I had a funny experience today. I got an email from somebody that didn't mean to send it to me – it was a "reply-all" mistake and he forgot to take me off the list (we've all done it).
Unfortunately for him, the email was to his co-workers and had to do with me…in slightly unflattering terms.
When I first read it, my natural impulse was to go "wtf?" But then I just laughed.
Because you know what, I'm not innocent. I've talked shit behind people's backs too, I've underestimated people and put foot-in-mouth and all that, many times.
Not only that, but it got me thinking: do I really come across as a "hippie/spiritual type"?
This person has never met me, and from the content of the email I'm guessing has also never seen anything outside of 2 or 3 preceding emails from me.
But I thought about it regardless – I mean, come on, I'm very proud of who I am, but at the same time, if people have a perception about me behind my back which is very different than the one I'm marketing, then I probably need to check my premises for A) who I really am and B) how effective my marketing is! Coz last time I checked I wasn't pushing the Lennon agenda (hell, now it's the Bono agenda).
In thinking about it though, I realized, yeah, I guess I could fit that bill pretty well. Most people who know me would agree with the spiritual part, although it is highly tempered with logic (it has to be!).
But me, a hippie? LOL. I think I will take a poll, a highly accurate social networking poll, and see what the results come out.
Really though, while it was probably meant as a diss, I can take it as a compliment. Because in context with the rest of my life, having some hippie isn't so bad.
I'm responsible and very disciplined; why not be carefree and spontaneous too?
I'm ambitious and goal oriented; why not enjoy my lazy days of rest as fully as the driven 6?
I'm damn good looking all dressed up; why not be damn good looking in flip-flops and a 4 day beard?
It all comes down to balance, of course. That's the goal of human evolution, right? Balance the Brain Types.
The outgoing with the introspection
The live-in-the-moment with the big-picture planning
The logic and the emotion
The discipline and the carefree
Having lived once for a few years in a city with a lot of hippies, yeah, it's true, the stereotype is there for a reason. I want nothing to do with that kind of dirty, lazy, scummy hippie.
But if I come across as somebody in tune with myself, in harmony with the world around me, and inspired by the simple things in life – is that such a bad thing? If the results of my selfish life add to the sum total of humanity and assist in driving human evolution to a new level, that's commendable, right?
I think so. Heck, my goal is to be balanced.
I'm comfortable living out of my car in the summertime traveling with a platoon of fellow whitewater enthusiasts, living on fruit and Clif Bars and nuun.
I'm just as comfortable putting on a suit and talking business in a boardroom full of people with lots of letters after their names.
But when the suit comes off later in the bedroom, baby, I'm 100% hippie. ;-p