Spice Up Your Life!



The word “spice” seems to be cropping up all around me lately.

My colleague Joe Kwon wrote a post called “Spice Up Your Value.” Joe’s title is very clever. Spice used to be used as a currency. Currently there is discussion about robots taking over jobs. And so, Joe tied the two concepts together of how you can up your value (or currency) with respect to AI and robots taking over jobs.

Joe started a trend, because I started to think about how “spice” applies to me.

Last week my manager mentioned how a slight change in routine can be good for your brain.

I admit that I have definitely fallen into a routine.

In the morning, I park my car at the Warden subway station and take the subway to work. Once I arrive at Wilson subway station, I catch a bus. The bus drops me off steps away from the office.

I’m noticing that I when I arrive at the Warden subway station, I’ve been parking in the exact same parking spot for the last couple of months. I’ve also been noticing that by the time I arrive at the parking lot (7:20 a.m.), there are two cars, in particular, that park in their same exact spots too!  

Last week a car happened to park in “my” parking spot and so I chose a different parking spot.

When I arrive at the St. George subway station I head upstairs to take the northbound train. I’m noticing that when I’m waiting for the northbound train, I’m standing in the same exact spot every morning.  Talk about being in a rut! 

I used to change things up at Combined Insurance.

When I called for a recurring meeting with the same people in the same meeting room, I’d be sure to sit in a different spot in back-to-back meetings.

Just a couple of days ago, my friend suggested that we go to a restaurant that features a particular cuisine.

I hadn’t tried this cuisine before.

I wanted to try something new and so I said “yes” to this cuisine.

I used to like spicy food but spicy food no longer likes me.

I tried the new cuisine.

It contained spices, but nothing untoward came out of eating this new cuisine.

I’m at a point in my life where I want to try new things.

My friend and I saw a documentary screening of “Perfume War” last week-end.

I was excited to learn that one of my LinkedIn connections is connected to “one of the main persons in the film.”

“One of the main persons in the film” made themselves available after the screening to talk with people and to take pictures.  

I didn’t know this person, but I went up, introduced me and my friend, and asked if they knew the person who was already in my network.

As luck would have it, “one of the main persons in the film” knew the person who is already in my LinkedIn network. “One of the main persons in the film” was very gracious -- we had a brief conversation and we took a selfie!  

Sometimes you just need to spice up your life.

And take a chance once in awhile.


Also Published on LinkedIn on: April 17, 2017
Image Credit: Pixabay





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