Don Kowalewski
Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
Things I Think: Surround Yourself with Inspiring, Motivated, and Good People and Try to Be Like Them
I’m flattered when people say things to me like, “I really liked that blog post,” or, “you’re toast was really funny,” and it truly humbles me. Because what they don’t realize is it’s not me, it’s them. Maybe I’ve been lucky all my life, or maybe I just have a good judge of character, but I’ve managed to have lived a life surrounded by some pretty amazing people. Despite how amazing some of these people are, I sure tried like hell to screw things up on more than one occasion and act like, well, some kinda monster.
But luckily, even when I was doing stupid stuff (mostly from the age of 16 to 23), good people were still impacting me and even though it took a few years, the good stuff they did rubbed off on me.
Lately, I’ve been thinking alot about all the good people I’ve tricked into being my friend, tricked into hiring me, tricked into training me, and, oh, let’s say tricked into marrying me , and I’m starting to think if I take all the little bits of greatness from each of them, and try and add it to my own personality resume, I could really make something outta myself. Lessons from my father, my grandfather, and uncles …mixed with wisdom of my mother, patience of my grandmother, steadiness of my brother and sister, and brains of my wife, not to mention the countless friends and all their talents and coolness …well, if I could mix these all into a pomegranate flavored smoothie of influence, just think of the person I could be.
Hint: I’d be an awesome person.
Now, imagine I stop living life with simple conversations of, “what’s up,” and, “hey” when walking the hallways of my office, or meeting with people and discussing the weather, and instead I tried to figure out what makes them awesome and learn from them. What if I just started meeting people and immediately finding the very best things about them without looking for the worst or for a reason I shouldn’t trust them …and if I kept adding that into my character?
Great googly moogly, you’d be talking about a really good dude.
So, where will I, and where will you, find these great people? If you watch the news or listen to talk radio (or read Facebook everyday), you start to think the world is full of arrogant, judgmental, hypocritical, loud-mouth blow-hards …and you’re right …if that’s who you’re looking to surround yourself with. If you do, you’ll become an arrogant, judgmental, hypocritical, loud-mouth blow-hard who thinks you need to repeat the same old tired lines and arguments about the same old issues and themes.
Erase those people from your consciousness and insert, instead, motivating people doing great things who say nice things and are helpful and it’ll rub off on you …and me. I did that today, in fact, and I was humbled. Everyone made “nice” and “friendly” look effortless. I want to be like that. And …from now on, I will.
So …basically, what I’m saying, if you’re an awesome person and you have incredible qualities, let’s hang out.
Don Kowalewski 
Awesome Don!! Great thoughts to end a great weekend. Thanks for the inspiration.
BWT – It’s Vikki
Thanks, Vikki! I owe you some awesomness …you’ll have it tomorrow evening so we can get you all set up for the entire month of Feb before you leave the U.S. of A.
I’ve always wondered…how DID you trick Kathy into marrying you?
Robin
– I felt each of your words Lindsey. There is nothing more tuesarred than being able to celebrate the normal everyday joys they give us.Beautiful. Glad to hear she is doing better.
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