I have a job that is exposed to a lot of opportunities to embrace change. That could mean a change in process, people, roles or more. Sometimes it’s easy to accept, especially when you’re the driver of those changes. Other times, change comes for you, ready or not. My company and maybe my individual role is changing and I’m looking forward to what it brings me mostly because it helps me see beyond my current horizons.

Short post today. Trying to write more each day.

I’ve written online for a longs time but it’s been sporadic few the last several years. I’ve promised myself and readers here that I would write more often. Let’s keep trying that tactic.

Tonight was about expressions.  Some were obvious but others more subtle.  A longtime friend came over to help Tammy with some things for a project so I took the opportunity to cook.  Cooking has always been part of a my love language, something that came from my family.

I found a recipe online that used up some freezer food and that sent me to the store for more goodies.  When done, everyone raved and even I took the time to thank myself.  Mission accomplished.

The way we express our love, approval, discontent and even frustration is something that’s different from person to person.  Shelves of books and hours of recordings are devoted to the psychology behind how we express our emotions.  I’ve discovered in my life and relationships, there’s no one consistent way I express approval.  Vexing me for years, I’ve tried to uncover standards and practices but finding it past my grasp.  I’m willing to give up the chase and trade it for moments of being present.

Sometimes success is simply showing up and when it comes to relationships, add ‘being present’ to the list.  Tonight while cooking a meal, it became obvious that being present was key.  With my wife working late with our friend, the simple act of making dinner demonstrated much more than a chance to eat.  I caught myself looking across the bowls of shrimp gumbo, smiling inwardly, knowing the expression was successful.

Distractions are everywhere. Yesterday it was cancelled flights, new airports, missed meetings and a stranded car. Today it will be work itself – rearranging things on a list to catch up from time missed. Add to that the expense reports, airline credit forms and chasing small details and I can already feel the day getting away from me. Have I had too much coffee? Yes.

Managing the distractions to maintain focus is always the goal. I’m a dreamer and struggle with the focus every day. I have to create and maintain the vision of my outcome to keep me energized through the day – most of the time it’s easy. Using an analogy works for me because it’s a way to re-frame the circumstances into something I can see will be successful. Take a look at this simple explanation published in The Psychological Record, written by Michael Boerger and Tracy Henley:

By drawing attention to similarities between some new piece of information and information that has been stored previously, they provide a framework for recognizing and understanding the new information more easily.

Changing and aligning a framework is a skill leaders develop over time.  I’ve done this for several years in a wide range of contexts and it does provide that simple positive result.  People accept and implement change when they have a framework that’s compatible with their method to learn and grow.

I manage my distractions in the same way a driver navigates heavy traffic on the highway:  analyze risk and compare to goals, then take action and repeat.  How do you manage your distractions?

I know where my sensitive spots are. I protect them more people realize and that plan has worked well for years. I recently had a mentor ask me if I had considered being more vulnerable to others and struck me as odd. I have a view of my emotional persona that says I’m already that way. I’ve also had people tell me I’m driven, focused and intense. Does this put up a barrier for others to discover the ‘me’ that lies beneath the casual conversations?

There is only one person to which I am completely vulnerable and that’s my wife. We’ve worked hard to build the safe spaces in our relationship to allow for hard conversations. So far a it’s paid off many times over. I’ll keep working hard to make sure it always does.

Sitting in a hotel lobby affords another chance to watch people. To my right is a person watching the Star Wars teaser trailer. He speaks English with a thick accent but his native tongue sounds almost melodic. What’s not lost in his words is the joy of watching those characters come to life. He shares a culture touch point with millions around the world. I find myself smiling too, reaching for my phone to watch the same thing. My fortunate timing in the hotel lobby helped but a smile on my face.

I travel a lot and see a large part of the United States. I’ve learned that people, for the most part, are kind and polite. Don’t believe everything you see on TV or read online because the good out there is working looking for. On this trip, I’ve watched people give up good seats on a plane to help a mother with a sleeping baby. A young person stopped to help someone older navigate the confusing airport concourse. Everyone smiled at the cute puppy brought on board to help someone cope with a stressful trip. Best of all, my sendoff from Branson was a gaggle of workers stopping to wave goodbye with genuine smiles.

The good in us all is on display every day. Don’t be afraid to look for it, encourage it and return the example.