Normal 40: A Flight Home

I never intended to share this with anyone, ever.

It was December 13, 2019. I was on a flight home from Washington, DC and the angst between the voice in my head and the spirit of my gut simply needed the fight. So it did.

On that flight, this was penned as note to myself, about myself.

It was a conversation between mind and gut. And it was penned to do exactly what it eventually did, get out of the "intent" phase and into an "action" phase. To get me out of the protectionism of the mind and into the wilderness of the gut.

It's been more than two years since this flight, and this morning was the first time I returned to this page. It was a little awesome and a little eerie.

Listen, life in the middle is hard.

It's hard because it matters.

It's hard because we care.

But it's also hard because we don't talk about how hard it can be. It's hard because we choose to hold in and wonder rather than to put it out and explore.

Look dude, I'm on a journey. If you're reading this, you are too. You probably better own that.

Once you do, only then can your December 13 moment happen. I want you to own it - and so do you.

Here's the raw writing:

December 13, 2019 -- Normal 40: Life’s Halftime?

Gazing out my airplane window, with my favorite playlist humming in each ear, I reflect on the jigsaw of the snow-capped land below, the forgiveness a setting sun and the altitude between us.?

I think of the success?recent?meetings,?a?family I miss, and the work that will find me immediately upon touchdown…and I find myself thinking about a lot of things that may or may not?be normal.

Finally, I find myself wondering who else on this flight might be chasing the same?series of questions?I am chasing.??

Who here is?thinking about and missing their family while traveling, but is also?concerned that the progress made on the trip may?still fall short of?company?expectation????

Are there others?on this flight who?plan for, dare I say obsess over,?savings and investing?for a far-off future?as much as I do??Do I?really?save as much as others in my pay grade – I mean really??I wonder how much?Brad has saved?– or that guy in seat 17C; am I?doing better or worse that dude??

No, I'm totally doing better than that dude.

Probably.

Shit, who knows. And why do I care? ?

Are there others who have a playlist that jumped from George Strait to Snoop to Joe Cocker, and are there?others who packed their workout clothes, only to?eventually?unpack them again,?unused??

More proof that intent is a lousy metric for anything.

Are there others who have a wonderful spouse who has been supportive for years – one that you love deeply, but one you fall short of showing it appropriately – emotionally and physically??What is my problem, anyway??And are there others surfing Wi-Fi?in search for an enchanted?vitamin that can help them with energy, brain power or libido? Or is this only me? Well, and that dude in 17C.

Are there others on this flight who?don’t?enjoy?reading?for leisure, but do like?the convenience?audiobooks??And if so, is it because they too have?dyslexia that?they’ve never told anyone about, like me? And why is that something I can't talk about? Huh.

Are there others on this plane who are thinking about how they might find a way to use their?core gifts, the elite gifts they know makes them elite in specific areas? I wonder if they are primed and ready to better deploy?their?life's endowment?of experiences, built from?every decision?they’ve made?up to this point in life, to do something more??

Dude, I wonder if anyone would actually pay me for access to my endowment? Is it possible to be helpful enough to others to pay a mortgage? I wonder ...?

I wonder if there’s anyone else who has been?at this stage of life?– or is?in this stage of life?– that I could connect with to maybe move forward.?I wonder if there’s someone out there who can share the first step with me, to challenge me to take a shot, every day.??And?I wonder if there’s anyone else on this flight who thinks that an Ed Sheeran, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton?and Trout Steak Revival concert?would be awesome??

I wonder if there’s anyone else on this flight who wishes there was a scorecard at their half-way point of your professional life?

I wonder if I?write?and record?Normal40, and if I put my vulnerabilities out there – I wonder if it could become a compass for successful dudes?to move?through their?halftime??I wonder if Normal40’ers would like to hear me talk openly about being really successful, and then falling down...to know that it will happen and you will emerge better.?I wonder if dudes want to hear about how?I struggled with the hit to ego and image, and if they could benefit from the peace of knowing it happens, and it can be awesome – eventually.?

I wonder if anyone can benefit from hearing how?awesome my?wife and?kids?are, and how poorly I feel like I’ve done at prioritizing them over work – especially my wife. And I wonder if dudes want to hear about how to make that better?

I wonder if I could use my ability to tell a story that builds trust and lasting bonds, to create a place for dudes to feel strong enough and safe enough to own where they are, and move from intent to action?

If I write and record Normal40, I wonder if it will provide me an ability to earn money???And should I tell them it’s my goal to someday have a revenue stream from Normal40? I wonder if they would believe this journey would give them a 10X return on investment and a 20X return on fulfillment.

There’s a lot to wonder about – that’s Normal.?But here’s who I know I can help:?

Leaders who have been successful, but have had setbacks?and have the drive to re-establish.???

Leaders?who?care deeply about family, have high integrity, think a lot about how to live better and are putting off their start ... because it's so safe where they are.

Leaders who love to motivate others and to help?them to?be successful.??????

Leaders who consider themselves wise spenders and?often?think a lot about retirement savings and wrestle with the mission of creating more, but long for feeling the calm of knowing they have enough.?

Leaders who work long hours, do their best to balance work, family, vacation, friends, religion and personal time, but find it’s not always something they balance well.

Leaders who can get transported by music, sports and a heartfelt note from a friend or colleague.?

Leaders who make decisions from the mind, but need to learn when it's time to trust their gut.???

Leaders who choose to give a damn about things worth a damn.???

Leaders who are interested in hearing a nugget or two each week that will help them feel more confident, enable them to invest more time into their family, their friends, their career and their self.?It doesn’t happen overnight, and that’s normal.?

I think the need is there. So, lets move from intent to action. Tomorrow it starts. First small step, write about "The Box" and about being on "Autopilot."

- END -

If you're still reading ... your plane just landed.

What you do from here is on you, but I would love to be part of the journey. It's worth the effort. At least it has been for me.

A favor - if this resonates, share it. Like it. Comment on it.

You are the only way I can grow this movement.

In the meantime, dream on and own your clock.

Lon -