Brandon couldn’t see over the table. He wheeled himself over to a lower table in the store and asked me to bring my computer over there. I complied but wondered how he was going to work on my computer when he has very little use of his hands and fingers. As I talked with Brandon, I learned that he was working toward a leadership role in the company. He demonstrated strong people skills and was incredibly effective at diagnosing my computer problems. He had adapted so that his environment and physical limitations were no longer impossible obstacles but were assets that he used to pursue his goal of becoming a manager.

He looked at me and said, “I don’t care”. My friend and I were discussing things that were very important to him, but as we talked, he would call out things things that came up that just did not matter to him. He went on to say, “I can’t care about things that are not a priority. If I care about everything, I then can focus on nothing.”

It’s one of the most important ingredients in a growing and successful relationship. It is also the most neglected attribute in many relationships. I’m referring to the ability to actually hear one another. Many times we may think we are listening, but in reality, we are not. To actually hear someone, we must intentionally focus and lean into what that person is saying as well as how they are communicating.

Diversity. What just came to your mind when you read that word? It’s easy to forget that diversity is the backbone of our nation of immigrants. We are a melting pot of people who come from a range of ethnicities, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds. We know that our differences expand our opportunities and deepen our understanding. We know that when we stand together, our differences make us stronger.

When I met him, he was a young teenage boy searching for something. He knew he wanted to be different from what he had seen and experienced in his life so far. His journey has not been an easy one; to say that he has faced adversity in his life would be an understatement. He has walked through the fire of tribulation not once, but many times. Each time, he could have given up. He could have joined the chorus of people who cave to the truth that life is not fair — certainly, life has not been fair for him. He could have quit trying to achieve his goals, and he could have stopped striving for more.

He chose another path. 

Here we go again. It’s the New Year and with it comes tons of aspirational and idealistic resolutions, goals, and plans… and, if history is any indicator, most of these hopeful New Year's resolutions will be completely abandoned within a few months. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with setting goals. We all need a target to shoot towards. The problem is that we do not know how to fail. In fact, the difference between achieving our goals and not is the ability to fail well.