Last week, two different trips reminded me of the power of staying in the moment…
I was traveling a rural highway between Silverton and Sublimity, OR on my way to teach a class. It was a pretty and peaceful morning in an idyllic setting. I was driving the speed limit of 55 mph and enjoying the view. During the course of the 20 minute drive, there were three different cars that came speeding up behind me, and rode my bumper until they could pass. In talking with some of the participants in my class, they said the locals always sped impatiently through that area.
On Friday, I got the opportunity to take my first seaplane ride with my Shrimp Tank podcast co-host, Brad Berger. Brad is a pilot and offered to take me home in style. I was 900 feet in the air and enjoying every minute of the trip that I knew might be a one time event.
In the end, these were both one time events. As the lyrics to The Eagles classic song, Take It Easy remind us, “We may lose or we may win, but we will never be here again, so open up by climbing in and take it easy…”
The “locals” on that rural road forget the beauty and opportunity around them because they’ve taken that path so many times. They get in a hurry to get to the next thing. I’m as guilty when I am distracted or complacent about riding a ferry into Seattle and enjoying that moment. The seaplane ride was a clear reminder that even if I do get another ride, it will be different.
I’ve talked about this concept many times, and in my book Unleashed Leadership, I even have a chapter on it called “The Yard,” where I explain how Captain Jack and Bella never get tired of the same old yard becasue every day it’s different. I admit it’s a discipline that I am constantly working on myself. What about you?
Take a lesson from the song. No matter what the situation or event, we will never be here again. What happens today is unique and special; as will it be each coming day. If we get out of being in the moment, we risk unleashing our lives and experiences. Maybe it’s a good time to remember that we should always, “take it easy…”
Quote of the Week:
“Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now without delay.”
~ Simone de Beauvoir (21st century French writer)
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