Good Life Project - Little Moments That Awaken Your Humanity

Episode Date: August 27, 2014

A few years back, sitting down with Brene Brown, I asked what living a good life meant to her. Her answer was that it was about acknowledging and exalting the little moments that so many of us steamroll over in the mad rush to get to the bigger moments.I know what she means. I've experienced so many small moments of grace that have added up to bigger moments of awakening.One happened a number of years back. It took only seconds but left a huge imprint on me. And the way I look at others.I share that story in today's short and sweet episode of our August Summer Jam Sessions series. Enjoy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Good Life Project, where we take you behind the scenes for in-depth, candid conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, makers, and world shakers. Here's your host, Jonathan Fields. So a few years ago, on the steps of a local post office, I was having one of those brutal days. Too much to do, lines everywhere, perspective pretty tough sell. And the post office was certainly no exception. After about 20 minutes online, I finally had my turn. And business done.

Fell quickly into that New York stride. Moving to the steps. I glance up and I'm almost knocking over this young kid who's dressed in a blazer and a tie. He looked maybe about eight or nine years old. He's kind of nervously offering chocolate bars for sale and saying, you know, help our school. But all habits died pretty hard. I mean, for years as a New Yorker, I came to see almost anyone who asked for money on the street in the same vein as pests, addicts, thieves, you know, yeah, even kids, you know, plants used by parents, maybe just

solicit money for alcohol and drugs. But through a combination of fatherhood, spiritual exploration, the pursuit of maybe a more conscious path, and a switch to decaf latte, I found my outlook really sort of seeding to a more compassionate voice. It was less, why are you bothering me? And more, well, who am I really to judge? So as I look up at this kid, and he's smiling kind of insecurely and feeling like maybe my karma needs a little bit of a zip that day too. And I want to do something nice. So I offer him a buck. I buy a bar of chocolate, and I say, thank you. I'm feeling pretty good and did a good deed and I make my way out the door and down the short flight of stairs and through the glass door and as I approach I noticed there's an older gentleman, silver hair, glasses, leaning with some effort on a cane and

smiling at me and I thought this is kind of odd because people don't make eye contact on the street in New York City, even older people, but he looked so kind, and I couldn't resist smiling back. And as I began to move towards him, thinking, well, that would be the end of it, his smile widens even more to a grin. He begins to raise his hand, and he's pointing. I realize he's pointing at the young man inside the steps. And he looks at me, and quietly he says, It's my grandson. Thank you.

That moment has always stayed with me. Quietly, he says, it's my grandson. Thank you. That moment has always stayed with me. Karma returned in such a small moment that has just shifted the way that I look at everybody on the street, everybody I interact with, everybody that I come in contact with. One small moment, one small story that awakened my humanity. I wonder what stories

might unfold in your life today.