The Sipping Life

It has been a crazy week, filled with a few tears, much frustration, and even more laughter – to my amazement. A season change is in the air, palpable to all senses. As the leaves of our trees turn, so do I feel the turning of a chapter in my life.

In the swirling winds of chaos and change – in the rushing around all of us find ourselves guilty of – it is a pleasure to sit down, sip a glass of wine, and share some reflections with each of you.

Today has been hectic, maybe more so than the week – a perfect punctuation to the type of week I have had. Now that I steal away some time to reflect upon my week, a smirk finds its way to my lips.

Quite possibly the wine is relaxing me; maybe I am a cheap date. But I think not. You see, my friends, I took time this week – of all weeks in my year – to stop and breathe, to look around (I mean really take notice), and share laughter with each and every team member I work with.

Much like a fine wine, life is meant to be sipped not gulped. Sure there are times when all of us just need to put our head down and get it done. More importantly, however, I believe we must be able to sense when to stop and drink it in – just where we are in that instance.

I found time this week to see just about everyone I worked with, shake their hand, pat them on the back, or share a joke amongst friends. Smiles were there to be had by everyone, and smiles were given freely in return.

This next week we will return to the tasks at hand, busy keeping our heads down. And in keeping with the doing of those deeds our team, my team, will find its way through any adversity – to victory. But what I must remember, what I must remember to practice and not just preach, is that life will try to run away with us. What each of us must focus upon is simply remembering those deeds do not define our lives, it is the way in which we handle ourselves in doing those deeds, fulfilling those tasks, and living our lives that defines each of us.

Remember, look up every so often so you do not lose that sense of wonderment about all things around us; remember that we are part of something larger than ourselves, it demanding a gentler appreciation than our grooming might normally dictate.

… And remember, our glass of wine was intended to be sipped, not gulped.

Update: Leo wrote a very good article on attaining balance in your life. If you are interested in learning how to sip life, take a stroll on over to Zen Habits.

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.