5

A few years ago, I was rushing through Goodrich Shoprite and happened to notice a book as I walked to the deli.  Now, if you've never been there before, they're known for a few things:

An amazing deli and meat department.
A HUGE wine selection.
And a unique gift department.

It's small compared to any Kroger and Meijer, but easy to stop by on my way home from work.  I make it a point to browse the gift area to see what's in there.  As I was saying, a few years ago, I found this book.. and then another... and well, you get the message.

It's not a book you sit and read cover to cover.  You read it in bits and pieces, letting it settle into the open spots of your brain.  The premise is Where will you be 5 years from today?  It makes you stop and think and wonder why you're on this planet, and what you want to achieve.

For whatever reason I needed a moment when I got home today and picked it up.  On days when all hell breaks loose at the rink, I find that I need to remind myself that my life is more that Suburban.

I need to remember that life isn't just about numbers and a bottom line.

In other words, I need to remember that in trying to inspire you, I inspire myself.  It's the ultimate Win-Win for me.

So I write.

When looking through this book again, it has you name your top 5 Values right off the bat.  Values are the reasons we get up in the morning and actually get out of bed.  No, coffee is not a value, but nice try.  Cookies aren't either... I looked.

Family, friends, faith, creativity, and love are my top 5, not necessarily in that order.  Any one of these things would get me out of bed, and inspire me to go that extra mile at the end of the day.  I find it amusing that work isn't on this list, and probably wouldn't make the top ten.

Work is what I do... It's no longer who I am, and for that I am thankful to know the difference.

I think we all need to evaluate our lives from time to time and see what important to us.  It keeps us in check and highlights the almighty perspective.  Decisions and choices are much easier when we are clear of our values.

I don't know what possessed me to pick this book up tonight, but I am extremely grateful that I did, and even more grateful that I walked down that aisle at Goodrich.

Call it Karma or Divine Intervention.... matters not.

I call it happiness.

And the fact that at the moment I wrote this post, my total views was at 4,555 was just another sign.

Have an amazing week!