Recently we spent a week in beautiful Southern California, a place called Oceanside, which is becoming a tradition for our family. What a great place!
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’m not a huge fan of the beach thing…sand everywhere, sunburns even when I put on sunscreen and hide in the shade, there’s a lot I don’t love about it.
However, on this trip, I enjoyed it because my family loves it so much.
One sight that caught me by surprise was the joy I felt watching the sunsets and ocean view, as the colors in the sky changed so vividly and powerfully.
As I walked near the ocean’s break, enjoying the views up ahead, I stepped on a seashell and screamed out like a dad in the dark coming into his kid’s room and awkwardly stepping on a LEGO. OUCH!
Looking down, it was apparent I had mostly dodged many seashells, sea urchins, and came face to face with a half sand dollar.
That’s when I noticed my whole family out searching for sand dollars, as they seemed to be everywhere.
Here’s a one minute video with my son Redford, and wife, Tami, sharing their treasures, while I share my insights.
What’s interesting to me was they were looking down, I was looking up, and we all were winners.
It important to look up, to see where we’re headed, enjoying the view, looking into the distance at our destination and destiny.
It is equally important to look down, so as not to step in the wrong spot, smashing potential treasures, and putting our head down to do the work.
We must do both as we go along our lives.
The Promise is to remember to commit fully to both on our journey – look up, look down, repeat.
If all we do is look up and never get to work, we very well may end up trudging over missed opportunities, relationships, never getting down and dirty in the trenches of productivity.
However, if all we do is look down, we will work ourselves to death, never regain the vision for what we are vying for, and forget the reason all of life is beautiful, not just the treasures at our feet, but the vistas as far as the eye can see.
I promised myself to be better and do both, not just work, but to look up, and enjoy the view; to not just dream, but to work more focused when I get to the tasks, thus fulfilling the dream.
It was an interesting thought as I walked along the beach, and now I like it that much more.
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~ Jason Hewlett
Husband, Father, Writer, Mentor, Hiker
- Speaker Hall of Fame * Award-Winning Entertainer * Mentor
- World’s Only Keynote Speaker utilizing entertainment, musical impressions, and comedy to teach The Promise
- Author of “The Promise To The One”
8 Responses
Love this insight, Jason. I have a tendency in my own life to look down. When I realized I was doing this a few years ago, I now intentionally try hard to look up and take in the beauty all around me.
Thank you my friend! Cheryl, you are the best.
Your application of a simple observation to how we live is excellent. So much of our happiness depends on getting two things figured out: balance and focus.
Thank you Duane! That’s very cool of you to say.
Once again, the awareness is meaningful.
Here in Minnesota, I woke up to snow covering the ground. Both up and down are important, which is probably true in all of life.
We are having the same around here in Utah! Thank you my friend.
Look up, down, and all around. Delights are abundant, meaningful and can spur imagination. Also, in keeping with a common theme from you, be alert and recognize little opportunities to do something for others around you, especially for one’s you don’t even know. Yesterdays “giving Tuesday” spurred a lot of interaction. Chris Anderson (TED Talk) talked about the importance of doing exactly that, giving to people you don’t even know without a predetermined outcome. It’s amazing what can happen! Just my 2 cents.
Love it, my friend. You have such wise words and power in your language.