Sole, Soul, and Seoul

I made a commitment to visit my now-adult “kids” more often during the year. I travel a lot and so finding time to get together is tricky, at best. Last year, my oldest son, Jacob, had asked when I’d be able to visit him.

I looked at my calendar. I couldn’t find a time to visit him for eight months. I locked that time in. Eight months before I could visit him? Yes, did I mention he likes to call Seoul, South Korea his home?

It’s a big trip to create coming from California. My wife couldn’t break from work and for me, it became an adventure to plan for myself. Sure I was heading out to see my son. I had never been to Asia before.

Last summer when my wife and I went to France, I did okay. The letters are the same. The words can be sounded out. Going to Tokyo, then on to Seoul, challenged me greatly. I was, essentially, functionally illiterate. I couldn’t read, write, or speak the language. The food was new. The customs were nuanced. 

I was open and soaking it all in. Jacob was my traveling companion, my guide, and my interpreter. It was a fabulous trip.

SO, WHAT DOES MY TRIP TO TOKYO AND SEOUL HAVE TO DO
      WITH PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

Here are the lessons:

1. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, giving up the things I knew for a new language and alphabet, a new way of eating, and new social customs. You might want to examine whether you engage the new with a heavy overlay of the old. 
2. I became a student. It was okay that my son was my guide. I don’t need to live as THE authority figure in his life forever. You might want to look at where you’re encouraging your kids and/or your team members to step into a new role of authority of their own. 
3. Because I was learning so many new things and engaging in so many new experiences, my creativity expanded. That’s been shown to be true in multiple case studies. Doing something new opens doors that had been otherwise unseen and untouched. How can you apply that to yourself and to your work team? What new experiences can you introduce that will take yourself and others out of the everyday ordinary?

Ponder that.

Keep making your magic!

= Wayne = 

Oh, hey… if you’re interested in the documentary on literacy that I executive produced, please go to Amazon Prime and look for The Truth About Reading. 

Enjoy!