Brain-Slap
Let's pass around a little love...
Interesting week.
When I was a kid we always had dogs. Big, black, labs. The grand dame of the group was a beautiful dog we called Lady. We’d picked Lady up off the street when we found her running around in a lightning storm.
We took her home.
Posted “Found” poster up around the neighborhood but no one in our house was sad that she wasn’t claimed. Turns out she was pregnant. So we took care of her and she took care of us.
When she was due my Mom gathered my sisters and I around and we watched as she delivered 8 pups. It was messy and exhausting and beautiful. The pups were these precious little blind things that Lady soon cleaned and nudged to her teats to feed.
In my early 20’s, I saw a man die. We were sitting at the breakfast table. He just fell over and was dead within 2 minutes. It was messy. It was exhausting. No beauty. At least in the immediate act of death. Just emotional. These big, vast, emotions for a man I hardly knew whose hand I’d held as he died.
Most of us in society are removed from death and birth. We are entertained with a sanitized or colorized or stylized version of death on TV, at the movies. It is not a part of our daily lives. We think we have all the time in the world.
We don’t.
We are not removed from the natural world. We are part of it.
This week millions saw a man die on TV as he entertained us.
Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field, died, and was brought back to life. What was and is amazing is the out pouring of love from all. His family and teammates but also those in the community, in other sports, in our country.
News anchors teared up speaking about Damar.
And as his improvement and recovery has been announced people rejoiced. They felt free to smile and laugh and yes, play football.
We are all connected and sometimes it takes a moment tragedy or joy, birth or death, to remind us of our similarities, our connections, and our strengths.
Let’s appreciate the moment and give out a few hugs.
Think About It…
Leadership is an honor but more of a responsibility…
The privilege of command is command. You don’t get a bigger tent.
Brigadier General Jim Mattis
Good leaders serve. They don’t enrich themselves. They don’t separate themselves.
They are the first in.
The last out.
They put in the work.
They work for the team. The community.
You might get elected or selected but leadership has to be earned.
Earned by good deeds and hard work…
Do it…
One of my favorite writers, Mark Manson, has a movie coming out.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
I’m curious to see how his irreverent, self-help book translates to a movie.
If you can’t find the movie in your area or are unfamiliar with Mark
Try this to get a feel…
Ciao.