A few months ago my friend Kyle announced he was moving himself and his company to Las Vegas.  It was a sad day for us here in Seattle – since we were losing a staple of the Seattle startup community – but he received a huge outpouring of support for his decision and ultimately made the move down in September.

Kyle recently sent out a message saying he was going to be in town this weekend and was planning a brunch gathering, and of course I jumped right on it.  It was great.  Here we are as a group…

Although I could write much more on this topic, I want to touch on what I have observed (learned) from Kyle and his approach with the people in his life.

Friendship

Friendship is not simply treating people the way you would want to be treated, it’s also being genuinely interested in them and present when you are around them. Kyle does an amazing job of treating each and everyone in his life with authenticity and respect.  It isn’t fake or half-hearted.  He is genuinely interested in you, your life, your company and the people you are sharing your life with.  I admire this about Kyle and actively try to live this way in my life as well.

Do yourself and your friends a favor and treat them with the love and respect you would wish to be treated, and genuinely work towards being present when with them.

Awesome Experiences 

Creating awesome experiences is Kyle’s Modus Operandi.  He isn’t just concerned with seeing you, he’s all about experiencing life WITH you.  Earlier this year, Kyle started sending emails to a large group of his friends simply stating “Brunch this Sunday at such-and-such diner, first 12 that respond get a seat!”  How cool is that?   Things as simple as organizing a group brunch on a Sunday takes an average drizzly November Sunday morning and creates long-lasting memories for everyone involved.

Do yourself and your friends a favor and start creating unique experiences to share with others.  It’s better than sitting on a sofa by yourself!

Rose Colored Lenses

If you follow Kyle on any social media, you will see he has an incredible eye for photography and uses a lens to capture life’s beauty to share with his network of friends.  I admire this quality and talent since I am not the most creative and talented in the world of visual art.  But what I can do is start to view the world like Kyle does, keenly observing its uniqueness and beauty from every angle imaginable.  Ya know, it’s kind of our generations “stop and smell the roses” perspective, except the difference is today we pretty much don’t ever stop for anything anymore, and just snap it and send it off to our friends without blinking an eye.  Kyle’s approach is a lot more meaningful, introspective and thought provoking.  I like that.

Do yourself and your friends a favor by taking a breath, looking at the world’s details from a slightly different viewpoint, and fully appreciate its beauty.

Sometimes it takes a good friend visiting from out of town to remind you how to (better) live your life each day.