Thursday, July 4, 2013

Northbound with a Guru Taxi Driver at the Wheel

Today is the first of four "July Rides" and the longest of any of my trips. I'm in the airport now waiting for my flight to Portland for the World Domination Summit.

What am I looking to gain by taking overnight or day trips every weekend for a month?

On the surface, it gives me the chance to see new places and finally make it to places that I never seem to make a priority. That is part of the driving force between all my monthly goals - to not let time just slip away. To set direction. To create. To ship. To live a pro-active life rather than a passive life.

On a deeper level, it is part of my lifelong search for meaning.

These goals place me in places and situations I wouldn't be otherwise, and it is in these places that I most often find meaning and wrestle with the concept of purpose and of truth - existentialism at its finest.

In the cab this moring, I found myself quiet and introspective. Slowly the taxi cab driver started to coax me into a conversation. I was relunctant at first, deep in my own thoughts and recovering from the hustle of running out the door on time. But soon enough, this guru taxi driver led us into a beautiful conversation of meaning and truth. Here are a few of his wise comments...
  • Happiness is a choice.
  • We see the mistakes our parents made, but we can change. We can turn it around and make better choices.
  • A baby sits. A baby learns to crawl, then crawls. A baby learns to walk, then walks. A baby learns to run, then runs. There is a time and a season for everything. (reminds me of Maya Angelou's "When we know better, we do better."
  • When we talk to each other, we both learn. Without talking, nothing happens.
  • We must avoid those that are negative. They will influence us and take away our happiness.
  • It is not how often you fall, but how you get up (and how you help others get up)
He imparted much to me in our brief ride to the airport. All things I've heard before, but his words were especially poignant today, as I begin this trip. As I slowly detach myself from work. As a I hopefully rediscover my bliss.

He also said we work too much. When we have a free day, we mostly "relax" at home. My thought is this and it haunts me as of late: But what kind of life is this? To work. To work. To recover for a day, then return to work.

I love my work. I can list hundreds of reasons why I love my work.

But am I walking instead of running?