Carl August Sandburg wrote this about "contemplation".
“It is necessary ... for a man to go away by himself ... to sit on a rock ... and ask, 'Who am I, where have I been, and where am I going?”
Over the holiday, I was fortunate enough to do just that and go away (figuratively), sit on a rock and ask myself the same things Carl Sandberg wrote about. I had the time to contemplate, look back over the past year and truly give some deep thought into "where I'm going" which is a big difference from "where I'd like to be". I know, this all seems very Zen-like or Jedi if you're into the Star Wars universe but I found this period of contemplation to be very helpful in helping me truly make this upcoming year...my "year of change".
In early December, I experienced an incident that would be profound and life changing. I met an elderly gentleman in my neighborhood who I'd never seen or met before. He was tall, disheveled and slightly unkempt. Nonetheless, we struck up a conversation. It turns out "Jim" was an award winning film maker, activist and "change agent". Have you ever met someone and had one of the most intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking conversations in your life? That's what it was like talking to Jim.
After several phone calls and a in-person meeting at our local coffee shop. Jim asked me if I would be willing to be his manager/agent and represent him to several production companies who had shown interest in his work? Not only was I shocked but I was 100% honored that someone of Jim's background would be asking me to represent him. Jim had sold many works before and his work was truly A-list material. In the meantime, Jim and I had many wonderful conversations and he became a mentor telling me about projects he worked on and the people he worked with, Jim became my teacher and mentor.
Last month, I tried calling Jim but I could not reach him and a friend asked me, "if I heard the sirens the other day"? Jim died in a horrible blaze. I've never had anything like this happen to me or knew anyone who actually died in a house fire. I thought back on the great conversations we had and how much he believed in me. How confident he felt that I would bring his work to life and how I wanted to bring his work to life. This story is not meant to make you cry or feel sorry for me but to recognize that "change happens".
I was shocked. I really could not believe this was happening. Here was someone I just spoke to on the phone literally weeks ago and know they're gone. Over the holidays, I thought about and looked back upon our conversations.
As tragic as this story may seem, I've been inspired by this incident, he helped me realize that "change" is constant. In life, you have to be ready for change, its not just one event that happens at 11:59p.m. on December 31st. Life is contemplation, its about living a positive lifestyle and always being emotionally ready for life as it happens.
In this year 2012, there will be highs and lows as you move forward with your thoughts and dreams. Some you will achieve, others you may never see come to fruition. You will meet new people and lose people you knew. Change happens. Stay focused, stay positive and realize in this new year of 2012 that "life happens". I hope someday you will have the opportunity to meet someone like Jim.
I wish you the best in 2012 and here is a quote to live by moving forward.
“20 years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the one’s you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain
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