Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
- Leo Buscaglia


Friday, May 25, 2012

Expanding Possibilities

     One of the lessons I've learned over the years, and this year has only reaffirmed this lesson, is that it can be tremendously enriching to spend time with like-minded people.  Recognizing this, in fact, I've had a number of different people (often readers of my blog) reach out to me this year asking if we could share some time together.  These meetings have usually been pretty unstructured and without a specific purpose.  And they've been quite worthwhile. I had one of those meetings this afternoon.
     A woman I know who shares a passion about kindness asked if we could get together to compare notes and get to know each other better.  Somehow nearly 3 hours went by before we each realized just how late it had gotten.  We exchanged recommended books, websites, philosophies and lessons learned.  Though we had no formal agenda and have no agreed-upon followup steps, it was time well spent.  
     I suppose we all know people in our lives who are toxic and others who are nourishing.  Time spent with the toxic ones is typically filled with complaints, cynicism, and negativity.  These types of relationships usually leave us feeling drained.  Conversely, time spent with nourishing people is usually energizing.  It's filled with curiosity and wonderment and learning.  And more often than not - kindness. These types of relationships often expand our notion of possibilities.  It's as if 1 plus 1 really does equal something more than 2.  I was reminded today that it's worth seeking out these opportunities. 

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