“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…?”
Telling Them Not to Do It
When our team
have something they want to do
and we tell them
not to do it,
we may feel satisfied
seeing them
stop.
…
What we may not realize
is that they may be doing it
behind our back.
What I Really Wanted
I thought I wanted
to sing.
What I really wanted
was permission
to feel.
I thought I wanted
to act.
What I really wanted
was permission
to be real.
I thought I wanted
to make furniture.
What I really wanted
was permission
to play.
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.
Last Laugh
If resentment says
“I will have
the last laugh.”
Regret may say
“I wish I could have
laughed about it
then.”