choose your own adventure

Today Facebook reminds me that a year ago that I attended the Real Talk Summit to see Gary V. speak.

one year ago you were a totally different person...

Yes I was. And as I reflect back on that day I am awestruck by the sheer perfection of the number of "random events" that happened that lead up to my moment of awakening on June 17, 2017.

I had to choose to go to the Real Talk Summit, choose to buy the VIP ticket which included the dinner after the event, choose that particular seat, choose to have conversation with the strangers seated at my table, choose to connect with the lady that was seated beside me, choose to follow up with her and continue the conversation, choose to ask her out to dinner...

one different choice and everything changes...

That is the mind bending part.

As much as I would love to take credit for writing this script, for having the grand vision as to how all of this was going to play out. And I somehow had the brilliance to choreograph all of the interactions that happened, which allowed everything to unfold in perfect sequence while I was trying to unknot the dysfunctional beliefs in my head.

Yeah... like I could do this.

but you did...
you did it by being you...
that's the magic...

As I take in these thoughts I begin to see that it is true. In every circumstance I had to be me, I had to choose true to my heart what I wanted in order for the next moment to happen.

I close my eyes and remember that fateful day. June 17.

I chose to ask her out to dinner.
I chose the restaurant.
I chose to go to my friends BBQ that afternoon.
I chose to answer her call saying she will join me for dinner.
I chose to leave my friends to go on a date with her.
I chose to arrive early to the restaurant to get a table.
I chose to patiently wait 45 minutes as she was late.
I chose to order a drink.
I chose to strike up a conversation with the lady that sat beside me while I was waiting.

you chose to be you...
you chose to be courageous...
you chose to connect...

I chose to connect.

My date arrives over an hour late, I introduce her to the lady, then my date and I get seated.

A few minutes later the lady gets seated to the table beside us.

As I watch my date be preoccupied with her phone, I chose connect with the lady again.

Once I made that decision the universe served up a dish of contrast. I became very aware of what true connection feels like and also what it doesn't.

One was seated on my right, the other was seated in front of me.

Yes I went on a date.
I chose.
And I never saw her again.

#chasingbutterflies