be so above the realm of my ability to participate socially that I felt that I would be more of a hindrance than a value. The truth is that God works in mysterious ways as it was through my event work that I became more comfortable with meeting new and different individuals and getting beyond the surface of things. Definitely not overnight, but over the years, I found myself much more excited and inclined to engage in conversation with individuals, not from a standpoint of preconceived notion’s but more from excitement to learn and connect to the beauty within. Today, I firmly believe that we are 99.9% identical and that the .01% difference is where all the unique value lies.
Yesterday I was on an adventure and made it to the top of Pikes Peak, 14,000 feet high! We all felt intoxicated although it might have been somewhat accelerated by the lack of oxygen the experience was so memorable. One of the fellow travelers on this excursion was a heavy set gentleman, bald with a gray beard down to the middle of his chest. We struck up a conversation within moments and I found him so charming, intelligent and thoughtful. Although on the surface of things and to my buddies between my ears we would have nothing in common. Upon engaging his energy enhanced mine and I am grateful for the opportunity we had to connect. So whether it is going out and celebrating with friends or making new connections, I have found my life to be much richer through the engagement with others. This is why today even though I have an inner voice that says stay here with me, I will always be better to get beyond myself and my preconceived notion’s and get into the greater opportunity which is the splendor of We!
Experience Life Present,
Tom
