7/19/2023 0 Comments #10 Sharing HappinessThe other day, a friend whom I had not connected with for a while, called me. At the end of our chat he said, “Speaking with you is like a cool breeze on a summer day. You are one of the least scary people I know.” I thanked him for his kind words, but I was left perplexed. When I was younger, the mentors I admired were fierce alpha males. Their very presence could galvanize a room. They had an ability to utilize the energy of anger as well as love. Even when I was the president of a company, I preferred collaboration to telling others what to do.
I began my “new story” 12 years ago when I retired from my career job. In this story, my “super-power” is simply to be appreciative. It seems remarkably modest and small compared to what I hoped to become when I was younger. However, it has become the center of gravity for my life. During the pandemic, I started a blog called “gratitude riffs” filled with stories of appreciation for everything in my life. I looked at my past life as well as current adventures through the window of thankfulness. Things simply look different through this filter. It even allows me to see things I was blind to before, so no ducking reality. And somehow, this way of seeing functions as a magnet for others. For example, this week a young couple came a long way just be with my wife and I. We made them a delicious meal, hung out, listened to their stories, and even had them hold one of our chickens, a new experience for them. Another woman stopped by during the week to give us delicious vegetables from her CSA because it is too much for her to eat alone. We gave her eggs and hung out. Later today we will be on zoom call with a lovely woman we met on our trip in the Amazon. She simply enjoys our conversation. I am utilizing this 21-day service space pod as a means of meeting new friends on this pod as well as sharing my daily writings through my blog. To my delight, I am hearing from quite a few people who willingly share their stories. What a nice way to spread the joy.
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David FeldmanDog walker, Dog Mediator, Father, Husband, Categories |