I was feeling off yesterday morning. The day before was rough and left me realizing that place I thought I was in, was really not the place it turned out to be (a topic for another blog). So, when I looked at my day and I saw a lunch event that I had agreed to attend, I wasn’t excited. I guess I was feeling like I just wanted to hide in my cave and not go anywhere. But, that apparently was not on the agenda for me. So I went.
As I walked into the main building, I saw a woman I knew. Oddly, I’d put her name on my calendar last week as a reminder to call and see how things were going. I never did call her and now there she was! It was so nice to see her and as we talked I realized that there are no “chance” encounters in life.
We walked into the auditorium together and the room took my breath away. It was filled with hundreds and hundreds of people – mostly women. This is a fantastic local and national charity whose mission is empowering women and eliminating racism. But, more than the mission, was the energy. I could feel it as soon as I walked in the room and it was totally at my table, which was filled with women I had not met but knew that I would quickly enjoy. It was that kind of event. I know you’ve had similar experiences.
The key take away for me was that leaving yourself open to life, whether forcing yourself out of the house to meet people or facing a difficult life change, can and will bring the most incredible experiences and people to the fore.
As I move through this first year of 50, I am amazed at how much I’ve learned about myself, what I need (and don’t need), how to find people who give me energy rather than those who just want to take it and how empowering we all can be on lives of others.
People come into our lives each and every day. It’s up to us how we are going to respond to and treat those people. We must step out of our own (defensive) worlds and look with fresh eyes. That is the only way we can be happy and really make a difference. This room was filled with people who had the ability to do just that!
The people at my table, these strangers, and those in the room at large, re-energized me and I left feeling empowered to move forward and continue on my path of self-reflection, change, helping others and meeting new people. I hope that in some small way, I did the same for them.
This lunch was about the beauty and sorrow of life and the power of people helping people. Just another reminder for me that life really is a fantastic experience to be savored!
Have a great one!
theyearof50 