Cutting Out Time for Others

On Wednesday I was sitting by myself at the Dallas airport as I wrote this. I couldn't help but watch all the people as they walked by and wondered what they were thinking and where they may be going.   Are they going on vacation?  Are they going somewhere for business? Or possibly going somewhere they do not wish to go?  I caught myself and realized one reason I was able to do this was because I had plenty of time to observe (long layover).  How many times are we out and about and we go into autopilot?  Sometimes our own personal thoughts are so powerful that we overlook the ones around us and instead keep too much focus on ourselves.

A perfect example of this is when my friends and I were preparing to out process in order to come back home these past few days.  I know I caught myself focused on what I had to do to be ready; focused on what was important to me and sometimes tuning out those around me who may or may not have been doing the same.  What good are powerful thoughts if they only serve our own purpose?  Thinking about it that way makes one selfish.  Sure, there are times when we need some "me" time; this goes along with the concept of putting your face mask on first before helping others (sorry, just received the standard "this is how to not die" safety briefing from American Airlines so I had to incorporate it :-).

However, our end goal needs to be how our thoughts will impact others.  I need to remember this when I run and train because my thoughts have the potential to positively affect a group of people that could really use it in Haiti.  What is on your to-do list today? Think about what is on the list and honestly ask yourself how that benefits someone else.  If it doesn't, why is it important?

Now, if you fell because you stumbled over my unintended guilt trip please take this moment to gather yourself and stand up.  Thinking with others in mind does not need to be super complicated.  A simple prayer when you see an ambulance speed by or taking a moment to hold a door open are all simple examples that show your intent of thinking of someone else.  Remember to take care of yourself along the way because it makes you more effective at the task at hand.  I am a history nerd and one of my favorite characters in history is Abraham Lincoln.  One story about this legendary President is that he was given 5 hours to cut down a large tree and was asked how he would approach the task at hand.  Before getting to work he took the first 2 hours to sharpen his axe.

Keep your axe sharp but remember it is no good if you don't go out and use it and cut some time out for others.  Get to it, chop chop J