By Andrea Goeglein
Where is Great? When the checkout attendant asked me that question, I had to ask her to repeat it. “What?” She looked just as puzzled as I was as she repeated, “Where is Great?”
Then I broke out laughing.
Moments before she had greeted me with a customary greeting, “how are you today?”
I clearly gave her an uncustomary response, “Good, on my way to great.” Her ears had not caught up with my words before she responded, “Where is Great?” When I repeated to her what had happened, we both had a good laugh. As I left her checkout counter, and for a lot of my hike in the beautiful Red Rock Canyon State Park, I found myself asking, where is great?
Dr. Success Challenge: Where is great for you and would you know it if you were there?
I posed my Dr. Success Challenge the way I did for a reason. On my hike, as I kept asking myself that simple question, I was reviewing where I was in life at the moment I gave that answer.
Where was I when I was good on my way to great…
I was in a store purchasing snacks to take on a hike.
I was fully capable of paying for my snacks.
I walked out to the parking lot to a beautiful car I can drive, on paved streets, and pay to have gas, insurance and the darned car itself.
I drove to a majestic state park, in a country with more personal freedom than I can accurately understand since it is all I have ever known.
I hiked – which means I can walk – with a phone that takes photos.
Everyone in my family was healthy and safe at that moment.
I was that day, and I am, healthy.
I don’t think I need to go on. I think you get the picture. How dare I think my life is only good! What the heck does great look like?
I know years ago I came up with my response to the generic, “how are you”, thinking it was cute. What I had not realized was now much I was underselling how spectacular a life I have. I suspect you may be doing that in your life also. Of course, I do teach what I need to learn.
I am thankful to a fabulous, cat-loving music teacher in Denver, Kathy Moser Welch, for helping me see all that I was missing describing my life as ONLY good, on my way to great. When Kathy saw my post of this encounter she shared she always says, “Spectacular!”
From now on when someone asks how I am I too will respond: I am spectacular!
How about you?
Thank you again, Kathy! Great lesson learned.
