Tell your story 6×6 or 8×8 print on wood. 15.00

I have had two people in the last week that changed my attitude.

Let me tell you the story…

I can get super focused on the tasks at hand and especially right now when I’m working 24/7 (or at least it feels that way).

I’m at a show and I’m setting up. You have a space assigned to you and you set up with in the designated space. You never know who your neighbors will be, and sometimes it’s like getting on a crowded airplane, bumping into people trying to find your spot, getting comfortable, and for me it is not about getting to know the person sitting next to me. I’m all business and give clear signals that I don’t want to talk and just need to get some work done.

So I’m setting up at the show and my neighbor wants to talk and say hi, I say my usual high how ya doing and go right back to work.  My neighbor is trying to crack some jokes and just keeps talking. Now, I start thinking am I a bad person, inconsiderate, because I’m not engaging in the convo..but….. I just keep working…and my neighbor keeeeeps talking. A thought is now running through my head…. “oh boy… this is gonna be a long day”

The day get on its way and I’m showing and selling my art and the day is going well but my neighbor wants to tell me some more jokes and my customers are coming and I’m trying to greet everyone and I’m starting to get a little irritated. I get through the rush of people and there is a quiet time and I’m debating if I should say something or just keep quiet about the interrupting when I have customers….. and then it happened….…..my neighbor shows me the book that he has written, and unfolds this amazing story of survival. The poems were soft and beautiful and gave me goosebumps and the story was rich and deep and kept me captivated. I suddenly looked at this person with new and softer eyes and then felt terrible about how I was acting and feeling.  He still kept trying to tell me jokes, but suddenly it was ok.

2nd person to change my attitude…..

I work at a large big box store doing replenishment and merchandising and it can really be tough some days.  we can start as early as 2 am and we unload, stock, reset displays and basically get new inventory to the shelves.  I am partnered with a person in my usual department that I have a hard time with.  I have tried to find the space in my heart to not be annoyed. To look past things but it makes my job harder because I’m doing my job and this other persons job.  I try to work in different spaces but on this particular day I had done all of my area and now needed to go help this person. Again I’m super focused an the task at hand and just blowing through inventory to get done, not really speaking much to my partner, when I look up and she is crying.  I asked if she was ok, thinking she had injured herself lifting or something. …. and then it happened.…. she unfolded her story about a child that is terminally ill and not being able to help her.  I stood there listening to her heart break, watching her tears fall, not caring about the time that we had left to accomplish the days duties.  I hugged her, and for the next few hours I worked next to her doing my job and hers, grieving with her, saying prayers for her and then giving a high five for team work…..

I tell you this because, 1. I need a reminder… and 2. maybe you do to and 3. Our stories matter.

I am reminded that I just need to slow the heck down. I’m racing to the next thing all the time. Checking off my list, clocking in, clocking out, painting, blogging, hustling, showing, selling….. But I’m NOT listening.. because that takes time… and it takes openness and possibly some vulnerability and yuck who wants or has time for that. 🙂

Maybe you feel the same way, each day is a blurrrrrrr, going from the next “to do” to the next.

But honest to goodness, what is it that were doing?  What are we missing? What are we alll longing for?

Connection!

That is it…. to connect to our kids, our mate, our parents, our friends and family, to connect to the divine, to connect to ourselves.  To be able to connect, we have to share our story, maybe not the whooole long drawn out one, at least not at first, but that is the only way we will see and be seen with new and softer eyes.

This is something that I really have to work at. I listen and encourage here in this space of blogger land, and I think I’m available to those close to me…. but outside of that,  I want to be able to not be so focused on the tasks, and the to do list and quiet my mind to see that there is a story to be heard in those all around me.  To be more open and to take just a moment out of this busy, busy life to listen, love and share, because my story, your story, changes everything!

I would love to hear and share in your story. To walk with you, to share in your journey.

You are loved!

Hugs=Shawn