I met an old friend today. He is a wise man, a very successful business man, a kindred spirit and a student of life.
I drove to the office just to meet with him. I hadn’t seen him in nearly a year.
He is eager to learn, and eager to share. He always stretches my mind.
He told me that he had recently started painting… and he said,
“The whole world is new to me again. Whereas before I saw the world in 4 colors now I see it in infinite color. I look at a simple chair and think about the colors required to recreate it.”
He also said that essentially all things are so very similar. “For example, human beings, we are all the same.” He said, “It is the small subtleties that make us different. Now, I know the similarities and I am constantly studying the subtleties.”
His eyes lit up as he spoke.
I thought about the quote, “Learning keeps us young.”
I found his two thoughts so very profound.
ALL OF OUR LIVES, OUR SITUATIONS, OUR BUSINESSES, OUR FAMILIES, OUR PROBLEMS… THEY ARE ALL SO VERY ALIKE IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF WAYS.
AND, IT’S THE SUBTLETIES THAT MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE AND OTHERS FEEL THEM, EXPERIENCE THEM, EVALUATE THEM, APPRECIATE THEM, BECOME DRAWN TO THEM OR REPEL FROM THEM.
It’s the subtleties!
Think about it? Our faces are so very similar and repetitive in their structure... so extremely similar. And, the subtle differences make such drastic differences to what we perceive as beauty... and what we perceive as beauty varies by culture and by interpretation...
And, then you take the exact same face.... and subtle changes again completely change the appearance and the reality... sadness, anxiety, fear, elation, pride, love, pensive... subtle changes in our faces, in our bodies, in our expression, in our mindset, in our business, in our relationships, in everything...
SUBTLE DIFFERENCES CONVEY COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SCENARIOS TO UNDERSTAND, INTERPRET, RESOLVE OR ENJOY!
That is what makes life so very interesting and wonderful!
The "little" things matter so very, very much... when they are part of a greater message and value.
The subtleness in our moments change everything.
I think about creating competitive business strategy.
I think about sending birthday or anniversary messages to employees, or simple business updates.
I think about my diet and desire to lose weight.
I think about it all… it’s subtleties… in the moment.
His words reminds me that we see granularity in what we value, in what we know, in what we become passionate about.
I see so many discreet levels in human relationships, in business strategy, in communication… but I don’t see them in financial strategy, I don’t see them in sport, I don’t see them in so many things that others do.
The difference between being at peace or anxious about something is so very subtle.
The difference between happiness and unhappiness is subtle.
Small shifts in mindset can make all the difference.
Never stop learning.
And, figure out what aspect of your life you see in infite color.
He says to me, “we both want to make the world a better place. I want to do it through logic and you want to do it through emotion.”
Not sure that is the exact separation of passions, as I do so love logic and rationality… but the difference is subtle ;-)
Commit yourself to a life of learning.
See the beauty and the difference in the subtle.
Don’t expect every aspect of beauty to be revolutionary or discountinous.
Continually stretch yourself… and accept that some of the most beautiful, meaningful, and valuable aspects of our lives are subtle…
I find a strange comfort in those thoughts…
1. Nothing will keep us as young as an insatiable appetite for learning.
2. We are all such very similar beings on such incredibly similar journeys…
3. We all seek and desire uniqueness, and its our subtle differences that define it.
Multiple things can be true at once.
And old friends and fellow students can be our most memorable teachers.
Yours in the subtlety of harmony,
Nestor