A Life Lesson from Ireland
My husband and I just got back from Ireland. But don’t worry, I’m not going to regale you with vacation stories, other to tell you that it was amazing, and you should go there sometime unless you have a severe sheep phobia.
There were lots of sheep.
But I was thinking that one of the many cool things about vacation – especially when you go someplace out of the country – is that you are doing commonplace things in a new and different way. And this forces you to really pay attention.
For example, we rented a car in Ireland (a Škoda!), and my husband had to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road, from the wrong side of the car, on the narrowest roads imaginable. He found this a bit nerve-wracking to be sure, but he was hyper awake and aware, because he had to concentrate. So we wouldn’t die.
Similarly, I had to climb a few flights of stairs - in a 15th century castle. The stairs were tiny and worn down and went up a dark, steep, narrow circular staircase. There was a rope affixed to the wall to keep you from falling to your death. And you couldn’t change your mind about climbing the stairs, because there was a line of people behind you.
Trust me when I say that I was extremely focused as I was going up those stairs.
My point is, there is so much we do on a daily basis that we don’t even think about. We go into autopilot. Have you ever had that moment during your commute when you realize that you don’t even remember getting from point A to B?
The same thing can happen at our jobs. We do the same thing over and over, because that’s what we’ve always done, and we don’t even think about it anymore. Is it the best way to do things? Are you accomplishing what you want? Are you getting amazing results?
Or are you just doing what’s easy and familiar?
Maybe it’s time to do things differently. Drive on the other side of the road (so to speak).
It can be scary and challenging, but it’s also an adventure. It will get your adrenaline going.
It will wake you up.
Ready for your wake-up call? Want a different way to do market your business? Let’s Talk.
Diane Callihan
With more than 20 years of experience writing for some of the country’s top brands, Diane helped to shape Roger West’s content strategy, lead generation, and PR efforts as Director of Marketing. She currently serves as President of Callihan Content Creation.