separation – From the desk of Adam Thomas

They say pressure makes diamonds

You need pressure in your life. The right amount of force can transform someone from going along to getting along.

I love that pressure creates diamonds because some of our greatest victories come from when the walls are closing in, and we are forced to rise above our troubles.

With that in mind, we also have to remember that pressure can burst pipes. Sometimes you don’t “rise” and have to deal with the consequences, usually in the form of burnout. That can take months or years to recover.

Personally, I rather not deal with that.

One concept I appreciate from engineering is a release valve. It functions as a warning that something, whatever it is, is building up and you should pay attention.

In life, I think we need these. Create a release valve for those pressures.

Add some silence in your day or do like my parents and call each other. Add something to look forward to on your calendar.

The warning might save you from burnout.

When you “rise above,” you go alone

Ego is tricky.

It takes on many forms. It starts as confidence, then can turn into many things, including pride, arrogance, and fear.

Its goal, when unchecked, is to separate us from everyone else, to make us “special.”

This idea means we aren’t special because of our contributions or special because of the value we create. This idea is where real specialty lies.

Instead, we swear that our uniqueness comes from disconnection. This train of thought is dangerous.

That separation divides us from the energy, knowledge, and appreciation of everyone else. We lose it. Although we don’t separate physically (we still exist in our space) we miss the tools to help us become self-aware or set direction.

As a leader, this separation is stagnation.

Don’t get stuck in this place.