I am not lost - I am on my way.

I have beaten myself up time and time again with this idea of being “lost”.

Not the kind of lost where you are physically out of place, with no sense of direction.  The other kind.  The mental kind of lost.  The kind of lost that you’re just wandering around in your head, having no clue where you’re going or in some cases… what you’re doing.   

With all the opportunities that we’re constantly swarmed with; college degrees, masters degrees, doctorates, internships I believe we have been  a little brainwashed with this terrible idea that when we don’t have a distinct point A to point B direction we are defined as “lost”. 

I think I have been on a mission since I was younger.  A mission to see all the world has to offer, and be passionate in each experience.  I have always said “Yes” to new experiences and opportunities. In fact, I am known in my family for the line “What did I get myself into?”.  I have always wanted it all.  To see it, try it, and experience it. 

To jump in, and see where it takes me. I may be a little older but my mind is just as wild.

These opportunities have taken me to new places, introduced me to new people, given me new prospective, and have planted within me a desire to pursue new things.  I’ll admit, my mind is a little hard to keep up with. 

When I returned from California, after my summer job with CrossFit HQ, I met with an old friend to catch up over a couple beers.  What was meant to be “catching up”, quickly turned into “let’s question all Hannah has done”.  

I got asked things like “What are you running from?” or “Can you identify yourself? Do you know who you are?”.  They questioned why I keep running, and where I intended on going?  They asked if I was looking for myself because I’m not happy with who I am.  To them, it was just questions.  To me, it was insulting. 

My responses boiled down to a simple answer… it’s called curiosity and passion.  It has taken me all over! 

There is beauty in curiosity.

There is also risk and uncertainty in curiosity.  However, why is this a bad thing?  Think of everything around us.  We are rooted to question.   It is tied to our tradition of being a human. Think about it. We now know the earth is not flat, we know why objects fall and are drawn to each other, we know vaccines that can prevent life changing illnesses, and everyday we are making more discoveries that are changing life as we know it.  But how? 

Questioning. Passion. Curiosity.

Discoveries start because of the people that have imaginations that are taking them all over the world.  It is because people see an opportunity and run to it.  It is because people see a problem and are driven to seek an answer.  It is because of minds that do not sit still and are on a mission to create. Minds that are not afraid of being considered “lost”.

So, I believe this term “lost” should be given a different phrase.  Perhaps… “Passionately Curious” is a better representation of it. 

As I sat and was questioned about “running away” and “trying to find myself”, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.  Ya see, this isn’t running away.  It is a journey of  pursuing my curiosity and passion, and it involves a series of checks and balance. 

I know who I am which is why I am able to leave home to pursue a passion.  I know my values which is why I am able to surround myself with new people everyday, no matter how different they may be.  I know where I came from which is why I am always ready to grow through each experience.  It is because I know exactly who I am that I am taking on bigger opportunities and have always sought more in everything I do.  Because no matter what the opportunity may bring, it will always take me back to my roots of who I am while teaching me along the way. 

So sure, maybe I can not tell you a specific direction I am headed and hell, my personal compass must of broke because I don’t even know which way I am going sometimes but I know for certain who I am, and what I am about.

I am Hannah Chesley.  I am a whole 5 foot 2 inch body compacted of enough passion and curiosity to move mountains and I am not lost – I am simply on my way. 

The Ripple Effect

Positive or negative – I think people are often ignorant of the ripple effect they cause in a day.

In many of my blogs I talk on the small acts, the simple changes, and the basic behaviors that cause all the difference and this one will reflect those as well however, in a little different temper. 

I am a pretty content, laid back, and happy person.  Things roll off my back, I don’t dwell on past things, and I genuinely think the best of people.  However, a side of me that some may not see is when something (one of the few things) grinds my gears in all the wrong ways.  When I see/hear something that I find completely distasteful, disrespectful, and flat out self centered.  There are VERY few things that bother me, but when something does it makes me lose my filter and sets me off a bit. 

I had one of these moments today while studying at Starbucks.  For those who aren’t at Starbucks multiple times a week like this chick, Starbucks is clean.  It is a high end coffee shop, with employees that are most often extremely pleasant to interact with.  Individuals go to Starbucks for the quality and the experience – top notch. 

Today, while studying, there were two individuals sitting diagonally in front of me with a baby.  Naturally, the baby couldn’t chew so the two were breaking up a lemon loaf for her and setting it on the table in front of her.  This baby was LOVING it, frosting on the face, fingers, and even in the hair… again, naturally… it’s a baby.  However, the two with the baby were not little and although they seem to know how to take care of a child apparently they cant take care of their crumbs. 

When they finished up, the lady took her hand and swepted it across the table.  No napkin under the table with the other hand, nothing.  Now, I am not talking a few crumbs.  I am talking a babies mess of crumbs from an entire lemon loaf, swept all over the ground.  Immediately, I looked at the lady with an unpleasant look then looked down at the crumbs.  She looked me dead in the eye, shrugged and left.  Not even 30 seconds later a different lady came over and sat down at the table. 

This set me off.

RIPPLE EFFECT PEOPLE.

This, quite literally, was little crumbs making a huge difference.

To the lady who came in directly after them and had to sit over crumbs, that’s not Starbucks quality… that was quality of a selfish person.

To the employee who had to sweep it up after she left, that wasn’t suppose to be part of your day at work… you’re time should have been able to be spent elsewhere.

Think about the ripple effect.  Is what you’re doing going to cause a hurricane of good vibes, or a hurricane of bad vibes?  Is it influencing a day positively, or negatively?  Because even the smallest things you do, like sweeping your crumbs on the floor, is having a ripple effect on someone. 

We’re on a mission to change the world, but just maybe changing our own acts could, in fact, create the biggest change in the world.