AND

 

AND

Life is all about lessons and learning. That's why we are here folks! Part of that lesson is the understanding that two things can be true at the same time and more often than not, they are. Why has everything become so polar opposite where you can only believe one thing to be true when really, many things can be true at the same exact time. We live in a world where everything appears to be one way or the other, this or that, when the truth is most of us don't see life that way. We live in the and.

Not sure what that means?  Well here you go - you can can be in deep grief and also find beauty in the world at the same time.  These two things can be true just as equally living parallel to each other. The feeling of grief and this feeling of awe can exist at the same time. That is a much different statement than saying one can be in deep grief but also find beauty in the world.  That makes the experience separate with one feeling almost trying to negate the other when both are true.  

You can be brave and scared at the same time. 

If we all start using the word and where there now tends to be an period, imagine how many conversations could be de-escalated, how many discussions would remain flowing, how much more room there would be for truth? Most likely quite a bit would change! 

Where in life are you putting a 'but' an 'or' or even a period in statements where an AND aught to be? Be cognizant of the words you use, they matter more than you realize.

Disconnect

 

Disconnect

With technology and information at our fingertips we are supposed to feel very connected, right? Nope, not at all. The opposite has become true. The more we are connected to everyone and everything, the more disconnected we feel from each other and even from ourselves. Why is that? Because we are missing the key ingredient when it comes to connection, the actual connecting with another human being ... the give and take, the banter back and forth, the sharing of ideas, advice, laughter, and just connecting to another soul. You will never get that through social media. Although it has the word social in it, it's still media, a production value meaning you will only see what others want you to see. You are not connecting or seeing the whole picture. You are only seeing a highlight reel. We often put merit into what we see others doing, what they are a part of, what their lives are like when in truth, we are only seeing a second or a few minutes at best and it's usual the best of their day, week or month. Let's be clear, that's not connecting. 

The truth is the more "connected" we seem to be, the more disconnected we have become with each other. Maybe we need to flip the script. Maybe if we disconnect from all the technology around us, we will start to once again connect with those in the same room, in the same house, or even in the same car. Maybe we need to connect to friends, not by liking a picture or a post, but by having a cup coffee with them. Maybe when we are at an event, a work gathering, a meeting, etc., we leave our phones back and make an effort to see the people in our spaces and get to know who they are and who knows, we might just get to know ourselves again in that process too. It's time to get out of our silos and start engaging in life and with each other in a real way once again.

Get Out of the Way

 

Get Out of the Way

Growth can happen.  Change can occur. Miracles can show up but first, you need to get out of the way. Too many times we try and map the path for something to occur.  Too many times we try and navigate all the players and the pieces how we see it should play out. We forget what life has shown us time and time again, that if we get out of they way, life can unfold in ways you couldn't have even imagined and rather quickly too. 

It's amazing what can happen when you remove yourself from the outcome. Things start to shift and change, people start making decisions that need to, solutions come from different angles that were not there before.  And why? Because you gave room for that to occur. You didn't try to take it all on and figure it out yourself when it wasn't yours to figure out to begin with. Stop inserting yourself in situations that would be best left to unfold if you just stepped aside and got out of the way. 

Try it today. What is something you actually have no control over that you've been trying to manage? What can you step aside from and watch it unfold.  Remember, sometimes it needs to first get messy in order for the best outcome to occur. Here's the most surprising piece, people that you could have never imagined may just step up and be the ones to fix things. They would have never had the opportunity if you didn't step aside and allow room for them to show what they were capable of. You don't always have to be the one fixing things, sometimes the best thing you can do is to get out of the way.