Got Junk?

By Jason Moxness, Market President, Core Bank Loan Production Office
It was only 7:30am and I was already having one of those days. Woke up too early thinking about too many things that were beyond my control, especially at 4am. I was mentally going down the list of things I needed to accomplish that day knowing that something had to give – plus I was not yet fully caffeinated! To top it off, I was in the middle of my daily commute on I-435… frustrated with the usual stop and go traffic and wondering what year they plan on finishing the longest road project ever.
Several cars ahead of me I see a white lamp shade hanging out the window when suddenly the shade began to move. As I sped up to get a closer look, I couldn’t help myself but snap a picture with one hand while trying not to run into the car in front of me. When I got to work I laughed as I looked at the picture I took. What a perfect caption for a picture of a dog wearing the Cone of Shame – Got Junk??!

Dog’s have a unique way at looking for the good in every situation. Instead of hiding in shame, this dog made the most of his opportunity that day. He got to ride in the car with his person, sun shining in his face, all while wearing this new cone shaped contraption that would funnel more air into his ears. If I could speak dog he might be saying, “This is awesome! What a day!”
What a great lesson for us humans to learn. How often do we let our own Junk that we’re carrying around cast a shadow over what great things lay before us? How many times do we miss the view while we are complaining about the climb?  Next time you’re having a junky day, maybe take a dog’s eye view of the situation. Turn your face towards the sun and take a deep breath.
Ever since seeing that dog in traffic I’ve decided to spend my commute looking for other dogs (and people) enjoying every moment of their ride. How are you choosing to spend your time?