Hello,
Have you ever had one of those days? You know the ones that stay with you for a while even after they are finished. I wonder how many of you thought back to a day that wasn’t one of your happiest. And why is it, when asked about one of those days, we bring ourselves to a negative place rather than positive? Why instead, don’t we immediately recall one of our best days?
Today we are taking the last leg of our S.O.D/d.A. journey. I hope that for those of you following my blog, there have been moments during the past few weeks when your mind has taken a detour from your daily tasks to bring you to a place of reflection regarding your journey to self.
Have your answers to the formula questions changed over time? Or have you pondered why your answers are what they are? The journey to self, if taken with honest intention, is a journey filled with unexpected detours. Sometimes you will arrive at a place that resembles the clarity that comes from watching the sun rise over the horizon. All of a sudden you are fully aware of the light and with it, the promise of a new day. But as you continue to step further into the journey, there will be valleys and at times, pot holes. It is during those moments, that I encourage you to step slowly and confidently in your quest to reach a better place.
I still remember sitting in my living room in front of the fireplace one very cold blustery evening. I had been particularly reflective that day and had stumbled into a pothole. Everything within me was telling me to get out as fast as possible. Thankfully there was a more compelling voice in my head telling me to stay with the uncomfortable feeling until I could determine why/how I got there. I now know what a good decision that turned out to be. The clarity that resulted from that evening has served me well.
So today we are discussing the A. of the S.O.D/d.A. formula. In answering the three questions, I hope you will take the time to be both intentional and open minded to all you are feeling. As before, please answer them in order; going back to review only after completing all three questions.
A. Questions:
- Imagine that it has been five years since you either completed all of your formal education, and/or have been working in a job you value for some time. On this particular day, you arrive home at the end of your work day and find yourself exhausted. You can’t believe how weary you feel. Yet somehow you push yourself through the evening responsibilities and find yourself standing in front of the bathroom mirror as you brush your teeth before bed. Looking at the reflection in front of you, a smile comes across your face and you stay to yourself: “Woo-hoo! This was a good day! Even though I’m dog tired, this is one I will remember. Hopefully the others at work noticed too. Wow! This was truly a good one!” The question is this: Why? What is it about this day, not knowing exactly what you will be doing, or what your salary will be, or even where you are living, that makes it GOOD? All you know for certain in this scenario is that you are done with schooling and are gainfully employed. So…dog tired, but still a good day: WHY?
- Imagine that it has been five years since you either completed all of your formal education, and/or have been working in a job you value for some time. It is the next day. You arrive home at the end of your work day and find yourself even more exhausted than the day before. You can’t believe how indescribably weary you feel. You can’t even push yourself through the evening responsibilities, falling asleep on the couch. You wake up and head to bed. And now you find yourself standing in front of the bathroom mirror as you brush your teeth. Looking at the reflection in front of you, a gloomy scowl comes across your face and you stay to yourself: “This was a bad one! How could yesterday have been so good and just a day later it could be like this. I sure hope no one was watching me today.” So…WHY? What was it about today that made it so bad? Again remembering that all you know in this scenario is that you are gainfully employed.
- And so your journey continues onward. There have been good days and bad. Some truly memorable, and probably many more that you can’t recall. Now your journey comes to an end. For some of us, it will be a long, long path. For others, the end comes much sooner than expected. Upon your death, the newspaper in your hometown decides to write a story about you. They talked to many of those who shared your journey. Friends and family from long ago. Neighbors, classmates from all your school years, colleagues who worked with you. Some of these individuals thought the world of you. Others shared they questioned many of your choices, disagreeing with you more than not. Yet for whatever reason, the same theme came up interview after interview. Regardless if they knew you as a child or in the last few steps of your journey, the message was the same. When the story was published, the reporter opened the article with the following sentence. “No matter who, no matter when; whether they like him/her or not; they all said the same thing. You could always count on him/her to: ______________________________”. WHAT?
Hopefully you will take some moments this week to reflect upon the A. of the S.O.D/d. A. formula. Next time we will begin to discuss the key to the formula and how it can become a tool toward a more meaningful and rich journey.
In the meantime….enjoy,
mo
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