Work, life and things in between – Day 53 – What matters!
As a working executive, there were many days when minutes were sucked into hours and before I knew it I had been at work for fifteen hours straight . Keeping my eyes on what mattered, was often a challenge. The distractions were many.
On a good day I had solved a whole lot of issues. It is what you call a full day. On a not so good day, I had accumulated all sorts of problems and resolved none or next to none! This was also called a full day, but mostly full of frustrations, or challenges, depending on whether you are a glass half full, glass half empty kind of person. But any way you slice it, these were long days.
I was at my computer before the sun rose, on the road before the kids were in school, at work until well past sunset and driving home I knew I would miss the evening news.
Fascinating how once you are out of that environment your days are filled with a fraction of that and yet they feel full as well. Time is expandable. So are we. The art is in finding out how far we can stretch before starting to give away at the seams!
Anyhow, since I was then dealing with a different reality, in that I had more time on my hands, I added to my morning routine a few hours of writing as often as I could. As I had time to sit still and reflect, I realized that for the better part of my life, I had been writing in my mind. More accurately, I had been telling stories. To myself. To share.
In my long walks at night, while cross country skiing through the silent woods, at the pool while blowing bubbles, sitting on airplanes, waiting in line at the grocery store, rocking my babies to sleep….endless were the times when I just told stories in my head……Perhaps my head, not unlike my home PC, reached its hard drive capacity and then needed to download.
Also, as I moved forward in life, I was discovering that very often, what I experienced as challenges or burdens at the time they occurred, became, in time, cherished thoughts.
This was an interesting twist of events I found. Perhaps capturing them on paper would give them the credit they deserve but would also give me the proper perspective.
At the end of the day, other than life and death, and anything leading to either state, there is not a whole lot out there that is as serious as we make it out to be.
Why then would you let anything ruin or run your life?
Seriously? If the goal at the end is not worth the effort, then reconsider. Find another way or find another goal.
So, speaking of writing stories in my head, I am sitting in the air terminal waiting for my 6 pm flight home as these thoughts go through my mind. Home would be Vancouver in case you are confused. Just thought I should mention it!
It is Sunday night, the flight is over booked and business class has checked in full. I have a window seat in row 35. As I have become a spoiled traveler, I never sit in a window seat, unless I have to, much less behind row 15. Tonight I have no choice.
Now I am upset and in a foul mood but quickly catch myself. There are far worst things in life than sitting still for five hours with a good book while flying across Canada. Seriously!
So I shut up and boarded.
The clock on the building on my street corner shows 10 pm when I walk into the lobby of my condo. 1 am Eastern Time. This has been a long day.To day 54.