We all know life can really feel like a roller coaster at times. We are up and then down, and in some cases, upside down.
It was for sure the case for me last month.
January started out with a bang. It was a treat to be highlighted on the cover of the magazine Vegas2LA! The photo shoot was one of the most exciting shoots I’ve ever done. In the article, I shared my thoughts on women supporting women, my love of the city of Los Angeles, and my desire to redefine how we look at kindness. I was on top of the hill.
Days later, actor Brad Pitt, while accepting a Golden Globe jumped on the kindness train by encouraging people to be kind to someone, saying he thinks we could use more of it these days. What a thrill that was!
As the month passed the middle mark, I found myself spending an afternoon speaking to about 50 local real estate managers from IREM, a Los Angeles based real estate management association. We shared a lot of ideas on ‘How Kindness Creates Success.’
When I am working with men and women one-on-one like this, it reminds me that we are all very similar, even though the world wants us to believe we are different. We are all looking for inner happiness, to feel loved and to fulfill a life purpose. It is only when we can be vulnerable with each other and share our insecurities, our fears and our dreams, no matter what they look like, that the connection happens. I encourage us to find that connection not just with friends, but also with strangers, even in a tiny way.
Then on the last Sunday of January, we found out about the helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan. The sheer tragedy of the news hit me hard and I can guess you likely felt similar when you first heard the news. Los Angeles was in shock. For days, we all tried to process what it means to lose someone who seemed bigger than life. Los Angeles became a small community, not an urban metropolis. We saw and felt a collective coming together to share in our grief. It felt surreal and we were for sure, upside down.
Now as we ease into February, how will you enjoy the ride? Can you accept life as a roller coaster, but also know that the highs and lows are there to keep us grounded?
I say we lift our arms up into the air and scream out loud through the journey… Sure makes you feel better, doesn’t it?