Let’s get this year started off right!

One Simple Question You Should Ask Everyone You Meet -by Marc Chernoff

“It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.”—The Invitation by Oriah

 7 Billion Stories in the World

I don’t care what you do or what you own.  I just want to know who you are.  I want to know your uniqueness, the experiences you’ve had and the lessons you’ve learned.  I want to know your story.

What is your story?  Everyone has one.  And no two stories are exactly the same.

There are over seven billion people in this world, and none are like you.  You are unique.  Your entire life journey including your upbringing, challenges, your hard-learned lessons, your experiences, achievements, and gifts, are all a series of footprints that have brought you to this very moment in time as you read these words.

Every person you walk or drive past on the street has their own story.  Every person in front of you in line at the grocery store has their own story.  Every friend and a work colleague in your life have their own story.

The old man who lives alone up the street from me and wanders past my house each day, he has his own story.  The girl on the train sitting opposite me right now who has small tears welling up in her eyes, she has her own story.  The boy in the library who never stops laughing, even when his mother constantly asks him to be quiet, he has his own story too.

Think about the millions of moments, the series of events that leads each person to cross your path.  Who are they really underneath that exterior?  Where did they come from?  What do they long for?  What makes them tick?

Will you ask?

Life is a tapestry of people weaving in and out of your life.  These people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.  Every one of them has something to offer and share with you.  Imagine treating every person you encounter, no matter how fleeting, as an intriguing story waiting to be told.  But the story can only be told if someone asks to hear it.  Will you ask?  That person you see standing before you, no matter who they are, young or old, rich or poor, rude or kind, is like a blockbuster movie ready to enthrall you.  But, first, you have to buy a ticket.[1]

[1] http://www.marcandangel.com/2019/01/17/one-simple-question-you-should-ask-everyone-you-meet/#more-6279

    Until next time, remember,

• You are not alone.

• You are not your circumstances.

• You have everything within you to live a purpose-filled life.