How well are you connecting with life?
Room 224 of St. Francis Hospital is right across from the nurse’s station. The door was open so I went in; however, I did not recognize the patient.
No one was in the room; the patient’s name was not posted on the white board with the other erasable bits of information. So, I stepped across the hall to check with the nurse to be sure I had the right room. I did; it was Jack*.
When I spoke to Jack he did not give much of a response other than to slowly turn his head to look in my direction; does he see me? I wasn’t sure.
Shortly, his nurse stepped in; Teresa was intentional in a way you expect someone to be who is confident and engaged. She went to the other side of the bed speaking to me, then to Jack. Jack responded to the nurse. She spoke up; I must have been too soft spoken.
After a difficult surgery, Jack was doing some better that day.
As Teresa left she said, “I think of him as a Gentle Giant; was he?”
It is apparent Jack is a tall man; he filled the bed from one end to the other. I mumbled something to indicate my agreement.
“Yes, I just picture him as a Gentle Giant,” she repeated as she slipped out of the room.
Now I am left with silent Jack and my thoughts standing by his bedside.
What was Jack like when he was a boy…a young man? What was his line of work? Who is this man that now lies there sedated with morphine to manage the pain? What is his legacy? Will he ever walk again? How is his wife and family doing?
My steps were slow walking down the hall, temporarily lost in my thoughts.
Life happens quickly.
When was the last time you noticed life happens quickly? What caused you realize this truth?
Time is a limited resource. There is a mysterious limit on how much time you are granted to live your life on this planet.
What happens if you fail to recognize time as a limited resource?
How do you monitor your use and investment of this limited resource?
Life happens quickly and the business of life is people.
Relationships, connecting, re-connecting with others, partnering to achieve more, and friendships require an investment of time. How well are you investing in the business of life…other people?
Life happens quickly. The business of life is people.
In his recent Harvard Business Review post, Peter Bregman writes about his mother in law, Susan in Why Friends Matter at Work and in Life
Susan was, quite simply, a really good friend.
Which is an art. To be a good friend, you have to give of yourself, but not so much that you lose yourself. You need to know what you want and pursue it, while helping others achieve what they want. You need to have personality while making room for, and supporting, other people’s personalities. You need to care about, and even love, people you might disagree with. You need to be willing to give at least as much, if not more, than you take.
Life happens quickly. The business of life is people. How do you see work associates, customers, clients, employees?
I don’t know when or how Jack will leave Room 224. However, I am sure that if I could ask him he would affirm life happens quickly. Come to think of it, I don’t know how much time I have. But I do know life happens quickly, and that the business of life is people.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts; please submit a comment using the link below.
Who do you know that might appreciate The People Project blog? Who could you forward this week’s post to?
Last question: Who do you want to write or call or see today just to re-connect?
*Not his real name.
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