Cody Updates by Mom

As I have gone through the changes in my life, I have spent a significant amount of time thinking about how I live life “after”.  After cancer, after surgery, after a death or after a major change.  Sometimes, I was so focused on how I was going to live “after” that I forgot to live.  I am trying to change my thinking.

I don’t know if any of you feel the same or understand this but it is something that I have found more and more meaningful as I go.  I have decided that I need to live my life at 5,000 feet.  I know it may not make too much sense but I would like to take a moment to explain.

As I work in a corporate environment, I am constantly moving between the 30,000 feet system level view of it all and the zero feet level of being in the depths of the details.  There is value to these as I walk the different steps of my job.  I have found that I cannot easily transfer any of this to my non-work life.  If I stay at 30,000 feet, I find that I am too focused on the world issues.  I am thinking about politics, world health and everyone else in the world.  I am not thinking about me or my loved ones at all.  I lose sight of how to be happy and make those around me happy.  However, if I only focus on the zero feet level, I am solely focused on me and my needs.  How others effect my aspirations and how the daily crap that happens, makes my life either good or bad.  Everything that happens within a day will cause my core being to be either okay or not okay.  This is also not a great place to be.

So, what is living life at 5,000 feet?  Well,  it is a focus that is a combination of seeing the detail but also seeing the whole picture.  If I am on a plane at 30,000 feet, I cannot see detail in the world.  If I am living at the ground level, I cannot see the world.  I am not a pilot and do not know if I can fly at 5,000 feet for real.  I am sure someone will let me know.  What I do know, is that I believe that my core being can be there.

To me, flying at 5,000 feet means so much more than just a statement.  I can see that the world may have flaws and maybe I can even play a part.  This, however, means that even though I cannot change the world as a whole, I may be able to change the world for a single person.  Here is an example of what I mean.  Yesterday, I was at the mall and used the restroom.  There was a woman in there that very clearly was having a bad day.  What I saw was that I absolutely loved the fact that her hair was black and blonde at the same time and it was cool.  I mean, like, I am going to figure that out “cool”.  I mentioned to her that I loved her hair and it was beautiful.  I don’t know if it made a difference to her but based on her reaction I think it did.  To me, I was able to be honest and make someone else’s day brighter.  I didn’t impact the detail of her life and I didn’t change the world but I hope that I changed that moment for one person.

When I think of people that have changed the world and how I compare, I get very self-conscious and know that I cannot even be in the same room as these people.  Living life at 5,000 feet allows me to be focused on making those lives better for the people around me.  Maybe, just maybe, if I can do that, the world for those around would find a better place to be.  That, is my goal.

Tomorrow I have another day of managing the differences between ground level and 30,000 feet.  My goal is that somewhere in there, I find the ability to live at 5,000 feet and find myself grounded.  That I find a way to make those around me shine.  That I find a way to change a moment for someone else.  In that, I can truly be happy.

I may not be able to change the world but I can positively impact someone else’s world.  That is the golden ticket.