When my son, Sean, was 3 years old, he asked me a question that 17 years later still rattles around my head almost every day, and reminds me of how important it is to keep questioning the status quo.
A Question that Grabs You By the Seat of Your Pants...
He used to toddle down from his bedroom in the morning to keep me company while I got ready for the day. When I slid aside the shower curtain he'd be sitting on the closed lid of the toilet reaching up to hand me my towel. Sometimes I wouldn't have heard him arrive. While I worked my razor he played with handfuls of shaving cream. And then while I dressed he would stand nearby the closet, watching as only one with great curiosity would watch.
That morning he watched me pull a pair of pants off a hanger, step into them, latch the waist clasp... then pull down a shirt, put it on, unbutton my pants, tuck in my shirt, and re-button my pants.
He looked at me, his head tilted a bit, smiling, and asked, "Why don't you put your shirt on first?"
Almost every morning when I dress I relive that moment and hear that question. First, I smile. Then I remind myself:
Beware of doing things the way they have always been done merely because that's the way they have always been done. There are always other ways. Maybe better ways. Even a child can see that.
Make a Difference,
Brian
BLOG: Brian@GrowthWorks
