You don’t chase a bad bet (weakness) by throwing more money at it – you follow good bets (strengths) with more money.
Don’t take that training class to just get to “below average” on a skill no one is looking to use you for anyway.
Put that energy in what you are good at to become great.
So, what are you good at?
Whatever it is, I’d advise finding an advisor for it, ASAP.
Our ability to lead comes from our strengths, not our weaknesses.
Take a second and think about it.
Sometimes what we want isn’t our passion, wish, and strength.
Sometimes it’s:
When you feel like you’ve nailed down what you wanted, make sure that it is in the spirit of growth.
I spent the last few days thinking about pain, and how it affects us.
When pain hits, it usually comes in two flavors – sharp and dull. Both affect you in a different way.
Sharp pain is a quick. Put your hand on a hot stove, that pain is going to hit you in the hand, and its going to sting. Same thing with a bee, stubbing your toe, or getting punched. The pain hits you with a sharp sting.
What follows after is the dullness. That throbbing that just sits there, and sticks around. The burn that happens after putting the hand on the stove, the bruise after the stubbed toe, and the black eye are good representations of dull plain.
Sharp pain makes you present. It connects the world to you in a, well painful, way. It’s why you instinctively go for a smack to wake someone up(not a great way to wake up a friend). As much as that person won’t like you, it will wake them up.
Dull pain works as a reminder. After a long enough period, its routine. Burned your hand, well, every time you get that dull pain, it reminds you of the stove you ought to avoid.
Not all things that hurt are bad. Pain isn’t the problem if you turn the perspective. What I used to think was a bad thing, something hurting, just was a lesson I needed to learn.
Pain isn’t weakness leaving the body, as is so often said. What it is though, is a great reminder of what is happening in our lives and who we are. Don’t regret something bad when it happens, look for the lesson,and it you find that the world gives you a ton to learn, it’s just up for you to listen.
[bctt tweet=”I witnessed my mental space go from large room full of space to tiny closet. “]
I don’t listen to music anymore when I walk, and because of this, I end up having a lot more thinking time.
A lot more.
I am more productive as a result, but since I have more conscious time, I have a lot of thoughts.
Those thoughts, both good and bad creep in a place where they were not present for months at a time. It’s like an alcoholic getting sober, all those things that were put off mentally because of distraction find themselves in place.
One thing that arrives more often now is self defeatist thinking. I recognized how little permission I give myself on days where it strikes.I witnessed my mental space go from large room full of space to tiny closet.
In short, self defeatist thoughts and other types of self doubt ruin your ability to be productive.
But they exist. There is no way to completely squelch the noise.
Sorry, if you were expecting a 10 ways to article after that intro, but I don’t want typical here.
What I do want, is to spend some time writing about where these things come from, and how close they are when we are “boxed in” that closet.
The key is to remember that you only make progress by moving, but sometimes – its really hard.
“Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile. Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better”
Nassim Taleb
I am currently reading Antifragile from Nassim Taleb. The book is a fantastic read (on the reread list). It features practical, modern stoic philosophy wrapped in actionable ideas all leading to a life of antifragility.
One story stuck with me.
At one point in his life he decided to work in academia.
When he got his job, he did something I find exhilarating (and at one point in my life, horrifying.)
His first move at work was penning his resignation letter.
After that, he signed it, and put in his desk.
This move instantly freed him up from the usual BS that accompanies a new job. He had boundaries, and he made peace with the fact that this isn’t forever. He ready for the unexpected(stoic thought) , and by writing (actionable), he was free to tell the truth as he saw it (freedom / strength).
I was never taught this way of thinking.
In fact, I learned the opposite way from my environment. Instead of starting with the end in mind, just be glad you “got a job.” (reactive) When you are there, do what they say and hopefully they won’t fire you (Weasel behavior/ complacency) . If they get outrageous, try to sneak out the back door (dishonesty) and look for a job. Once that next job offers that position,write a resignation letter then, once you are “safe”(golden handcuffs/weakness).
All positive, meaningful action (meaning not by chance/ randomness) in my life has come from proactive movement. By penning that resignation letter and keeping it in a place he can see it, it’s a constant reminder of keeping the worst end in mind, and in effect, being antifragile.
Something to think about.
Note: A stuffy corporate job will not like that way of thinking, at all. When someone has the golden handcuffs on you, the last thing they want you to do is be a key maker.
Caring is one of the strongest weapons we have.
Indifference is the enemy of us all, and one of the enemies I continue to struggle with – it shields you from some hurt but within it stops you from giving all you can.
Work isn't a one way process, and as much as you can be disciplined and there in body, your spirit has to come along in for the ride.
From the desk of Adam Thomas 