Johnny Appleseed

I met this fellow, Johnny Appleseed. I have assigned him to be my private tour guide of Austin while I work here. He has been a gem. He has shown me parts of Austin I would not otherwise know. He has shown me the little nooks and crannies only someone who lives the Austin lifestyle daily frequent. He is a hippie with a positive outlook, motivated and forward thinking, a real open-minded, out of the box thinker. I am enjoying seeing a city through the eyes of someone who is not only local, but one who encourages me to be upbeat and inspired about life.

So often I speak of “out of the box thinking” and living a “conscious life”; however, not regularly do I meet someone who lives such a life. What an inspiration (and challenge) to see someone who really lives in the now, who looks forward and dares to stop when thoughts turn to pain from the past!

Interestingly enough, Johnny isn’t in the helping profession. While I understand one doesn’t have to be in the helping profession to have this outlook, it is a different experience for me. Just this evening while in a conversation with him I asked him for feedback about thought stopping. In the back of my mind I thought of an article I wrote about the subject. As I listened to his response I realized I met someone who lives the things I write about, the things I strive for.

Humph. Mr. Appleseed……I am watching you.