Go More, See More.

If you have heard this story, you can tune out now.

If you haven’t keep reading.

A few years ago, I was in a leadership role on a project.  I had the fortune of working with a particular individual where even though I was supposed to be his leader, I found that the roles should have been reversed.  There were many attributes about him that I really admired.  I loved the calmness and the logic/rational in which he approached problems.  He explained some of the things that he has done over his career and some of his life experiences and what has brought him to this point.  Very different from mine, but yet, here we are.  So one day he tells me about his Father-in-law.  I have no idea how this conversation got started… but there we are.  The story goes:

Since the passing of his Mother-in-law, the standing order for his Father-in-law was that Sunday dinner was at their place @ 5:30. Call if you aren’t going to come over. So every week, Father-in-law (Gedo) comes over, or calls if he isn’t.  He is always on time or a bit early.   Eventually he starts arriving later and later, a couple of minutes late here 10 minutes late, then one Sunday 1.5 hours late.   “Where were you Gedo, we were worried !”  Gedo’s response: “Go more, See more“.  Perplexed, the question was “huh?” Gedo’s response: “well I don’t take the same route here every time I come here every week.  Today I kind of got a bit lost”,  he continues, “The more you go the more you see, you never know unless you go”.  Tell me, would you be mad at someone arriving late if they responded to you in this way ? (no ?  me either).

Take what you will from this simple statement.  When I heard it, and the way my co-worker explained it to me is different from my interpretation.  You can have your own interpretation, but here is mine.

I like to think that unless you go somewhere different you don’t know, so give it a try.  You may or may not like it, but you wont know until you do.  I have so far applied this concept to food and travel.  Why not try those foods that you haven’t.  You may like it, you may not.  Worst case scenario, it wasn’t what you like, and you don’t have to eat it again.  Same with travelling   Try to go to a different location, try to plan a different vacation.  Yet again, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to ever go back.  Or your travelling can be as simple as just going a different route to work.  Give it a try, who knows what you’ll encounter.

I’ve heard many times, that the right people come along in your life at the right moments and provide the right advice you need.  The challenge of that project and the timing of my co-worker and the wonderful stories he told me are things I will forever remember.   I love the fact that a man I haven’t met can provide me with such a simple statement and yet it is this simplicity that has created a profound effect on me.  He has given me a different light to view, well pretty much everything, and all through 4 simple words.  These kinds of lessons have happened to me on more than a couple of occasions, ie: the priority list (another story for another time).

Are you a creature of habit ?  Do you go for the comfortable and predictable or are you out there expanding your horizons ?  Does the thought of trying something new scare you ?  are you waiting for some life altering event?   Well here was a guy that was in the “Golden years” of his life, he had no mobile phone, no GPS, no Sat Nav in the car to help him out.  Nothing that we have today… But was he scared of getting lost, apparently not.   I’m sure he wasn’t happy about arriving late, but what did he experience on his journey that ran him 1.5 hours late ?

What are you going to experience on your journey ?

Just remember “Go more, See more”