“Your intention doesn’t matter!”
shouted
the CTO.
“Yes, it does!”
shouted back
the CEO.
“What matters
is the impact!”
shouted back
the CTO.
“Stop.”
I interrupted.
“What
is preventing them both
from mattering?”
I asked.
Author: Seung Chan Lim
Fear
We think fear
is spiders,
ghosts,
or heights.
Fear
is also
the tiny voice we hear
that says
“but that’s unprofessional,”
“I shouldn’t cry,”
or “that’s not right.”
Craft vs Manufacturing
“I keep learning
the same lesson
over
and over
and over again.”
said the founder.
“I don’t know what
is wrong with me.”
she lamented.
“May I share a story?”
I asked.
“Yes, of course.”
said the founder.
“Before I went to art school,”
I began.
“I thought craft
was outdated.
After all,
craft
makes you repeat yourself
over
and over
and over again.
…
Why do craft,
when we have machines?’”
I explained.
“That makes sense.”
said the founder.
“Then I learned
that life
is a craft.
There is no machine
that can live
for us.
If it did,
it would no longer be
our lives.
Yes,
craft makes us
repeat ourselves
over
and over
and over again.
But that
is life.
What craft does
is it trains us
to learn
from the repetition.
Role of the Judge
The role of the judge
is to judge
that
is their existential
purpose
they are enough
so long as they judge
For all others
judging is not
their existential
Purpose
and yet
its easy getting stuck
judging
Lacking Empathy
“Do you think
I lack
empathy?”
asked the founder.
“You’re not receiving
enough
support.”
I responded.
“What do you mean?”
asked the founder.
“You’re going to be stressed without support, because you feeel isolated, if you’re isolated, you ahve no room in your being to empathize.
Judgment vs Experience
All experiences
are.
Until we judge them.
Then and only then
may it become
Good or bad,
right or wrong.
All the words we use
mean what we mean.
Until others judge our words
good or bad
right or wrong
Expectation
We tend to expect others
to know what they are doing “wrong” to you
then fix it
by themselves.
Sometimes
this expectation
is fulfilled.
Many times,
what you consider “wrong”
is not
from their perspective
especially not
to the same degree.
And even if it is
to fix it by themselves
not only leaves them isolated,
naturally,
but also to do something that doesnt
come naturally.
Be willing to support them
to change the context
Toward Curiosity
We often put curiosity
up on a pedestal.
Attraction
Wonder
Curiosity
Sacrifice vs Win-Win
As parents
can sacrifice themselves
in hopes to provide
a better home for their children,
a Founder
can sacrifice themselves
in hopes to provide
a better workplace for their employees.
While seemingly virtuous,
sacrifice
can also be a breeding ground
for resentment.
There are situations
when we have no choice
but to sacrifice,
but in many cases
there are ways
to achieve win-win
be it with children
or employees
by sharing the burden
with them.
The challenge
lies in our willingness
to be vulnerably honest
enough
to be able to ask
for their support.
Pause
Sometimes,
it’s better to pause
and look around
then to keep moving
forward.
There are things
we can only see
when we pause
to look around.
The things we see
may help us realize
that we’re headed
in the wrong
direction.