A Little Perspective

By Sunday night, life had becoming more than a bit overwhelming.  Every light on my emotional dashboard was flashing red.  Every day was Groundhog Day.  Every duty had become drudgery.  I desperately needed a little perspective.

Fortunately, I found it in the cozy near north side Indy home (a.k.a. Urban Retreat Center) of some dear friends who were kind enough to welcome me on short notice.  Beth and Dave take "gracious hosts" to a whole new level.  Their beautifully renovated one hundred year old home made for the perfect retreat.  Their gentle spiritual direction gave me just enough guidance to get my life back on track, while allowing ample time and space for processing and renewal. 

I've often said that you cannot have a perspective you've never had.  Meaning, it's virtually impossible to see things from another perspective without assuming another position.  I read an article recently making the scientific case for the cerebral benefits of getting away...changing one's venue.  Doing so literally rewires the brain's circuitry, thereby enabling new ways of thinking about and new ways of seeing things...all things...a truly new perspective.

By getting my butt in gear during my 3 day urban retreat, I found some fun new gears in my brain.  For example, though I worked in downtown Indy during my early career, I had never perched myself on the steps of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument whilst enjoying a cup of coffee and people watching.  The brisk 2.5 mile walk to get there put my brain right where it needed to be.  And, my butt needed a rest.  I chuckled when I saw the young lady sitting on the wall reading a book right above the sign that read, "Stay Off The Walls".  She didn't really look like a rebel, but as she quietly ignored the rules, I obediently sat on the steps.

I'm still processing my retreat experience.  In fact, I'm still in the midst of it.  This is the morning of my third day.  I'm heading back to "the matrix" in just a few hours.  Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, the familiar anxiety began welling up inside.  My mind was getting a head start on the short journey home.  The gravitational pull of the matrix was telling me to retreat from my retreat and return to "reality".  I wasn't ready.  

So, I prayed an unusual prayer -- "Lord, if there's something I need to know, some additional perspective I really need to have, then please reveal it to me in my dreams tonight."  This morning I awoke in a panic.  I had just been fired by my employer, IBM.  They gave me four months of severance after thirty-five years of service.  At age 56, I still had significant obligations and needed to work.  And, I only had until Labor Day to figure out where.  What was I going to do?  I was terrified. 

My real IBM career ended in February of 1984 after five and a half years of service.  There was no severance, because I left for the opportunity of a lifetime.  I've been in the God-ordained world of entrepreneurial terror ever since.  And thanks to a little perspective  gained while sleeping on the job, I wouldn't have it any other way.  Back to the matrix!