Expiration Dates are everywhere. We are conditioned from a
very early time to notice these dates on fresh, frozen, packaged and processed
foods, as well as on various types of medicine. Some of us are vigilant with
regard to paying attention to the dates and others either ignore the dates or
have been known to ask someone else to officially evaluate the product in
question, as in “This looks/smells bad, can you taste it?”
What I am concerned about today is a different type of Expiration
Date – one that exists in all of our lives and, ironically, one that is rarely
talked about or honored. I am referring to the elusive Conversational
Expiration Date and the impact it has on our relationships, how we move through
the world and most everything that we do and say.
Throughout the course of my life, I have had the opportunity
to experience many different types of life-changing relationships, professional
endeavors, travel adventures, and the usual life-cycle events that tend to
shift how we experience ourselves and the world around us. When I look back on
some of the things that I said, did and believed as my younger self, I am
simultaneously amused, horrified and compassionate for my younger self.
Additionally, I am often amazed at what has been possible in my life in terms
of growth, evolution and enjoyment.
Basically, I would like to move beyond anything that my
younger self might have said in the heat of the moment or through the naivety
and wonderful idealism of youth. I would also like to let others off the hook
for things that they may have said in earlier times as well. Please be
assured that I’m not suggesting that we are not responsible for our words or
actions, only that we can intentionally create the opportunity through our conversations
and actions to own up to the past, make amends when possible and then let the
conversation expire.
Conversational Expiration Dates matter and are often a
direct representation of our evolution as human beings. Allowing others and
ourselves to have Conversational Expiration Dates is growth enhancing and
transformational on a myriad of levels. What about you? Have you any conversations in your own life that you would like to make amends for and allow to expire? I invite you to consider the possibilities……..
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