Who is sitting next to you?

I’m sure you had the experience of going to a live event and the person sitting next to you either made or ruined your experience. It could be a sporting event, a movie, or even a wedding. The energy of the people around you shape your experience!

Last week, I went to 2 different events where the people sitting near me made all the difference in my experience. The first was a concert and the second was a play.

Matisyahu Concert

Before the show started, people were quietly sitting, sipping their drinks and checking their phones. I even saw someone yawning.

I began to think, “Is it this venue or just old age that makes the crowd more sedate?”

At that moment, a young couple slid into the seats next to me, and the man began to excitedly talk with the people around him. “Have you ever been to see him before? Can you believe we get to see the first show on the tour?!”

He clapped in beat to the music, shouted out when Matisyahu was breaking it down, and just exuded positive energy. I rode that energy like a wave. What better way to experience a concert than to feel connected, not only to the music, but to the whole community of music lovers? We moved to the beat in unison and sang as one body. This man’s exuberant nature pulled all those around him deeper into this sense of communion and of being fully engaged in the present moment.

“Misery” by: Stephen King

Because it was a weekday night and Theater Charlotte is community theater, you might have thought this would be a less than exciting performance. In case you don’t know the story, this is a 2 person drama involving kidnapping by a stalker who is mentally disturbed. Many were taking the play very seriously. My two friends next to me were watching with bated breath. On the otherhand, the white-haired ladies behind me were laughing, cheering, and commenting on all the dialogue and facial expressions. These women were thoroughly enjoying each moment and taking it all lightly….as it was, in fact, a play that was meant to entertain, not real life. Some may have found it annoying but I loved the way they reveled in the villan’s speeches and the hilarity of the extreme moments. They reminded me that as we grow in life experience, we learn that perspective is everything.

What’s the Takeaway?

All of this caused me to reflect on who I am in the audience. Not just at a performance, but in life. Am I fully engaged- playing, laughing, encouraging, and promoting positive energy or am I bored or taking everything way too seriously? And it’s time to take stock on who I surround myself with…are they raising my mindset and experience or are they bringing the whole mood down? We all have a choice on where to put our energy and who to spend our time on. And even if there are places or people who I cannot choose, I can choose where to place my focus. Can I find a partner to help me take it all lightly? Can I change my perspective to finding the comic moments in each situation instead of being annoyed or frustrated? Or maybe I can find a way to connect to the people around me, raising them to a new level.

You’re Invited

I invite you to take a look at who is sitting next to you in life…how is that working for you? Do you need to change your seat to get a new perspective and find people with a new energy? Or are you having a great time where you are? If you are, please know that you are elevating all those around you, simply by being you!

About the Author: Julie Glaser is a healer who creates sacred spaces for others to share, release, and grow. She’s in the habit of being in awe and wonder and writes to share her own experiences with other inquisitive souls in the process of transforming.