Nov 3, 2011
I remember it clear as day, like it was yesterday. I was sitting in a high-end Steak House with one of my closest friends. We were sharing a bottle of wine and talking about life. I was very down. I had gone through some pretty bad stuff at the time, my family had fallen apart and a dear friend had been diagnosed with a life threatening disease. I had gone on a date and was not called back. I was complaining, going on about the world being against me. You know the feeling you get when you truly feel that the world isn’t your friend. She sat and listened and smiled, didn’t comment, didn’t judge or get frustrated with me. When I stopped complaining and came up for air, she looked me straight in the eyes and said, “You need to find little bits of joy in your life.”
What? This seemed like a trivial answer to my “the world’s against me” problems. Then we looked around us, the great music that was playing, the amazing food on our plate, the ability we both had to be together and share our time, to talk, to listen, to enjoy the Ovation chocolate mints that we new were coming at the end of the meal, to pay for our meal and then to walk out on our own, working legs and into my car and drive to our homes in our peaceful city.
That was over 10 years ago. I have forever remembered that dinner. We have talked about it often. We both have gone through more challenges in our lives but I try to find those little bits of joy that can fill my heart and life my spirit. It’s not always easy, but it is possible. Try.
Make a list today of those little bits of joy, all of them. No matter how small. I bet you feel better when you’re done.
Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Nov 3, 2011 at 8:10 am | Permanent Link | Comments (1)
Comment posted on Dec 13, 2011 at 12:37 pm by Stu Saunders (YLCC Member)
Just an update! I still struggle every day to find these but know they’re worth it!