When we hyper-empathize
we can conflate
what is in our own best interest
with what is in the best interest
of the other
with which
we hyper-empathize.
That other
maybe our company,
our children,
or any number
of “others.”
Category: Short Form
Doing Our Best
Doing our best
requires clarity,
acceptance,
and appreciation
of our own
limits.
Otherwise
we may confuse our best
with someone else’s:
someone
with different
limits.
Such confusion
can give rise to shame
and doubt,
preventing us
from doing our
best.
Distraction
Sometimes,
we discover in hindsight,
that we have wasted our energy
on a distraction.
When this happens,
it may be easy to blame ourselves
for not having had
foresight.
But without a clear direction,
what counts as distraction
and what does not
may only become obvious
in hindsight.
To decide with foresight
may we gain clarity of direction
first
to helps us discern
what counts as distraction
and what does not.
May we choose
to take responsibility
instead of blaming ourselves.
Geometry
“What is the point
of life?”
we sometimes
ask.
May we not forget
that we can also ask
“What is the circle
of life?”
or
“What is the sphere
of life?”
We need not choose
to limit our lives
to a point.
What are you making?
In the creative process,
when someone asks
“What are you making?”
an honest answer
is often times
“I don’t know.”
And yet,
we sometimes
make up an answer
and take offense
when others
do not understand,
while we ourselves
also
do not understand,
which means others
cannot understand.
Why don’t they just?
One
of the simplest ways to notice
that we may have met
the limit of our ability
to respect
is to hear ourselves think
“Why don’t they just…?”
Dehumanization
A simple way
to dehumanize an employee
is to think
that we can demand
they conform to our image
of what an employee
should be like.
A simple way
to dehumanize an employer
is to think
that we can demand
they conform to our image
of what an employer
should be like.
Violence & Mattering
When we feel
like we don’t
matter
we can naturally desire
control,
manipulation,
and even
violence.
To call us
insecure
in that moment,
while not
incorrect,
omits the valid reason
for our insecurity,
thereby making us seem
crazy,
weak,
or inept,
exacerbating the feeling
of not mattering,
thereby perpetuating
a vicious
cycle.
Truth & Perspective
The truth
is not always easy
to articulate.
When perspectives
are easier to articulate
than the truth,
we may be tempted
to articulate our perspective
as the truth.
But perspectives in isolation
while not
untrue
can never be
the truth.
Snowflakes
Some people
judge the younger generation
as “snowflakes.”
What I see
is a generation
with higher standards.
Higher standards
of emotional literacy
and emotional intelligence.
The kind of standards that,
if understood accurately
and implemented effectively,
may finally stop
the vicious cycle
of generational
trauma.