A Dose of Life with my Morning Cuppa Joe - Pass it On ...

You know, most mornings I power up the laptop and dive into the day without a serious thought. Some days it’s just business – others are a rambling of the mind, wherever it may take me.

My early routine involves quick meditation, lots of coffee, and a hop on the well-traveled global highway.

I make an early pit stop at Words With Friends, to ensure my Pennsylvania friend, JohnHarnish, is up-and-at-‘em today, as usual. It’s our way, at 65+, to make sure the Universe hasn’t done something stupid with us, overnight.

I play the Facebook version of WWF on the laptop. Ugh. I much prefer the tablet edition. Hate Facebook and all the social networking required for business – and some pleasure.

Of course, I enjoy the interaction with friends and sometimes, mere acquaintances. But often, I “hide” many of the posts that are inane and/or inflammatory – that’s my choice – and consider the policing of my feed a time-wasting chore. It does though, shorten the distance between us.

Once in a while, a real nugget crosses my FB path and stops me in my tracks. Today, one comes from PeterShankman’s obviously heartfelt and poignant post flowing from his perch above us. Yes, he is a member of New York’s elite business crowd, but this personal prose emanated from the seat of a plane.

Peter (an online acquaintance only – never met him) appears to be a rare bird who wears his fame rather well (with only a little, expected vanity, at times), never completely shedding the humble young man of initial modest means. (Those in marketing know him as the founder of public relation’s gem, HARO.)

He is a source of this week’s nugget, sharing my brain’s spotlight with another online acquaintance, AudreyVan Petegem. Audrey and Peter’s posts, only hours apart (and I don’t believe they’re connected) and practically on top of each other in my feed, ran strikingly somber but diverse themes – both thought-provoking.

Normally, Peter is an upbeat PR dude, telling entrepreneurs how to grab the brass ring and berating companies for their poor CS. Audrey on the other hand, blogs about life and its many complexities with considerable charm and refreshing honesty. Yet today, their messages blend in a way that could upend your day altogether, when considered in chorus.

Peter deals with the profoundly disturbing plight of a friend as he scoured the heavens from the plane, searching for answers, with a resulting nudge of advice for all of us. He asks: “What protects you from your Unexpected Darkness?” … Come up with a healthy plan before it happens.

 

Audrey’s message also deals with life’s extremes asking, “Will you come to my funeral”? No, not now … but she explores friendships and reminds us that it’s okay to let some go, using this question as criteria: “Will I make the effort and go to their funeral?” Perhaps harsh, but a true mark of self-honesty.

Depending on what I find in my morning routine, some days I make more progress than others. This is a slow day … and that’s fine with me.

But it all depends on how you look at it. Thank you, Peter and Audrey, for gently prodding me to actually think about my life today.

It's your turn, guys and gals ... and pass it on! All good life lessons need to be shared.

Cheers!