This past Saturday I had the pleasure of spending some quality time with my good friend Saul.
Saul is a resident of the Fort Worth, Texas area and is the proud business owner of Eyes Down Here Shoe Shine.
If you’re a subscriber of the blog you probably already know why I went to visit him. Him and I both share a passion for shining shoes!
One thing you should know is that I live near the Houston area. So Saul and I don’t get to see each other in person as much as we’d like.
We had been planning a trip for months, but obligations such as work prevented us from making it happen.
In my mind I wanted to drive up to Ft. Worth, spend a night or two in the area, and then return home. This would give us plenty of time to visit with one another, enjoy some shoe shining, and maybe grab a bite to eat.
Unfortunately the “opportune time” never seemed to present itself. So we got on the phone one day and I distinctly remember saying to him :
“I’m just going to take advantage of the time I do have and come see you. “
I’m not bragging on me, but I want to show you how serious I was about this.
It is about a 4.5 hour drive from my home to the Ft. Worth Stock Yards. I woke up early Saturday morning, and got on the road to arrive at a decent time.
In total, I only got to spend about 3 hours with my shoe shine brother Saul. It wasn’t a long visit by any stretch of the imagination.
After my 3 hour visit with Saul, I loaded up in the car for another 4.5 hour drive back home.
For those keeping score, I had spent about 9 hours on the road, for just 3 hours with my friend. And this is what you should know:
“ I would do it all over again without hesitation “.
What I Learned
Minimalism has a profound way of simplifying your life.
It’s not just about decluttering items from your home, it’s about removing distractions so you can focus on what truly matters.
What Minimalism Is All About
I’m no different than you or anyone else in that I can find myself incredibly busy with things to do.
Work, social events, family get-togethers, and the like. Every weekend seems to be “booked” with something to go to.
This made me realize I probably wouldn’t be able to have a extended trip to Ft. Worth like I had hoped. So something had to give.
Once I slowed down and examined what really required my time, focus, and attention, I soon realized that I had to just pick a Saturday and go visit Saul. I was never going to have that “free time”.
Yes the perfect time would never come, but I wasn’t going to continue to allow “things” (aka superfluous “reasons”) to prevent me from seeing my good friend.
And I’m glad to report to you I don’t regret my decision at all.
Conclusion
Pease allow me to share a few more things with you as I bring this blog post to a close.
Saul and I first came into contact via Instagram (back when I was on social media) and soon began contacting one another more and more frequently.
He has shared business ideas with me, useful shoe care products, and even given my wife and I gifts!
Simply put, Saul has just been a all-around great guy.
Having a friend that as passionate as you about something is worth it’s weight in gold. And I always enjoy hearing his perspective on various topics within the shoe care industry.
In conclusion , I said all of that to say this. Am I super tired as I type out this blog post? (I’m typing it the same night as my trip).
Of course I am!
But more than that I’m happy I made time for my friend.
Because there will always be “things” that seem too important to miss out on, but one thing Minimalism has taught me is to:
“Always put people before things .”
With all that said, hopefully this blog post inspires you to be willing to sacrifice some “things” in order to build stronger relationships with the people that surround you. It’s worth it. Trust me.
P.S. You’ll always feel tired , but don’t let that stop you from getting the most out of each day.
Until next time, y’all have a good one.
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