I think we have all heard the expression “Stop Horsing Around.” It means to stop doing stuff that is distracting you and get your job done!
Well, I have learned a lesson I want to share with you. It concerns something that just happened by accident when I was… well, horsing around.
As an Internet Marketer, I am well trained in time management. To be the chief CEO of your own company (as I am of mine), I need to manage my time wisely. So how do I go about that, exactly? First of all, I set up a DMO – Daily Method of Operation. And, of course, I’m then supposed to stick to it.
As a good time manager, I do a pretty decent job with getting things done and even leaving some spare time for miscellaneous chores. I do the most difficult task FIRST and then go on to my others. I give myself an A+ for being so diligent! I don’t consider myself to be a person that horses around, because I know I can get off track too easily that way.
So there. I give myself a gold star for being such a great student and mentor.
But…
Lately I haven’t taken time out for doing nothing.
And I mean Nothing! It may sound frivolous, but “nothing” is often as important as task completion.
You see, there is always miscellaneous time in my schedule for going grocery shopping, going out to dinner, or watching an old film noir. But I realize that these are activities also.
The other day, I found out that there were 15 miles of garage sales not too far away from my home. I dragged my husband away from his work and decided to go. Begrudgingly, he went along for the ride.
Oh, did I ever mention to you that I love a deal?
At garage sales I always get a deal!
It is a hobby of mine that gives me that “rush” of energy when I can find an unusual antique or a 50 year old quilt that I don’t need, but just love to have.
That being said, we set out for our journey to rural country. What I realized is that my joy didn’t come from the deal as much as it came from the people I met and the beautiful countryside near my home that I had never taken the time to really “discover”.
Yes, I was horsing around.
I met an older woman who had chickens, pheasants and peacocks. She was proud of her birds and told me all about them. I must have spent a half hour just enjoying her company and learning how she lived off of these birds and their eggs. She showed me her lovely mountain view property, explaining all the details with a childish glint in her eye.
Onto my next stop.
A little hesitant this time, with mud and 4-wheelers parked out front. I
had to walk down a muddy path to take a peek at this one. Hmmm, were these folks going to shoot me, I wondered? Turns out, I found out all about hunting from these them. No, I wasn’t interested in purchasing camouflage equipment or bows and arrows, but they happily shared their stories of hand-to-mouth subsistence in the back country.
Next stop, a horse farm.
This time I met a woman who was an actual cowgirl! that’s right folks. She could ride, lasso, all the stuff as seen on TV. To me this was fascinating. I even had the chance to see her prize horses.
So why am I telling you this story about my day frolicking and horsing around?
For a really good reason.
Sometimes we need to indulge ourselves with unplanned adventures.
You know, things you didn’t chart into your DMO.
You have no idea who you are going to meet or what their story might be. But I bet you will find it interesting and immensely rewarding.
Sometimes, I even find it quite rewarding to horse around a bit even on the Social Media platforms.
Yes, I busy myself regularly with my core work, but sometimes I like just reaching out to someone I don’t know. I message them to see how they are, sit back and listen to their story.
It is all about engagement.
I usually have a reason to reach out, but when there is no reason at all, when I am just curious about a person and contact them, something magical happens.
That’s how I learn!
Just like my garage sale journey. It wasn’t about the rush of the deal at all. It was simply an enlightening experience of reaching out to people I would never have met otherwise.
Getting out to see the mountains and streams on strange country properties, and encountering things I’d never explored, gave me a breath of fresh air and a new approach to my life when I returned home.
This can happen online, too.
I have talked to people all over the world. From sheer curiosity, I wanted to know how things were in their life. I am always surprised and learn so much from people when I have no agenda in mind.
So if you’re one of my Social Media Peeps… or, even if you’re not… start Horsing Around out there.
You never know what’s in store for you unless you reach out. Meet some new people and listen to their stories. From there, relationships are endless.
What have YOU done lately by reaching out?
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