I had a moment like this today during a discussion at lunch with Jamal. We discussed the state of the business, his TEAM, and life in general. I learned a lot about Jamal, what drives him and what inspires him to show up the way he does. Great conversation!
As discussions can, ours wondered down an unforeseen path, a windy road about our life's experiences, the places we have traveled and the learning we took from it. Jamal spoke of his travels to Nigeria, sharing pictures he still had on his phone (from 2006), describing his journey and experiences with such enthusiasm. As he shared how much that experience meant to him and how it forever changed his life, it hit me like a ton of bricks. My mind raced, my heart jumped, I had that nostalgic feeling, the same one you get when you hear that song or smell that smell. 11 years ago I had a similar life changing experience, coincidentally it too was on the continent of Africa.
Our discussion reminded me of my travels to Southern Africa where I studied abroad (in the country of Namibia, just northwest of South Africa) and learned so much about the world, different cultures, and myself. The nostalgia of our conversation gave me chills bumps, brought back to life the magic I experienced in the Southern Hemisphere. At that moment everything around me stood still. All of a sudden the sights, sounds, smells of Namibia all came rushing back. I could so acutely picture myself in the arid dessert land of Northern Namibia. I could so crisply picture myself sitting underneath "my" palm tree as I would write in my journal, listen to Dave Mathews Band's song "Crush" on repeat, and watch the sunset. I could recall the first time I saw Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, the smell of the water, the sound of rushing water, the state of awe that it left me for the better part of an hour. I remember the feelings of joy I had when I first arrived in Cape Town, South Africa and the emotional roller coaster of visiting Nelson Mandela's jail cell at Robben Island. WOW! So much hit me rather all of a sudden, my history flashed before me.
As we wrapped our lunch and began to walk back to the store our conversation further evolved into other influences in our lives, favorite books, movies, and music that defined our personal history and what had influenced who we are. That thought stuck with me my entire ride home. It dawned on me that in order to find out where we are going, we need to understand where we have been. History, personal or otherwise can teach us so much. The experiences, sights, or sounds throughout our life help us to re-create what was, but more importantly it helps us to drive forward. So much energy came over me, and I immediately began to think about the things I learned and experienced in Southern Africa and how they could benefit me now. How my personal history could benefit my future or others.
I'm sure you have all had similar life experiences, maybe not in Southern Africa, but somewhere in your personal history. Think about the things that would bring you back to a wonderful time in your life, a sight, sound, or smell that forever changed the trajectory of your life. Take 30 minutes to think about that today. Think about what you learned or experienced during that time and pull it forward present day. Go rent the movie, download the song, pull out the journal, read the book, go to that place. Your history will benefit your future, who knows who elses!
As discussions can, ours wondered down an unforeseen path, a windy road about our life's experiences, the places we have traveled and the learning we took from it. Jamal spoke of his travels to Nigeria, sharing pictures he still had on his phone (from 2006), describing his journey and experiences with such enthusiasm. As he shared how much that experience meant to him and how it forever changed his life, it hit me like a ton of bricks. My mind raced, my heart jumped, I had that nostalgic feeling, the same one you get when you hear that song or smell that smell. 11 years ago I had a similar life changing experience, coincidentally it too was on the continent of Africa.
Our discussion reminded me of my travels to Southern Africa where I studied abroad (in the country of Namibia, just northwest of South Africa) and learned so much about the world, different cultures, and myself. The nostalgia of our conversation gave me chills bumps, brought back to life the magic I experienced in the Southern Hemisphere. At that moment everything around me stood still. All of a sudden the sights, sounds, smells of Namibia all came rushing back. I could so acutely picture myself in the arid dessert land of Northern Namibia. I could so crisply picture myself sitting underneath "my" palm tree as I would write in my journal, listen to Dave Mathews Band's song "Crush" on repeat, and watch the sunset. I could recall the first time I saw Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, the smell of the water, the sound of rushing water, the state of awe that it left me for the better part of an hour. I remember the feelings of joy I had when I first arrived in Cape Town, South Africa and the emotional roller coaster of visiting Nelson Mandela's jail cell at Robben Island. WOW! So much hit me rather all of a sudden, my history flashed before me.
As we wrapped our lunch and began to walk back to the store our conversation further evolved into other influences in our lives, favorite books, movies, and music that defined our personal history and what had influenced who we are. That thought stuck with me my entire ride home. It dawned on me that in order to find out where we are going, we need to understand where we have been. History, personal or otherwise can teach us so much. The experiences, sights, or sounds throughout our life help us to re-create what was, but more importantly it helps us to drive forward. So much energy came over me, and I immediately began to think about the things I learned and experienced in Southern Africa and how they could benefit me now. How my personal history could benefit my future or others.
I'm sure you have all had similar life experiences, maybe not in Southern Africa, but somewhere in your personal history. Think about the things that would bring you back to a wonderful time in your life, a sight, sound, or smell that forever changed the trajectory of your life. Take 30 minutes to think about that today. Think about what you learned or experienced during that time and pull it forward present day. Go rent the movie, download the song, pull out the journal, read the book, go to that place. Your history will benefit your future, who knows who elses!
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