Why? I Say Why Not?

As more people stumble across this forum, I am increasingly asked “Why are you doing this?” I am not one to self-promote and though I do not lobby for the spotlight, I am not necessarily one to hide from it. Additionally, I give consideration to how my actions are perceived, acknowledging the resulting perceptions are not always aligned with the intentional actions. It is that mindset that had me waffling for quite some time on whether or not to share my thoughts so publicly was a worthy investment of my time and energy. I offer the following insight to address idle curiosity and more specifically those wondering, “Who does this character think he is?”

Reciprocity – Life is about sharing, caring and growing. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to have mentors both sharing their wisdom and caring about my personal and professional development. To both demonstrate my gratitude to them and formally embrace my role as a mentor (a role each and everyone has, whether or not we choose to acknowledge it), I decided to MAKE the time to be a part of the conversation.

Therapy – Living a life of go, go, go both at work and at home makes it challenging for some of us to “live in the moment.” I am regularly reminded (by my wife) that life has been passing me by. As I continually planned for tomorrow in favor of enjoying today, I have now made it a point to MAKE time to reflect and keep a journal. This has been very therapeutic for me and serves as a tool to help me acknowledge and appreciate the todays as they pass by.

Parental Legacy – Life is all too short and unfortunately each passing holiday season is a painful reminder of that fact as our fond memories of Christmases past include loved ones who are no longer here to share Christmases present. My son is six, which makes it much too early to share proper perspective and give meaningful context to many of the lessons I continue to learn and the observations made during this adventure. If something unfortunate were to happen before my privilege of nurturing his personal development to adulthood was complete, I would want him to have a resource that might prove valuable when I am gone. I have clearly benefited from both of my parents sharing their unique perspectives and would be remiss if I did not do my best to ensure my son had the benefit of the same.

So rather than wonder why I am doing this, I ask you to think about why you are not. We all have wisdom to impart on others and a unique perspective on the adventure of life, both of which are worthy and deserving of documentation and sharing. I am amazed by the insights I gain and the lessons I learn through the eyes of others who choose to be a part of the conversations. Please consider contributing to the discussion, imparting your wisdom and actively sharing yourself. There is much to be learned from our colleagues, friends, family, and even strangers.

• How, where, and with whom are you sharing your adventure?
• When it comes to wisdom what is your consuming to sharing ratio?
• Are you finding that you ask yourself Why or Why not more?