Hills

It occurred to me this week that I listen to music and podcasts the way that most people watch television.

That's probably a topic for another day. 

For now, we're going to talk about one of my favorite podcasts, which happens to be my favorite author's podcast. 

It's called Tuesday People.

I don't know if I should give everyone a tl;dr, but I will. 

Mitch Albom is the author of Tuesdays With Morrie, which has sold approximately 1 billion copies (I'm not sure of the actual number sold, but it's a lot). It's based on a true story of Mitch's college professor, Morrie, and the last days of his life.

Mitch took a break from his career as a successful sports writer to spend Tuesdays with Morrie while Morrie was dying. Mitch recorded many of the talks, which he plays back to us on his podcast.

The podcast, Tuesday People, begins each episode with the same little story. Something like: The last lesson of my college professor's life had only one student. I was that student.

I listened to an episode yesterday that I tweeted out to the masses.

I thought it was that important. 

Here you go, paraphrased:

Once you decide, all right, I'm making a change, then you can start looking ahead instead of looking behind.

When you are in a bad situation, you look ahead at change, as if it is a hill near where you live. And you keep looking at that hill.

And you think, 'I wonder if I can live on that hill. My life will be better. I want a change.' It's always a hill that you look at, but never go to.

When you're in a bad situation, you're looking ahead, but you're not doing anything about it. When you actually make the change, and you get to that hill, you find that you don't turn around and look back at the bad hill. 

You now look ahead from that new hill and have a new perspective. But it's a perspective that you would have never had, unless you went to that other hill.

--

This episode of the podcast goes on to say that the hill they're talking about is not necessarily a major life change, like moving or switching jobs.

It could be something as easy as changing your mindset.

For me, it's all of those things.

As I'm typing this, it is very late, and I'm not going to delve into the thick of my life too much right now.

Once, not too long ago, I had the same job for nine years and lived under a roof that I owned for six years. Life was stable, comfortable, and I got a little too complacent.

Life was safe.

Since then, I moved 200 miles away, started a new job in my profession, quit a job in my profession, and found a new job in my profession.

Another move is in my future, too, probably later this summer. 

Why did I do all of that?

I looked at that hill, mentioned in the podcast, for a really long time. I looked at that hill while dating people who did not want to change anything about their life, including the valley that they lived in.

I always wanted that hill, but for a long time, I was willing to sacrifice it to make someone else happy.

I thought that was normal. I thought that was love.

It was not.

Love is loving yourself enough to completely change everything in your life to be happy. 

Love is moving when no one agrees with your decision. 

Love is moving on.

Love is booking a trip across the country by yourself, and walking around that huge, beautiful city, completely in awe of things that you've never seen before.

Love is going to eight Eric Church concerts in one year because that's what makes you happy.

There's more to be discussed here, but I'm tired and going to bed.

Good night and luck good, everybody.