Am I crazy ... or crazy like a fox?

I'm at a coffee shop this afternoon finishing up some slides for a new presentation on Saturday and the man behind the counter came over to where I'm sitting because the TV is on above my head. He's worried because the Dow keeps going down. He wanted to engage me in that conversation by asking whether I thought it was because the Fed is waiting for the government to do something or other (or maybe it was the other way around).

To be honest with you, and with him, I'm just not that involved in the Dow or the rising gas prices or the weather or other things I really have no direct control over in this moment.

When I told him that in just a few words, he asked whether or not I had money in the stock market. I told him that I do, but I have someone else worrying about that for me. He looked at me as if I'd just grown another head.

Am I crazy?

I decided a couple of years ago that the energy I wasted worrying about those things I can't control was taking its toll on my effectiveness and creativity and I gave it up. I also gave up guilt at that time and began concentrating my energy and efforts not on the past or even in the future, but became much more present. What I realized today during this encounter was that I may have lost some money in the stock market, but I've gained some peace and clarity - a LOT of peace and clarity, in fact.

I wrote a post in July called "It's All Made Up" where I talked about this elusive concept of money and value we've made up. If I'm worried now about something that has happened with my money which I'm not going to need until some future time when the value will be completely different anyway, it seems to me that I'm giving up my opportunity to be happy right now by worrying about it.

This was a great reminder to me that I really have been happier in the past couple of years - and have been even more effective in my business and my relationships. This reflection actually offered me a chance to realize how grateful I am (I almost spelled that "greatful" because of the influence of my friend Phil, the Make It Great guy!) for this awareness!

So, what do we say to the people who call us irresponsible or out of touch or idealistic? Maybe it's not what we say, but how we be. Actions speak louder than words, after all.

It reminds me of Pollyanna ... but that's for another post.

Crazy? Maybe ... but maybe crazy like a fox.

(image from www.thefoxden.com)