What forms your shades?

Mine have a splotch of rubber, a swish of steel, a dash of ice, and a touch of grit. “What on earth does this have to do with sunglasses, Shauna?”

When I ask about shades, I’m talking about what makes up the lens you see the world through. Our experiences, beliefs and values, physical reality, and other components, combine to create the lens we use to filter and process information.

I dropped my son at the rink for a 645 ice time this morning. I usually go for a run, but today I was drinking coffee with one eye open. Many would call me crazy, but hockey is part of my lens. It’s not actually the rubber, steel and ice that make up my lens, but the good, the bad, and the ugly my son experienced over the years, which contributes to building one of the most resilient individuals I know.

When we understand what forms our lens and especially that of others, we can meet each other where we are at, and interactions and collaboration become smoother. What once was a “nutty goalie Mom” may become “someone who shows up for a kid who never gives up”. Okay, she’s definitely a little nutty, but it comes from a good place.

I’ll ask again then; what forms your shades? I would love to hear in the comments from anyone willing to share.

And if you would like help identifying what makes up your shades or how to identify this in others, please reach out. I would love to talk with you. I’ll be the one at the rink at 645 am, hopefully running, but quite possibly drinking coffee with one eye open. Cheers! 😊