I had a conversation that reminded me of a silly movie called Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. Long story short, two girls living together go back to their hometown for a reunion and decide to lie everyone saying they became very successful.
The plot would not work nowadays. If I am not mistaken they say they invented Post-It notes. Any kid with a cell phone now can check who invented Post-It notes (Art Fry).
At the end of the year I am going to fly to see seven of my old friends. It will be nothing like Romy and Michele’s movie. There will be no animosity. No lies. No dancing (I hope). Just a group of friends getting together to spend the week talking, travelling and fishing.
I am really looking forward to seeing them. There is the super smart guy who became a doctor, the socially awkward shut in in who opened a three storey spa, the heavy metal guy who now writes software in Switzerland, the cool guy in the group who is now in London studying the 787 Dreamliner and perhaps my favourite success story… the guy who had a promising future in advertising and threw it all out to become an archeologist, and now is heading million dollar ventures on the field.
I don’t think income is a measure of success in our group. It that were the case I would be fine where I am. My job pays me exceptionally well. I think success is measured against your potential and your dreams. Back in June my doctor friend came to Toronto for a conference. When we went for dinner in Niagara we talked about how much we both admired our archeologist friend… his sheer will to drop a successful career to follow his passion is something to marvel. And envy.
Coach John Wodden once wrote that you will never outperform your inner circle. Meeting my childhood friends will be a good to fuel my plans for 2014. Right now I am still trying to figure out how to join or create a Mastermind group so at the very least I can share with them some of my ideas, new dreams and goals.
Back to Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. At some point in the movie Mira Sorvino tells Lisa Kudrow that she really wants more out of life. Lisa is very surprised but also very supportive. When they received the high school reunion invite they took a hard look at their own lives.
That is what I did when me and my wife had the baby talk. We looked at our lives and asked ourselves some tough questions. What kind of environment do we want to create for our kids? Many years from now when they look at what we did with the time we had, are they going to be proud?
At the end of the year I am going home. I think everyone can benefit from “going home” every now and then. If not physically, at least mentally. Ask yourself, “Is this what I dreamed my life would be when I was eight years old?”
If the answer is no… is there anything you can do do change it?
Silvio Kusakawa 
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