I was boarding a flight today from NYC to Houston. An overwhelmed mom, heavy bag around her shoulder, was on the jetway trying to take her baby out of the stroller. Walking by, I accidentally kicked the mom’s leg. I was mildly aware of it, and didn’t say anything, assuming she was too busy to even know.
She said under her breath, “Aren’t you gonna say sorry?!”
I was shocked. She seemed so consumed by her child.
“I’m so sorry. So so sorry about that. I totally apologize.”
I felt terrible. But the torrent of passengers pushed me past her, down the jetway, and onto the plane. That was that. I will never see that lady with the stroller again. That was my one chance to show her who the real Dave Romanelli is. And I blew it! To her, I was not Yeah Dave. I was the a$shole in the blue headphones, human being #1,298 who passed by her at JFK airport.
When you take time to apologize to a stranger (or don’t), THAT SH*T MATTERS.
When you volunteer to move your mat in the crowded yoga class and make room for the person who can’t find a spot (or don’t), THAT SH*T MATTERS.
When you put your phone down, turn off the TV, and pay full attention to your family members at dinner (or don’t), THAT SH*T MATTERS!
But it’s not just strangers. We grow familiar (sometimes sadly so) with the ones we love most.
“There goes dad, in a bad mood again.”
“There’s my spouse, harping on me once again.”
“There’s my boss, stressed to the bones…again.”
What can you do? YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING! @yeahdave (Click to Tweet!)
TAKE THE WORLD BY THE SHOULDERS. LOOK THE WORLD IN THE EYES. TELL PEOPLE WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU CARE.
Otherwise, what’s the point? To wake up, have a coffee, eat, go to work, talk about the crazy winter, do a Facebook post, watch TV, have a moment or two with your spouse and kids, and wake up to do it all over again for thirty years?!
There’s got to be more to life than that.
When we are defined by our routines, we give God, the universe, the Natural Intelligence…fewer opportunities to reach us.
Alice Walker wrote, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”
But, when you break free from your routine, you are ripe for revelation.
That slight spark caused by my slight kick on the jetway, sent me on a long 500 mph spiral across America. I spent the whole flight thinking about that lady, and lo and behold, on the way off the plane, there she was again, dealing with her luggage and her stroller.
I had a second chance.
I said to her, “I want to let you know I’m sorry. I spent the whole flight thinking about how I kicked you and walked right by and that’s what’s wrong with the world.”
It felt good. It felt Right
The real tests of character are those rare and fleeting moments when you have the opportunity to share your light with a total stranger.
God knows how many of those tests I have failed in the past.
But God knows that today, at least for once, I passed. THAT SH*T MATTERS
David “Yeah Dave” Romanelli has played a major role in pioneering the modernization of wellness in the United States. He believes wellness and feeling good is so much more than fancy yoga poses, green juice, and tight-fitting clothes. Dave launched his career fusing ancient wellness practices with modern passions like exotic chocolate, fine wine, and gourmet food by creating Yoga + Chocolate, Yoga + Wine, and Yoga for Foodies. His debut book, Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment, reached #1 on the Amazon Self-Help Bestseller List. Check out his new show Yeah Dave! and discover more about his journey on www.yeahdave.com. Also, Dave will be launching a modern approach to meditation, called MeditateON, very soon, and teaming up with Happier to bring to you a Meditation Vacation.
Image Courtesy of Gd Fun.
