I Like a Girl...but...

"Relationships…we all got em…we all want em…now what do we do with em?”

– Jimmy Buffett – Fruitcakes

Another Valentine’s Day…here come the mixed feelings.  If we’re in a relationship, we’re looking for the right gift.  Do we show our cards, and tell them how much we care?  If we’re not in a relationship, we’re weighing the pros and cons of asking her out for the first time.  If we’re single, we can’t wait until February 15^th.

I’ll admit I’m no love expert, but I’ve certainly learned from the past.  We all have.  So ala, Forest Gump…I may not be a smart man (on this topic), but I know what love is…and love is going OneMoreStep after OneMoreStep. 

A few thoughts…

If you like them, tell them 

Whether you’re in a new a relationship, or well into sharing a life with someone, why not tell him or her how much you care.  Instead of playing it safe or waiting the “standard” period of time before you really open up…go OneMoreStep.  Tell your special someone how much you like them, care about them, or dare I say…love them.  Sounds easy enough, but we’ve all lived it, seen it, or heard about it.  Missed opportunities.  All the “What Might Have Been’s”.  Heck with the playbook, go OneMoreStep…tell them how you feel when you feel it.  If you don’t, you could miss out on some magical moments.  I know I have, and I’m certainly not the only one.  I can show you an endless list of country music songs and romantic comedies to prove it. 

Now that you’ve told them, show them 

It’s one thing to tell them you care about them, but showing them you care makes the real magic.  An unexpected gift.  A surprise weekend getaway.  Preparing their favorite meal.  A public display of affection that usually creeps you out, but totally makes her smile…

We often fail to show them we care, and then the Ryan Reynolds romantic comedy unfolds.  We break up.  They move on.  Then we try and show them how much we like them or love them, and by that time it’s way too late.  Their ship has sailed…and we’re left alone at the dock scratching our head wondering where it went wrong.  Speaking from experience…take the focus off of yourself and make it about them.  When you think you’ve told them enough how much you care, go OneMoreStep and show them.  Actions speak louder than words.     

If you’re still single…don’t worry… 

Heard the new Darius Rucker song, “This”?  If not, Google it.  Sums it up.  The gist of it is that all this ‘stuff’ happens to us throughout our lives; heartbreak, failures, and missed opportunities.  However, the chorus of the song is, “…thank God for all I’ve missed, ‘cause it led me here to this.”  

She’s out there.  He’s out there.  Do not worry.  (Matthew 6:34) And speaking of God…He has a plan for each and every one of us.  Have faith.  Keep being you.  Next time you have that little feeling about someone, go OneMoreStep.  Strike up the conversation, and who knows…they just may like you back.

Two for the Road…

Valentine’s Day  x  364 

Monday night millions of people will “celebrate” Valentine’s Day.  They will book the special dinner, pay the extra $4.99 for flowers to be delivered on V-Day, and say all the right things to show their special someone how much they love them.  

My thing is…who says we have to wait until Valentine’s Day to make magic for those we love?  I say, take that selfless, loving Valentine’s Day program and multiply it times 364 more days of the year.  Go OneMoreStep on a random Tuesday in May or June, and then do it again in July…whatever you do, make it about them.  Do that, and call me six months from now with stories of how great it is between the two of you.  I wish I had made it more about “her” and less about me in some of my past relationships.  Instead, those ships have so sailed…and here I am left with a country song on my hands.  Don’t make the same mistake.  Make everyday Valentine’s Day…tell them…show them…and love them.

Don’t Wait on the Fairytale 

Just this week, I was emailing with a dear friend of mine who now lives in San Francisco.  We worked together at the mothership in the summer of 1999 at “It’s Tough to be a Bug” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

She lives with her boyfriend with whom she fell deeply in love a couple of years ago.  I’m so happy for them both because they basically crush life, and they’re so happy living in Napa, etc…the whole nine yards.  

I ended an email to her with, “I’m so happy for you…you deserve the fairy tale”.  She emailed me back, and shared something she had learned from a spiritual leader of hers, which makes total sense.  She said: 

Honey...love is not a fairy tale...it's a lot of work.

But it's love...and that makes it worth it! ;-)

We often spend most of the time seeking our expectations (chasing the fairy tale).

However, we live in reality most of the time, which is not our expectation.

The distance between expectation and reality is suffering.

Gotta live in what's real.

Be present in the amazing, beautiful, and yes sometimes very difficult lives that we live...because that's what's REAL.  Otherwise...we miss out!  And we suffer.

And I'd rather embrace the suffering that is real than continue to seek out a life that I will never have.

Moral to the story…if you’re waiting on that ‘perfect’ fairy tale, you might be waiting awhile.  We should embrace our current relationships.  If you don’t, you just may find yourself alone on that dock, watching all those ships sail off into the sunset…again…and…again.

So have a great Valentine’s Day with your special someone…when you think you’ve done enough to show them you care, go OneMoreStep and show them again next week…and then again the week after that.  

******************************************************** 

Special Guest, Chuck Wicks, stops by... 

Chuck and I have been best friends since we met in Hollis Hall, the freshmen dorm at Florida Southern College in 1997.  Forgive the technical difficulties, but Chuck and I wanted to share a special, personalized rendition of one of my favorite songs he has ever written, "She Gets To Me". Appropriate for Valentine's Day.   

We'll work on the production quality of these clips going forward, but for now...just enjoy the magic of Chuck's lyrics; very appropriate for the season, Valentine's Day. (there's a bit of a delay, but as my grandfather used to say...it gives it charm...)  

I asked Chuck if it would be okay to post a video of "She Gets to Me". He totally went OneMoreStep, and wanted to share a personalized message with OneMoreStepRevolution followers.  Very, very cool.  Thanks for going one more step, Chuck.

Pardon a best friend's pride...enjoy the song, and Happy Valentine's Day.  Hope you "find the time to tell her" you like her...

Taylor