Last week was about rethinking impossible.  This week the words that inspired me come from a computer alert about Wi-fi and stronger connections.  I was working on my computer on my back patio, trying to get caught up on everything, when the below message popped up and struck a chord with me. 

I looked at it for a moment and my first instinct was to say, “Thanks Captain Obvious!”  My second instinct was to say, “I’m not that far away from the router.”  Then, I had a mini epiphany, which just goes to show that sometimes inspiration comes from strange places.  As I looked at the message, I started substituting words.

• “The strength of your connection between you and the people you care about could be improved by moving closer to them.”
• “The strength of your connection between you and yourself could be improved by moving closer to who you are.”

You might be wondering what this has to do with anything.  If I’m being entirely honest, work (and life for that matter) has been kicking by butt for the past few months.  The expectations are high, and the pressure to meet them (whether external or internal) is even higher.  It’s a flurry of early mornings, long nights, fire drills, and last-minute pivots.  It’s been sprinting and sprinting and sprinting with little rest.  Have you felt like this lately?

With all of this, I’ve felt myself getting lost in the swirl.  It is kind of like being on a boat where each wave took me further and further from shore.  Suddenly, you look up and realize how far you have drifted away, and that you need to get back.  That pop up from IT was the nudge to get back to shore.  My mini epiphany made me pause and realize that I had moved AWAY from the people/things that make me whole, and I needed to focus my energy on moving CLOSER to the people/things I care about (myself included).  After all, life is all about having meaningful connections with people and things you love.  It was just the nudge I needed to step back and refocus after a chaotic few months.  

The challenge: Who or what do you need to move closer to?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry