“It’s all about the how, not so much about the what” That’s the thought that flew out of me earlier tonight, and I’ve tossed it around my mind for a few hours and here’s what I’ve realized.
When it comes to the outside world, the environment that we live in and interact with everyday, that quote I wrote above, it really applies to all of us and our behaviour. The truth is that when it comes to influencing this great big world, our communities, the people in our lives, it really is more about ‘how’ we do things, that it is about ‘what’ we actually do. Making an impact, either Positive or negative, is directly related to ‘how’. How we behave, how we treat people, how we approach every day. And the best part of ‘how’ is that we all have a choice ‘how’.
The ‘what’ of the equation can be quite significant, but not necessarily, and it isn’t dependent on whether or not we make an impact, again either Positive or negative. The ‘what’ is far more important when considering our internal environment, and that is something I’ll address in a future message, for now we’re talking about the outside, external to ourselves. (hold your hand out and point your finger, out there, that’s what I’m talking about)
If you are a teacher, every day you get the opportunity to make an impact on a young mind. I believe we all have that opportunity most every day, but teachers have a different kind of opportunity I feel. I’m sure we can all remember one or two amazing teachers who really made a difference in our lives, and while we may often remember ‘what’ it is they did I would bet that inside we can also feel ‘how’ they did it.
I know that since I have been sick there have been lots of times when I have felt like crap, physically and emotionally, and I can tell you that when I’mfeeling that way there’s rarely some magic fix, unless you consider unconditional love and compassion a fix… which I happen to. When I’ve been feeling really down, it has never been a special thing that a loved one would do, but it was always more ‘how’ they did it.
I get asked by Patient Supporters – family and friends of Patients – “my family member/friend has been diagnosed with Cancer, what do I do?” And my answer is always… “it’s not about ‘what’ you do, but more about ‘how’ you do it”.
If we’re looking to make a Positive impact on the world out there, leave things a little better than when we found them, I can tell you that it is as simple as coming from your heart and acting from a place of Love. If you’ve worked that into your ‘how’ then your making a Positive impact regardless ‘what’ you do.
You know I’m a big fan of the word Choice, and the best part is we all have the personal Choice of ‘how’ we live our lives, and we are responsible for those Choices.
It really is all about the ‘how’, and not so much about the ‘what’.
Always…
Live Life. Love Life.
Geoff
