Who Surrounds You?

I am an extremely spontaneous person and it’s very common for me to jump in the car and just drive. I live to explore new places. If money wasn’t an object, I would travel to a different place every week just to explore. I’m probably a direct descendant of Christopher Columbus! Exploring is just in my blood. If there’s something I don’t know, I google it. If I hear about a new adventure, I check it out.

My husband however is not at all like me. He loves to return to places we enjoyed once so that he can relive the same experience not just once, but multiple times. Now, I don’t mind going a couple times because there are probably things I missed the first time we visited, but after that, I’m just not interested. The third time just bores me! I find myself wanting to get in the car and find new places around the old places we visited.

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with my husband. His personality is driven by routine and predictability. He loves to know where he’s going, how long we’ll be there, what we’re going to do when we get there and how much money it will cost while we’re there. I am more open-ended in my plans which could explain why he was so stressed when I ‘surprised’ him on a trip to visit a naval aircraft carrier on our way (actually way out of the way) to a vacation trip we’d planned in Tennessee a few years ago.

You may wonder why we’ve been married for 42 1/2 years and made it? Well, we’ve learned to appreciate and enjoy our differences. His differences are actually a complement to mine. Where I’m weak, he’s strong and where he’s weak, I’m strong. I don’t have to be good in everything because I’ve surrounded myself with other people who can help me along the way. While I have trouble staying focused, Walt comes along side me to remind me to stick with my goals, stay on task, cheering me toward my finish line.

Regardless of who you are, you need people who can encourage you along the way. Who surrounds you? Take inventory today of people who are cheering you on or discouraging you from trying. Let go of the naysayers and stick with the ones who are pulling you out of your comfort zone to try and reach something a bit further then you’ve reached before. Let go of the stationary object that keeps you rooted in fear and step off the ledge into the free fall of faith.