90-to-40: Like bricks in a sidewalk, these are the days of our lives.

Day 51:

The universal mockingbird has been at it again with yet another life lesson. For the past few months, I've had multiple situations arise - each very different and unique in nature - which end up teaching me the exact same lesson.

I call it a mockingbird because it's like having a loud, annoying caged bird in the corner of your room squawking the same line over and over again. At first, you throw a sheet over it and hope it goes to sleep. Then you move it in the back bedroom and turn off the lights. Eventually, you try selling the bird to a rare animal circus disguised as some sort of endangered penguin to no avail. You're stuck with it and it won't shut up! (The problem is, I didn't listen to what it was saying.)

I know the old phrase about "life having a way of repeating the message until you get it." I thought I was pretty good at catching on. Clearly, that's not the case.

What is the lesson? That 'everyone is good at something', or conversely, 'no one is good at everything.' 

Simple, huh? I get that I'm bad at some things, but good at others. And, so is everyone else. It makes perfect sense. What I missed was HOW that was manifesting in my life. Today, I saw multiple examples of this which brought me, ultimately, to an "ah-ha" moment.  (Or, to refer back to the earlier analogy... the bird finally completed a sentence). 

WHAT we're good at is worthless without simultaneously recognizing what other people are good at - and learning to meld the two parts together to form a stronger whole. It is the pairing of our strengths which make for remarkable partnerships and advancements in life. When complimentary strengths collide, the outcome is 10 times stronger than each individual strength.

The "ah-ha" moment: 

These are the actual bricks

Tonight, I was attempting to create a cobblestone path at my house. The dang brick pattern we chose did not work out, so I had to go random. Nothing throws me more than randomness. My partner, however, has some sort of wonderful "super robot" thing going on in his head. I called him outside and he stared at it for exactly twelve seconds and started shuffling bricks like a deck of cards.

Stunned, I thought, "What the...? Good grief! Why didn't I see that?" 

But...  then he started trying to level the bricks. It turns out his spacial reasoning is lopsided. It took us about 20 bricks to figure out that we were better off when he laid out the pattern and I went behind him to level and set each brick. We doubled our speed. Voila!

Just about then, six months (or more) of these "lessons" passed through my mind. From situations with family, to recent developments at my job... I INSTANTLY understood the nuances of this seemingly obvious truth: 

I don't have to be good at everything. I have to let go of my pride.

In fact, when I am NOT good at something and someone else is... I need to figure out how we can work together. Complimentary skill sets might make for an amazing collaboration - if I can get over my hard-headed ways and climb over my own inflated head!

The moral:
We are ALL just like those seemingly random bricks. Even though we are all different shapes and sizes, there is always a way we will fit together. Separately, we are just a frustrating pile of dead weight. But... when we find a way to work together, we are as strong and solid as concrete.

What is "90-to-40"?

Day 52:

Hey, blog readers! Happy Labor Day! It has been a great day with family. My partner left us all speechless... and full-bellied... with his latest creation, the "Autumn Cider & Spice" cheesecake. K.J. and his desserts are a work of art!

So I'm using a photo of this cheesecake to lure you to read about what I really want to say. Hey... I know what draws a crowd.

I really wanted to take a moment today to say "Thank You" for reading and participating in this project. It means a lot to receive your honest feedback and "Likes" on each post. Thank You, so much.

Some of you may have picked up reading my blog in the middle of the "90-to-40 Project." So, I thought I would catch you up on what "90-to-40" is - and a little about how it's evolving so far - and what to expect going forward.

What is "90-to-40?"
Simply put, I started this blog 90 days before my 40th birthday. I committed to write one blog entry every day for the 90 days leading up to this milestone in my life. The days are numbered by how many are remaining until my birthday on October 24, 2013 - a countdown, of sorts.

The purpose of doing this is not simply to document this interesting time in my life, but to challenge myself to look deeper into what is important in my life. I hope to get really serious about what is truly important to me, and to speak to others about their experiences, questions or thoughts - about ANYTHING that might relate.

When I started this, I anticipated making it all about "turning 40." (Hence, the subtitle "My turning 40 project.") People turn 40 every day, but not many people have done so publicly.

So far:
This is harder than I thought. My blog posts often go in directions I dont expect. Plus, the doing-it-publically part makes me way more uncomfortable than I thought. Yet, with every "boring" post, you are witnessing a man who is succumbing to complacency and resisting my self-imposed challenge to stretch beyond my comfort zone. That is pretty interesting,  in a way.

In spite of myself, however, I occasionally have a pretty awesome breakthrough. I've discovered topics that have thrown me for a loop and force me to be uncomfortably transparent. Those moments change my perspective for each subsequent post and they help me move to a place in my life I would not have reached without undertaking this project. I think that is pretty cool. I like those moments and hope you do too.

In between dips and rises on this little roller coaster ride, I'm looking for events, emotions and ideas to discuss that might lead me to something... well, I'm not sure what it will lead me to. I'll know when I get there. And that is the exciting part - the unknown destination.

Now what:
I am almost half way through. There are only 52 days remaining... and I am about to get really honest with myself and with you. Everything up to now has been great. It is all part of the process. BUT... this is my life I'm talking about. So, there will be no more sugar-coating, no more avoidance, and no more excuses. This is MY turning 40 project and I want to intentionally "turn" 40 - not just become 40 by default.

In short, in the days to come, I might just blow your mind - and if I am lucky - I'll blow my mind too.

Please... interact. Comment, email me, call me... whatever you are comfortable with. Join my journey.

And again, Thank You.