TO SEE WHAT YOU COULDN'T BEFORE, STAND ON EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE

or How To Just Keep Doing Stuff So You Can Stand On It

I remember the email coming in.

Weirdly, it arrived around midnight.

I let out a little yelp of excitement. looked up from my phone and told Shannon and our friends that I’d been invited to the White House by the Obamas.

They thought I was just drunk and making things up.

They were only half right.

Flash forward about seven years and a message comes in while Shannon and I were enjoying breakfast in Ottawa. I read the message and then read it again. Would we like to pop by to have a chat with the Prime Minister?
Umm, yeah.

I had a wonderful time at both of those experiences.
They’re both noted by a framed photo and framed invite, much to Shannon’s chagrin, in our guest bathroom.
I mean, people should know who’s house they’re peeing in, right?
I like to imagine it makes that pee a little more special.

I was excited about both of these opportunities… but I wasn’t shocked.
This could be because I have a massive ego, albeit a forced and fabricated one.

My point here isn’t to brag (liar, ed.) but it is pretty impressive (urghh, ed.). However, it’s to note that when both of those things happened I could imagine them happening.
I could see them as possibilities.

For the majority of my life prior to those opportunities, I couldn’t see them as possibilities… then I, seemingly inexplicably, could.

I was thinking about this as I forced myself to get up this sunny Sunday morning here in the UK.
To quote David Byrne, how did I get here?

When I think of the various things I do during a typical day, none of them individually seem to be worthy of the various opportunities and life that I enjoy.

Like, none of them.

As well, I like to think I’m a nice guy but I’m not that nice.

However, I don’t think it’s any one act that can take credit.
I think it’s the sum of a bunch of acts.

Every now and then I worry that I’m resting on my laurels.
I certainly do sometimes… but I also keep doing stuff.
Constantly.
Some of it is gold.
Some of it is garbage.
But I keep doing stuff.

I keep doing stuff, add it to the pile of stuff I’ve already done and step up on that pile of stuff.
Then suddenly I can see things I couldn’t before.

Every little counts, they say.
They’re right.
It all gets added to the pile.

It may not feel like it some days but, if you keep doing stuff, you are adding to the pile and that pile gets higher and higher.
Then you can stand on that pile and see things you never imagined.

No matter what that stuff is.

Keep doing stuff.

Okay, I’m off to the Pig & Whistle. Enjoy your day and go do some stuff.

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(Pictured: Author stands on White House lawn oblivious that one day he will be able to see the opportunity to enjoy lunch and a pint at the Pig & Whistle)