“What do you do at work?” Howard’s daughter asked.
“I work at the college. My job is to teach people how to draw.”
Staring at him with the wide eyes and mature curiosity of a 7-year-old she had to know, “You mean they forget?”
Do you remember?
Given the pace of your life, the chaos of work, and the distractions of our information overloaded world, what have you forgotten?
Do you remember the smell of crayons you used to transform a blank paper into your masterpiece?
Do you remember the wonder of a buried seed breaking through the soil?
Do you remember the last time you were amazed at the glory of a spring flower’s bloom?
Do you remember the joy of chasing lightning bugs on a summer evening?
Do you remember the awe felt at a sunrise? Sunset? A rainbow?
And a little girl asks the teacher: You mean they forget?
Summertime and the livin’ is easy
Leaders create space … to think, to connect, to engage, to live.
My mission in life is to create space for you to think.
Today, I invite you to breathe.
Go ahead, I’ll wait. Enjoy a deep breath (slowly, to the count of three) … hold it … release it at your own pace. And since you’re so wound up, feel free to enjoy another.
Did you do it?
Now, think about someone in your Story.
Or remember a positive memory, associated with being a kid, a fun experience.
Creating Space for Reflection
Who did you think about? How will you communicate your gratitude or appreciation or show honor to that person today?
What positive childhood memory did you recall? What smell? What sights and sounds? Or, what gift did you recall from Creation? Hold it for a moment. Let the “distraction” refresh and renew.
Congratulations, you just created space to breathe. When you’re done maybe you’ll see differently, feel different, think differently … perhaps those around you will enjoy being around you a bit more.
Here’s to your celebration of life; it’s summertime,
Steve
Image: Paul Kelly via Compfight