Appreciation

Upon returning home from a five day work trip, my family treated me to a household favorite for dinner: tacos! My daughter's attitude is indifferent at best around tacos but not so for Jake. He could eat them every night and I have to agree with him.

What makes it work is the sharing of the ingredients. Everyone passing bowls of the seasoned beef, tomatoes, shredded cheese, lettuce, taco sauce, etc. Jake takes particular pleasure in the construction and then folding of his soft tacos. They don't always hold together but that's what plates, forks and a puppy are for, right? No, he doesn't believe in napkins. That's what sleeves are for, right?

I enjoyed my first night back home though sleep cornered me and resistance was futile. I was pressing sheets by 9:30. The next morning, my head cleared. Life slowed down enough for me to get off the express train and just be. No soccer practice or birthday parties. Just boring old home.

This is shaping up to be a real zinger of a blog, you must be saying to yourself. And before it's done, I might be grumbling that same thought. But I have to share something before you check out. As I settle back into the normal routines and responsibilities, I'm doing it just a little slower. With more purpose. Uhm, maybe the right word is focused.

Yes. The words "be here now" just keep echoing. I have to practice doing one thing at a time in the same way Jake has to practice tying his shoes and Casey working on math and spelling. I have a plaque with John Wooden's Pyramid of Success hanging on my office wall.

Wooden is the legendary UCLA Men's Basketball coach who passed away this year. His accomplishments on the court were routinely dwarfed by his impact on people. Wooden was a man of lessons. Many are attributed to him. In summary, he demanded that his players became the best they were capable. If you gave your very best, peace of mind and self-satisfaction would follow.

Wooden's top block on his pyramid is labeled "Competitive Greatness". Wooden states "Perform at your best when your best is required. Your best is required each day."

I would like to think I give my best every day, but I know I do not. I cannot. I am human. But what I can do is realize when I am not and call myself on it. That is why the week away was so invaluable to me. It was all about choice. I can choose to be great. I can choose to complain. I can choose to let it go. I can choose to fear changing the way I do things.

I think of the times I accomplished things. The times I broke away from the pack. The times I distinguished myself. Was it when I was complaining or blaming? Was it when I cowered before the barriers that existed in my mind?

For me, putting the past in the rearview mirror isn't always easy. I like to use it to inflict pain upon myself. And while that can be motivational in a negative way, it's probably not very effective for the long haul. I think I'll put the car in "D" and move forward.

Wow. Ever see a movie called "Night on Earth"? There's a great scene with a German cab driver named Helmut and his passenger Yo-Yo. Putting the car in "D" just reminded me of it. Helmut can barely drive his cab so his passenger takes the wheel driving from Times Square to Brooklyn. Classic scene. Here's a link: http://youtu.be/gdY24pZqAaw
There's a language warning here. Especially once Rosie Perez hits the scene! Watch the volume if there are kids or anyone offended by the "F" word in the room. That's my public service announcement obligation.

So, I'll wrap it up for you. When I slow down and look at what I've got and where I am, I can only say "thank you". Not sure who I'm thanking, but just a general one. I've got lots to be grateful for. Normally Pareto's 80/20 rule dominates our thinking. You know that one: 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts.

You can use Pareto's law of the vital few to look at what we take for granted and what we whine about. We pick the little things and make mountains out of them. I love to rant about road rage, bad manners, lousy service and close-minded people. But when I take in the big picture, that stuff amounts to next to nothing. There's so much else that's good and worthy of my attention.

Someone gave me a great image last week. Imagine that you must extend your hand forward and hold a shard of broken glass in your hand. Now start to squeeze it. Hurts, doesn't it? So, do you want to keep squeezing even harder? No? Then open your hand and toss the glass over your shoulder. Just let it go.

Let it go, Rob. Let it go.