As a small child, I learned that people can get used to anything. I found people who worked in circuses who were bored and appeared unhappy. I couldn’t imagine how anyone could work in a circus and be bored. As a youngster, I used to visit the docks where the freighters tied up. I would watch the men on those ships and envy them their travels to the far, interesting places on the earth. But they seemed quite blasé about the whole thing.
People can grow accustomed to, and take for granted, the most wonderful and astonishing things—not just the miraculous world around them, but their works as well, the people with whom they work, and the people with whom they live. After a while, the flow, the radiance, seems to fade even from the most wonderful, delightful aspects of life, and it all settles down into a kind of vegetable soup.

Do you remember the excitement you knew the first day on the job? Or how you felt the day you were married? Or when the children were born? It’s really all much too fabulous ever to take for granted or get used to. Marcus Aurelius, a brilliant, thoughtful emperor of Rome about 2,000 years ago, said: “Every man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.”

Once in a while, it’s good to look at what we’re doing, what we’re noticing, what catches and holds our interest.

Are we conscious of the miracle that consists of our living here on this planet? Do we find awe and inspiration from the mystery that surrounds us during our personal holiday on earth? If we think about it, the sameness of our lives will vanish, the ordinary will be a thing of the past, and we’ll begin to notice and enjoy life again and all that it entails. We won’t take people for granted anymore—or our work, or our lives.

Life is dull only to dull people. If you find the interest has largely disappeared from your life or marriage, remember that with very little effort on your part, it can be restored. You don’t have to talk about it—just start doing something about it.

Excellence in Action: Draw strength and inspiration from the miracle and mystery of life.

Courtesy of Leadership Excellence