Knowing Me, Knowing You, Knowing Yourself

Early Reflection: Friday, October 18th

I am just back from the CMO Club Summit, with a renewed spirit, focus, and fresh inspiration. That sounds good right? Yeah, I am also exhausted after a couple of delays, a rather bumpy flight, with, and I am not kidding, a sideways landing! And SMACK, teenage attitude this morning during the drive to school. Rushing out to the car late, dropping her backpack, throwing her books into the car one by one, and thumping into the seat with crossed hands and that “look”!

I started to react, thinking “why you little ungrateful b*&%^!”….but pulled back and instead put on “The Daily Calm”, a meditation app that I have been using. If I am being honest, I did it to tweak my daughter a bit because the first time I played it in the car, she didn’t much care for it.

This is not an uncommon practice for me. Many years ago, before my wife was my wife and CD’s were all the rage, I ended an argument with Karen by getting in the car and playing the ABBA Gold Album. Front to back. Twice. We still talk about that day, and I still giggle my butt off when I think about it.

So, my daughter was subjected to, oh the heresy, ten minutes meditation and today’s life lesson from the Daily Calm. The focus was on Anahata, the heart chakra. The lesson centered around that spiritual place where past experiences and grievances can no longer harm us. Where we can separate ourselves from our current state of anger and resentment and find peace and a new perspective. Huh.

I brought home three inexpensive rings for my daughter, each with a meaning, packaged in a little velvet bag. When I was greeted by little miss attitude, that bag went back in my pocket. After the lesson on Anahata, I took the bag out and gave it to her, and told her that she could open them now, or wait until she was in a better frame of mind. She slowly opened them, and by the end of the drive was chatty, joking, openly telling me what she had made progress on over the week and what she needed to focus on during the weekend. I really am not sure if she listened to the lesson, or if she sat there continuing to be as annoyed as Karen listening to “Dancing Queen” over and over again! But in the end, I listened to and reacted to the lesson, and what started as a struggle, may have opened up both of our hearts just a bit.

Now I sit here at 17 Hands Coffee, enjoying a latte and a blueberry & lemon scone before heading off to work. It is really cool little coffee shop and bakery, introduced to me by my wife, with some of the greatest treats and nicest people. Coming back from a marketing conference where we talked about the importance of purpose, take a look at their coffee sleeve that doesn’t promote their brand, but instead a cause that is close to their hearts. I am including the picture because if you are in the area and can support them, or their chosen cause, I would love for you to do that.

One final thought, without mentioning names, I want to thank the two CMO’s….and I hope you know who you are, for the separate conversations about life struggles, challenges, and reminding me that we aren’t in this alone. I hope you know who you are, you are both world class marketers but more importantly, you are both really good humans that I am privileged to know.

According to my wife’s encouraging text this morning, it is FRIYAY!! I hope you get the YAY out of the DAY (ok, maybe that sounded better in my head….)

(follow me @rhoniball or connect with me at www.honiball.me)