This week I've found inspiration in those both very near to and very far from me. It's been pretty cool to see how everyday life and once in a lifetime opportunities can resonate and teach. I hope you enjoy these reflections.
Talking - Over the last two years I've been moving from acquaintanceship to friendship with one of my neighbors. This weekend our families got away together, and he and I chatted for a while on Saturday. He carries a pretty heavy burden each day due to a lifelong illness. This disease has resulted in three organ transplants, the first when he was seventeen. He's married with two young kids, and has a very full life, but the prognosis isn't great. It's not clear how much longer he'll live, because the illness is unpredictable, and the data isn't reliable as the science around lifespan changes. Maybe he's got a year, maybe ten, but it's clear that his timeline is probably way shorter than most people our age. I asked him how that sat with him: was it motivational, depressing, or something else all together? Was it consistent or did it change regularly? He said it was a mix of all, but it didn't make him subscribe to the traditional "live every day like it's your last" philosophy. This really surprised me...until he explained that what he really wants is just to savor each moment, to be the most present he can. He's not out to "live life at 11" which is how so many people think about squeezing every drop out of every day. It also made me think of something I read this week which hit me with a ton of clarity - the extraordinary life is in the ordinary life. The extraordinary part is about appreciating, living the moments to their truest, not their maximum.
Thinking - I've been thinking a lot about regret for the last few weeks. Regret is something that I've dismissed en masse for most of my life. The rationale was pretty simple. Somewhere in my twenties, I came to the conclusion that I shouldn't regret anything that happened, because whatever I could regret actually brought me to where I am...and I am really happy with this place in life. I essentially applied the sliding doors approach: if I had done something differently, then I'd be somewhere else, and I don't want that. Recently though I've realized that regret is just an emotion, and it's here for instruction. Having regrets doesn't mean that you have to undo the actions that brought you to where you are. It's there to provide instruction so you do things differently in the future. Regret is about how you impact others, and how that makes you feel. Regret is a guide to being a better person. With some close listening and better perspective, perhaps past regrets can lead to a future of no regrets.
Watching - Most nights this week I've sat with the kids and watched a little of the Winter Olympics before we moved into their bedtime routines. The Olympics are great because of the unique storylines and the alternative sporting events. I love seeing things on TV that we don't get to watch all the time. This year, the Men's Halfpipe has been my favorite story. Watching Shaun White compete in his fifth and final Olympics was special. He's a true legend and game changer. But seeing Ayumu Hirano win gold in the fashion that he did was even better. Hirano was seemingly flawless on his second run, landing a series of incredible tricks including a triple cork (three full flips performed on axis) which is something that no other rider even attempts. That ride was immediately hailed by TV commentators and the public as "the best run on a halfpipe, ever". But the judges disagreed. In fact they didn't even think it was the best run of the day. They scored Hirano second. He could have been angry, or disappointed, or outraged -- heck, maybe he was, but he didn't show it. He could have quit, or been rattled to the point where he fell on his third and final run of the day. He didn't do that either. With incredible poise and fortitude, Hirano dropped in and performed even better on his last run. He landed the same five tricks, just with bigger air, tighter rotations, and smoother landings. And he gave the judges no choice but to hand him the gold. It was flat out awesome! If you haven't seen it, go watch it.
Have poise this week. Go big and don't get rattled. Here's to your unrelenting commitment.
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