Sometimes I feel like I’m viewing the world through a GoPro camera on slow-motion frame-by-frame…stop…start…pause…play. I watch other people seemingly unburdened, able to live in real-time without the bothersome need to review the highlight footage after every play.
Sometimes I wish I could skip the footage review and unplug my observant input. Yet… there is this Matrix like moments when time slows down and everything is vibrant and real and happening. I feel alive…fully alive. And then I think maybe seeing life in single frames helps me extract more of the juices from life?
My life’s fish eye lens helps me focus on how we are all chasing after the same thing. We feel alive when we are engaged, known, seen and connected. We want a life that’s meaningful to us. We want our lives to make a difference. Sometimes we can’t easily explain even what change or impact we want to leave. We simply can’t shake the idea that we’re supposed to make the world a better place.
I love GoPro’s tag line, Be a Hero. Be the Hero of the life we already have. Being the hero in my life isn’t about fame, fortune, spotlights, and ego. I think it’s deeper than that.
I think being the hero of our lives requires us to show up and own the golden moments, our glory, our mojo, our love, our sharp wit, our manna “Yeah, can you believe I did that? Killer!” The stuff of our life that would be perfect for GoPro’s photo of the day highlight real.
And…every true hero is flawed. Being a real hero also requires owning the deleted scenes. The scenes of my life that I’d rather omit, “yeah…. can you believe I did that”. The cutting room floor footage, our mistakes, shortcomings, character defects, and bloopers.
Be the hero. Own it all.
Be gracious and kind to yourself. Love the people you are with. Be curious. Go searching for real life. Keep going.