New Insights – “On a Positive Note” Challenge #1

New Insights – “On a Positive Note” Challenge #1

©Allen Merritt (2015)

Today was one of those days when you experience a little of the unexpected. When I say the unexpected, I mean it in a good, humorous and/or enlightened way. It made my day more experiential and powerful or should I say empower-full, which I could not help but share as positive commentary.  Since this blog is all about finding positive insight and looking at life from that perspective, this story is for everyone who would partake of it. Listed below are my observations for the day that made me stop and ponder, respect and have appreciation for certain aspects of my life.

1. I work part-time as a standardized patient at a university that prepares individuals for healthcare oriented jobs as doctors of osteopathy, occupational and physical therapists and more. My job as an actor is to stand in and be a patient or family member in a case study for which students practice skill sets in bedside manner, family approach, how to interview, diagnose, examine and ask all the right questions. This prepares them to be better healthcare workers. It’s amazing the growth opportunity there is here for both the student and the actor. Anyway, at the end of a full day of training, I learned that two of my colleagues both brought a lot to the table in their own personal stories of losing their spouses, which found its way into the case study.  At that moment, I realized I knew very little about either colleague. This provided me an opportunity to value them in an enhanced way. Many times we work with individuals and do not see their human side and fail to recognize them as such. When you finally see them in a different light as a result of something like this, you can’t help but appreciate the human story of how fragile we all are, but more importantly how interconnected we are.

2. Later, I made a stop at a store. I walked up to the counter and found a customer service representative waiting to take my order. When they spoke I was keenly aware of their cartoon like voice. It was all I could do not to speak back in my own cartoon like voice. I found humor in myself and in the observation. This put a positive spin on the day. We need to see other people as they are and gain something from their interaction with us even if it is nothing more than a moment to smile.

3. Finally, I was checking my Twitter feed and saw a name I recognized as a suggested person to follow. It was someone I had not met in person, but I occasionally work with on a virtual level. I looked at their site and discovered they also work in the creative field as a musician/songwriter. I never knew this. I then went to YouTube and found a couple of videos and had a listen. I loved it. This is the second person from that company I found working on the side as a musician and creative artist. Of course, I am now following both of them. So, once again, I started thinking about how we work with people and really know nothing about them outside of the work mode. This seems to be a running theme in my life. Once you learn how these individuals have broader interests and talents you see them in a new way. And, it’s inspiring.

Bottom line for me is this: I love hearing other people’s stories. We all have them; several of them. If we can somehow start to see each other in the various lights we reside in, we can open up the eyes of our minds and hearts to a new point of view which encourages only the best in admiration and gratitude for humanity. Walls come down and commonality is clarified.  There has got to be some good in that.

This week is a chance to take on a challenge to see people in a different light. With this in mind, I’m challenging everyone to discover something new about someone this week. It could be somebody you work with, a friend, acquaintance or anyone you see on a regular basis and yet don’t really know. Take a chance to open up and find a way to appreciate them on a whole new level.

I hope this week gives us all a chance to see another side of humanity and improves a relationship even if it’s unspoken.

Have a great week and Cheers!



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