Daily Inspiration 4-14-20

"I wanna know what you were like growing up. 

What was your favorite pair of shoes? 

What was your favorite cereal? 

What was the first car you drove? 

I mean, I'm just getting started here. 

I wanna know everything about you." 

-- Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) 

to Captain Ng (Emma Stone) 

in the movie, Aloha 

Audio version

[Classic post from 12-14-15]

I'm almost done listening to Carole King's autobiography, A Natural Woman. I have been really enjoying it and learning so much about her that I would have never known. What a special treat this is.

Having breakfast on Sunday with a dear friend, I told him how much I was enjoying the audiobook, and then said something I didn't plan on. I said, "You know, I just realized that listening to this book and the autobiography of John Fogerty has caused me to appreciate every other person on this planet more."

I have always loved biographies and autobiographies. Some are so fascinating that it is almost sad to get to the end. And yet, at best, each one is a few snippets out of a much, much longer life full of experiences.

Part of what fascinated me is that Carole, John, and all the others who wrote autobiographies took the time (lots of it) and the energy (lots of that too) to stop what they were doing in life and focus on writing down their stories. That is powerful.

The other thing that I said at breakfast was, "Every person on this planet has interesting stories about their lives, and I would love to hear all of them."

I was married for 16 years the first time and knew her for five years prior to that, and 26 years the second time, and in spending that much time together, I learned much, but I also realize that there is so much more about them that I did not know. That would be true especially about how we felt about things we never talk about and more.

Some say that God experiences life through all of his Creation. Can you imagine the fascination with that? Wow.

After these realizations, I don't think I will ever look at any other person the same again. I will now realize that each and every individual has wonderful and fascinating stories inside them. How delightful it would be to take the time to get to know them more.

We have this tendency to deal with the immediate, talk in superficial language that is meant to be light and remain unattached, yet beneath that in every single life on this planet is so much depth and so many experiences. I could learn from them. I would love to learn from them. I would love to read the autobiography of everyone.


This Has Caused Me To Have A Whole New Appreciation Of All That I See And All That I Meet. 

Spread Some Joy Today--by appreciating that which others bring to your experience.