Last Chances

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Last Chances

A Sixty-Word Short Story: *

Robert fumbled for his key, cursing the darkness. She would have to believe that he intended to be there, but everything was going wrong and now in the 11th hour he panicked and prayed. Would she wait? She said this was his last chance. Just then the key found his hand. He hit the gas…” Hang on Angel, I’m coming…”

And more…

So often we begin with positive and purposeful intentions, but sometimes circumstances don’t cooperate. And as much as we truly desire and pray for a particular outcome, obstacles can appear out of nowhere that can stymie us. It then becomes a matter of will and desire. How much do we want what we seek, and what price will we pay? In many of our wishes, the “things” we want do have a price tag. We weigh the decision and either write the check or not, knowing that there will be new and different choices later. In matters of the heart however, it’s not so simple.

The intangibles of our life, like joy and peace and love etc. cannot be bought and sold. They can only be given and received. We can’t really own any of it, but we can enjoy the experience and make decisions and take actions that put us in the right spots at the right time to feel the power of affection and appreciation. Sometimes these “spots” can be lifetimes or momentary encounters, and they always have the potential to shift. In matters of the heart we may think we’ve arrived and are okay just where we stand, but when the floor beneath us still moves we can find the shakiness unnerving as that “sweet spot” of love has not quite settled. It’s somehow retreated, resigned or been removed.

When left behind and alone we freeze with fear and of loss. We believe it was our last chance. We wrongly think that there are no more chances left. We fail to see the cycle of how peace and joy and all of the feelings of living in a state of hope, and the now, still remain. We might panic and fumble to find the key, but we will find it and we’ll be right where we intended to be, and like Robert, we discover that it’s never too late to take another chance and hit the gas to take us exactly where we always wanted to be.

Final Thought:  The destination we seek resides in our hearts where our internal GPS is locked in.

* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. For more stories like this and information about my books, please visit www.szenzone.com

 

Szenzone – Stories of life and the power to change yours – is sent via email by request and is published weekly or thereabouts. For back issues or to receive this publication directly please email [email protected]  © Gary Szenderski 2025 All Rights Reserved. Gary is an author, branding specialist and teaches at the University of California in Irvine. He specializes in helping people and organizations navigate change – if you or your company needs assistance contact Gary directly.  Gary resides in Southern California and welcomes your comments.

 

Letting Go of Expectations

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 Letting Go of Expectations

 The great thing about having a hopeful heart is that we can see the potential in anything we choose. We get to pick whatever want to believe and to choose to have faith in that belief. We especially get to hold on to even the slightest of chances, as if the results we seek were imminent. As long as an idea or dream or potential “deal” has even a flicker of life, we have the power to hold onto its possibilities.

Waiting for an approval or even a response to a proposal, be it business or personal, can weigh heavily on us until we can resolve an outcome. Sometimes things that we have failed to achieve linger in our psyche like a nagging allergy that clogs our mind and limits our clarity. We may suspect that what we seek may not happen, but until we admit it, we enjoy the thought that there is still a chance.

If we have too many ongoing possibilities to hold onto, it’s important that we find a way let go of the least likely scenarios. Oprah will not call. The mere act of letting go will free some mind space and simultaneously open the door for some new options. In many cases, the releasing or letting go of the need for a predetermined outcome for a situation is exactly what’s needed to bring it closer to reality. In other words, trying to orchestrate exactly how we want our dreams to unfold is a recipe for regret. Yes, I want a best-selling book but there are myriad ways to get there besides a call from Oprah.

Dreams should be about the desired outcome, not the process to get there, because that’s when worry sets in. By focusing on the goal, we lighten our load and transcend the worry state – we begin to see that we cannot manipulate events and people just by wishing for things to go our way. When we take the pressure off of ourselves from trying to control how we want everything to happen, we turn off the worry button. That simple act opens a new flow of positive imagination – A place where new dreams can form and where the possibilities are truly endless.

Final Thought: The best way to dream is to not worry about how it may come true.

 

Szenzone – Stories of life and the power to change yours – is sent via email by request and is published weekly or thereabouts. For back issues or to receive this publication directly please email [email protected]  © Gary Szenderski 2025 All Rights Reserved. Gary is an author, branding specialist and teaches at the University of California in Irvine. He specializes in helping people and organizations navigate change – if you or your company needs assistance contact Gary directly.  Gary resides in Southern California and welcomes your comments.

The Human Baton

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The Human Baton

Sharing the Language of Joy

 A Sixty-Word Short Story: *

Elaine stopped at the light and glanced at her rearview mirror to witness a young woman in the car behind her bouncing in her seat, arms flailing about. Although Elaine couldn’t hear anything, it appeared by the way her mouth moved that she was singing. It made her smile. Next light, Elaine burst into song delighting the driver just ahead.

And more…

 I think it’s amazing how contagious certain actions can become. A smile, frown, and a yawn evoke a sameness in response. All that we do, be it at home, work, or play is observed by others and how we go about what we do sends a signal to all that observe. And these signals don’t have to have any verbal cues for a telling message to be sent on how we’re feeling.

The ability to understand the relationship between verbal and non-verbal communication is a gift we all possess. We all can tell when our team feels defeated even though they are still shouting encouragement to each other. The body language never lies. And in the same way if someone is asking you to trust them, but can’t look you straight in the eye, it’s a sign to be wary.

I share all of this because this gift we have is great on the receiving end. But if we use it as a way to send it’s even more powerful. Like our friend Elaine, who by simply observing someone, having fun in the moment with a song, was able to apply the “feeling” and keep the chain going.

I suggest we consider the impact we can have by simply changing our demeanor, facial expression and energy level to impart something positive to another. Try it at work, or at home with the kids. Take a routine and “jazz” it up a bit. I’ll bet you’ll not only get noticed, but you’ll also get connected and possibly be able to pass the human baton of good feelings to someone that could really use it and who will pass it on as well. Let me know how it goes.

Final Thought: What’s in our heart always bubbles up to influence the way we act, look and are perceived. There is no denying its power or promise to turn any moment into a new journey.

 

 

 

 

What If?

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What If?

A Sixty-Word Short Story: *

“There is this event coming up soon”, she started, “actually it’s upon us, and I was wondering if maybe, you would like ummm, well I mean…, if I were to ask you, hypothetically speaking, to go with me to this event, what would you say?” “Yes of course.” I replied. “Hey not so fast!” She blurted. “Nobody’s asked you yet.”

And more…

Wouldn’t it be nice to know the answer to every question we ask before we ask it?  Isn’t it true that we can find ourselves in situations where the answer we seek will not be found and we become afraid of what the real answer will be? Don’t we sometimes even pass altogether on asking because we can’t bear the possibility of rejection or maybe, like the story above, the possibility of acceptance?

Asking questions is the purest form of being assertive, curious and to some extent fearless. When we confront an issue and rely on another to give us an answer, we take a chance on getting a response we won’t like. And we also close the gaps in communication and replace questions with knowledge. If we don’t ask, we won’t know for sure, and then we’ll be left filling in our own answers that become our default beliefs. If we follow this logically for only a few more consecutive questions, based on our own assumptions, we could easily find ourselves in a communications quagmire – a place of misinformation and speculation.

On the other hand, if we ask clearly, we will know and maybe even receive. It seems so easy, but it can be tough to do, especially when the other person has some authority or power over us, like a parent or a boss. The key is to remind ourselves that we can always make better decisions when we’re dealing with the facts. Knowledge is power and asking directly for what we want, or need will actually put us in the driver’s seat. In assertiveness training, we learn to ask even the hard questions. The more we take responsibility to ask, the easier it gets and the more we learn. It’s simple: If you don’t ask, you won’t know. “When’s that event again?”

Final Thought: “Ask and you shall receive” is always true even if we don’t like what we get.

* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. For more stories like this and information about my books, please visit www.szenzone.com

Szenzone – Stories of life and the power to change yours – is sent via email by request and is published weekly or thereabouts. For back issues or to receive this publication directly please email [email protected]  © Gary Szenderski 2025 All Rights Reserved. Gary is an author, branding specialist and teaches at the University of California in Irvine. He specializes in helping people and organizations navigate change – if you or your company needs assistance contact Gary directly.  Gary resides in Southern California and welcomes your comments.