One of many famous phrases to pass out from my brother’s lips is “forget the dumb stuff”. For those of you that have been blessed with the opportunity to meet my brother will know that he has a much colorful way of expressing this feeling. For those of you that have been following along so far, time to secure your diaper helmets, cause here it comes……for those of you just recently joining us on this journey, GREAT TIMING, the ride is just getting interesting.
I think that it is due time to cut the crap and get down to what’s important. Not what was important, or what we think will be important, but what's important right now.
Last week I found myself in Albany, New York and was blessed with the opportunity to meet many unique individuals. Folks that were willing to not only speak to a stranger with a a southern accent, but to share and listen on a very personal level. One of those true personalities was a gentleman named Chuck. Don’t forget, where I come from ‘gentleman’ is not a word that is thrown around with with reckless abandon.
Chuck opened himself up to the usual business / airport chatter, but took it a step further by making, and maintaining, eye contact; seeking to understand; and truly listening for comprehension. Regardless of how much this sounds like a basic lesson in business or a grade school primer on how to make friends, this guy was the read deal ‘Hollyfield’.
And THAT my friends, is what it is all about. Period. Exclamation point. End of story. But, for our purposes, it’s really the beginning of the story. We have spent a glorious time (speaking for myself, anyway) getting to this juncture in time. You have invested your time in learning how to take my style, I have opened my soul and been a student of your reading habits. A bond has been created and it is high time we picked the fruit of our labors.
So, from this day forward we are exploring uncharted territories, experiencing new worlds together, and preparing the troops for the voyage before us.
Batten down the hatches brothers and sisters, the journey starts NOW!!!!!!!
In the immortal words of Bard “forget the dumb stuff”,
It all comes down to the people we meet.
-b2
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(before this week is over there will have been over 3,000 combined views of b2publishing and fairtoomiddling {and only a couple of thousand of those views were from my Mom}. your readership, comments, and encouragement {yes, when someone says 'hey, who in the heck has been encouraging this hack, they are talking about you} have been a joy. But,..........but it's time.......it's time for a dialogue. after all, today is the day, after all)
Tha' message
It all comes down to interaction. Connecting to people in the moment. While sometimes situation and environment can play a part, initiative and sincerity trumps all the crap that anyone can come up with. We all have individual challenges that would bring other mere mortals to there knees in sobs of mercy driven incompetence. Yet, when given the opportunity to have a positive impact on another human being, even just for a brief moment in time, we will rise to the occasion and open ourselves up to another. That, my friends, is when the really good stuff starts to happen.
Now don't fool yourselves into thinking that this in any way means that it is open season to start unloading all your baggage onto the lap of the poor bloke standing in the line next to you a Fourbucks. Oh no, this the the time to listen. Relating is wholeheartedly encouraged but this is not free therapy. This, my friends, is an opportunity to connect like no other.
After all, isn't that what we all are seeking at the end of the day, after all. Connections.
I don't mean professional connections or social media connections, but REAL honest to God human interactions. Whether or not you realize at this moment, this, and this alone is what is driving your earthly (and no-so-earthly) desires.
Your willingness to accept this fact (not right now, but in the moment) will determine how soon you are able to fall asleep tonight (medicinal influences not withstanding).
For what we have before us is a true frontier (yes, I went there). A frontier beyond the rhetoric constantly being driven down our gullets from directions that didn't even exist just two years ago.
An uncharted region of societal understanding of the likes you have only imagined at this point. A place and time that we have wanted even before we know that something was missing.
The most exciting part is knowing that you are not alone in the journey, but are surrounded by like minded souls on a never ending journey in seek of the 'holy grail' of human contentment.
There it is....I put a label on it. At the end of the day that does not lesson the impact of the idea at hand. It only impacts our ability to reconcile it with our own prejudices.
So, I ask you... I ask you to ask yourself...how do you feel about all this. Not because I need to know, but because I need you to ask yourself some questions that you have either been avoiding, or up to this point you have not given yourself the freedom to consider. Not for my benefit, but instead to allow you to fully gain all that is Possible, not only from this dialog, but from all the potential conversations that await you today, tomorrow....and whatever the hell comes after that.
In the coming weeks you will be able to find what you usually expect from this little interaction you and I have developed. But, you will also have the unique opportunity to go a little farther down the squirrel hole............when you are ready.
Remember, please remember, this is not my adventure and you are not merely along for the ride. This is an interactive experiment that we sometimes like to call life.
-b2
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