It's easy to get caught up in writing something well. We worry about each piece being laid properly. The concern is that everything else will tumble down if we don't do it right. This presents a problem. You become a slave to the form instead of the servant to your idea. I can always go back and correct the form after the idea is born onto paper (or screen). I can't recapture the thought sparked in the ether that vanished into thin air while I was looking for where to put a … [Read more...]
What if you asked differently?
May 17, 2012 by
What if I fail? One the most common reason we don't take action is the fear of "what if". What if they say no What if it doesnt go well What if they don't like me What if they ask questions and I don't know the answer What if I look dumb Here are some more "what ifs" to ask: What if you look back in 10 years and your in the same place you're in now What if you become irrelevant What if you have nobody to blame but yourself By avoiding the first set of what … [Read more...]
A picture’s worth a thousand words
May 16, 2012 by
We think in pictures. If someone asks you to think of a million dollars, you think of a pile of cash or a filled out check. There might be some language written on the check ... but the language is part of a picture. There's a simple reason for this. Language isn't real. Words are an invention. We use words to represent the pictures we see in our head. People we speak to paint a picture in their head based on the words we use. Many of us don't use words well. They're … [Read more...]
Apples & Oranges
May 3, 2012 by
We were talking about what a great team we would be. I'd be the idea person. She'd be the doer ... making the ideas happen. She is the doer. I need to do a lot more to make my ideas compared to how I thought it'd be. At least more than just speak them. The twins never end. They are well behaved. They sleep well. They eat well. They don't cry for no reason (Thank, God). Yet it seems that at least one needs some attention and any point and time. It seems there's never a … [Read more...]
The under-used, not so secret way to a life of riches
April 4, 2012 by
I was on my way out the door this morning. Jen grabbed me. She took me by my shoulders. She put me square in front of her. She looked me dead in the eye. And started speaking. "Thank you for getting Ellie up this morning and starting to feed her.""Thank you for taking care of Evie.""Thank you for making the bottles.""Thank you for making lunches.""Thank you for putting toothpaste on my toothbrush.""Thank you for filling my perfume bottle."My eyes moistened. My breathing … [Read more...]
Wish You Were Here
April 3, 2012 by
I get lost in the act of wishing. I wish I played tennis more. I wish I were more extroverted. I wish I played guitar better. I wish I did a better job of marketing this blog. I wish those jeans I got a couple of years ago weren't so tight. I wish I were more comfortable (and effective) at networking. I wish that I wrote (and published) more often. I wish I were taller. I wish I called my mom more often. I wish I didn't have a commute. I wish I had published a book by now. I wish I … [Read more...]
Mind over matter
March 27, 2012 by
Shawshank Redemption was nearing the end. I watched Red travel on the bus going to Fort Hancock, Texas. It struck me. No one on that bus was listening to a Walkman, iPod, reading something on their phone or tablet. It was a long, quiet ride from Maine to Texas. A bit over 30 years ago, Sony invented the Walkman. It was a first. You could take your music with you. And block out the rest of the world with stereo headphones. Jogging and walking no longer had to be a slow silent slog. The … [Read more...]
Step away from the elephant
March 23, 2012 by
I found myself standing in front of a grey wall. I felt like I encountered an insurmountable obstacle. Then I reached out to to the wall. Odd, it's rough and warm. I look around. I step away. I see an elephant. The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. First, you need to know you have elephant to eat. Sometimes we get to close. We lose perspective. We get lost in the perspective.. Step away from the elephant. Then pick your first bite. Related articles On … [Read more...]
