“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
— George Bernard Shaw
And I read that and thought… yes. That’s it. Because no one ever changed the game by being reasonable.
I am reading the book Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, and I started thinking, this concept is not just for hospitality. It can filter into my whole life. What if it’s not how smart I am, or how talented I am, or even how connected I am? What if it’s how unreasonable I am in how I treat others?
So I started wondering… if I am unreasonable in my kindness, in my grace, and in my compassion, what in the world would that do? Not just for my life, but for the lives of others?
I know that unreasonable may sound, for lack of a better word… unreasonable. But frankly, if I want to do more of what others do not do, I have to be willing to do what others will not do. So just sit with that for a moment.
From early on, we are taught to protect our time, protect our energy, and for pity’s sake be reasonable in dealing with people. But I think in business, and in life, the ones who take the more unreasonable approach are the ultimate winners.
I have heard so many people say they want life to be fair, and I most certainly do not want that. Fair would mean I would have to give up many blessings and gifts and opportunities that I would not otherwise have. I am so grateful life is not fair to me… it has given me far more than I have worked for or deserve.
Sometimes being unreasonable does not make sense on paper. But your gut and your heart override logic, and you just know that the heart of you is the part that can make a difference in your life and in the lives of others.
I don’t know about you, but there have been so many times in my life when people have given me chances, given me more time than I deserved, and even more accolades than I deserved. I am so thankful for the graciousness of others, and I think I want to spend the rest of my life becoming one of the most unreasonable humans on the planet.
I have not once felt bad for being kind to someone who was not kind, or regretted being generous to someone who was not generous. I have, however, felt badly when I did not extend grace when I had the chance. And I know that if I truly focus on being unreasonably kind, and embracing unreasonable hospitality, doors will open wide for me.
Athletes have long known that to reach the pinnacle of success, they must be relentless and a little unreasonable in the pursuit of their goals. I am thinking this might just be a great way for us to approach our business… and our lives.
So here’s to a most unreasonable life, filled with grace and love.
Grateful,
Karen
