A few months back I had a work meeting in NYC and it was totally out of my element. Mingling, small talk, and then a one on one meeting where I had to really focus and answer questions I barely understood. Recently I found myself looking back on the night with a very different lens than I had started with.
I was on the top floor of a building in a room with a view. The lights sparkled from outside the window and I’m pretty sure the sun even set while I was there. I wouldn’t know though. I talked to people about work and strategy and didn’t get to ask any of the questions I really wanted to- just to get to know people better. Looking back I did what I went there to do- but I missed out on a lot in the process.Of course I turned this into a love poem first (read more on that here), but then it got me to thinking about how we prioritize our moments. I put work in front of what could have been magic. My nerves made my head spin and it blinded my eyes. It made me wonder how much I’ve been missing.
You remember I recently went to sunset for the first time in ages. I can’t believe I’ve let so much time pass without doing so. So I have to ask you:
How much are you missing?
Life gets busy, and our to-do lists keep growing- but I think we need to stop and change our lenses. Maybe we even need to stop to put our glasses back on. There is wonder in the world if we allow ourselves to see it. It reminded me a of quote: Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.
But maybe believing isn’t enough anymore. Are there opportunities you’re missing? Maybe now we need to actively seek them out. Maybe now more than ever- we need to find the things that shine and move towards them.
If we don’t, they may just pass us right on by.
