Four weeks into the covid pandemic, I was trying to rent an apartment. This was awkward to say the least.
Properties weren’t advertising vacancies. They didn’t know how to disinfect places that were recently emptied. And they probably weren’t expecting anyone to be moving while the city was in lockdown.
So I researched buildings online, and called them to ask if they had anything to let and at what rates.
I struggled looking at photos of the apartment
I spoke with one particular property manager, who described a unit and said he would send me a floor plan and some photographs.
When I got the photos, I found myself trying to expand them to determine what I would see out the windows. I even went to GoogleMaps to figure out what the view might be from that floor but I wasn’t sure what side of the building the unit was on.
During our next call I asked him more about where the unit was, and flat out asked him to describe what was outside the windows.
He turned it around, and asked what I was hoping for
He apologized, saying that it hadn’t occurred to him to take photos out the windows. He certainly would going forward.
He asked me something like – what was I hoping for?
Then I simply blurted out, “I need to see the sky.”
I discovered a truth I hadn’t known before
I had never said this out loud before, or even thought this before. It was a surprise to me! But as soon as I heard myself say “I need to see the sky”, I knew it was deeply true. I thought “Ya! That’s it! That’s what is really important to me. Why didn’t I say that sooner?”
Magically, the property manager replied, “Oh! Well, then you need an apartment I have in the building across the street!”
A few minutes later, I was looking at another email with photos, and I completely fell in love with the panoramic views that were naturally in the pictures without even trying. I moved in two weeks later and have felt at home ever since.
In this brief exchange I found a truth about myself. It was only a quick series of questions digging deeper into why I felt so compelled to see a photo out the window…
- because I needed to know the view…
- and that was because I needed to know what was out there…
- and that was because I needed to know how close/far those things were…
- because I needed to see the sky!
It takes an open-mind and a willingness to be surprised, but exploring like this can be very rewarding.
Try the reflection yourself
So this week, watch for when you actively seek something. Maybe it’s an item at the grocery store, or a piece of research.
Then give yourself a moment for reflection. Ask yourself “why” four times, going deeper each time. And listen to your answers.
I hope you learn more about what’s important to you too.
