Dots The Connect

As the end of last year came around, I became quite aware change was about to visit my family. On many occasions, I actually said "next year will be a benchmark year for our family." I had good reasons for thinking this way. My employer was on the verge of remaking our position in the marketplace. Kris and I had set a few significant goals for the upcoming year. The air was just heavy with change. Well, looking back on all of that, I was indeed right. All the things I expected to take place came to fruition. One very big piece of news I did not see coming also found its way into our world. In hindsight, I did miscalculate something. My error was in allowing myself to perceive life in terms of defined structures. In this case, I threw all my projections of change into the predictable format of a calendar. All of us do this. Tomorrow I will start this project. Next month I will exercise more. Next week I will give to that charity. I will retire when I'm 65. It's easy to think this way. The calendar and clock often have their way with us. I have recently been taught, however, life is not beholden to these masters. And...I have proof.

Life is a journey that will take many unexpected turns and pause in places we could never have imagined. We don't control when our journey begins and we don't control where it ends. In the middle, we are met with more variables than certainties. A wise person once told me "I cannot control anything that happens to me, I can only control how I react to it." I have been taking a look back over various reactions to a number of events in recent years. Specifically, I have been exploring how these moments in my life have given me certain people, and removed certain other people from my world. The cast of characters that is presently occupying the field is truly colorful! You know what else? They all have significant purpose for me, as it turns out. It would never be possible to assemble this group of people if decisions made in one month did not have consequences that reached into the next three. Everyone that presently has influence in my life has their roots in places they cannot fathom. From decisions I made a year ago known only to me, to actions taken by others months before I ever met them. All have culminated to bring us together right here, right now. The real question is, what will we do together? Will we honor the hand of providence that knew enough to direct our lives in this manner? Will we work for the betterment of each other, and by proxy, the betterment of the community around us? Let us not stand by and squander this pause in our journey.
Look around your life right now. What can you learn from those you call friend? What can you teach these same people? If you are short on answers, then perhaps the people around you are not the right fit for you. Maybe you have paused too long. We would all be well advised to seek out people who we can help. Seek out people who are wise enough to accept this help. Seek out people who are bold enough to offer help to you.
Be it for good or bad, you are kidding yourself if you think the decisions and relationships in your life right now will not have a lasting impact. An impact that reaches far beyond what you have written on your calendar.