If You Have This, You Have Everything That Matters

Sometimes the most profound moments of your life arise from the simplest pleasures, and they come when you least expect them.

I spent most of this month in Australia and towards the end of my trip, after speaking for three days at an event in Sydney I was looking forward to enjoying the sights of the city. My friend, Mike Stone, decided he would find me a place to stay. He decided that rather than have us stay in a hotel for the rest of my visit, he would arrange for Shelli and I to stay with Morne Cheetham, a Director with Sirona in Australia who had engaged me for this event, and his family.

At first, I admit, I was reluctant. It's not that I didn't appreciate Mike's efforts, or Morne's generosity, but you know how it is: You want to have your privacy and freedom, and you don't want to feel like you're imposing on people's private lives.

That visit ended up being one of the highlights of my trip – and of my life. Morne picked us up on Sunday and gave us a quick tour of the city before introducing us to the rest of the 4 Ms: His wife Monika and their two daughters, Micaela and young Madeleine.

I will never forget the special energy that I found in that family and how quickly they made us feel at home. I will never forget the laughter, the playfulness, the wonderful sense of love that filled that place. I will never forget how Micaela pulled me aside to tell me how we had to let Madeleine win the game we were playing because it meant so much to her. I will never forget those girls' special charm and wit and how easily they embraced us as friends. I will never forget the dancing.

I am a positive-thinking person by nature, but this experience gave me the opportunity to re-learn a couple of lessons. Like how to be open to the idea of welcoming new people into your life. When I found out I would be staying with the Cheetham family, I wasn't sure I wanted to go. By the end of my visit, I didn't want to leave.

I was also reminded of the powerful, poignant beauty of that most basic thing we can all hope for in life: A happy home. If you have this – both with your family and the "family" in your practice home – you have everything that really matters.

Thank you again Morne and Monika for inviting us into your lives for a few days. And thank you, Micaela and Madeleine, for reminding me of the refreshing spirit kids can bring to our lives and how nourishing that can be to the soul.

We all need to remember how fulfilling life can be if we choose to embrace it with the unabashed energy of a child, with their capacity for fun and boundless sense of curiosity. That's something I am going to keep in mind as I prepare my vision for the upcoming new year. (I'll share those thoughts with you in a post here in a few weeks so you can consider them as you prepare your own New Year's resolutions.) So thanks again, Micaela and Madeleine for providing that wonderful inspiration.

And the dancing. Thank you for the dancing.