When confronted
with daunting distance
our desire to complete a race
can cloud our need
to take things
one step
at a time.
Workaholic
Sometimes
we judge ourselves
a workaholic,
because after hours and hours
of work
we still feel
like we should work
more.
But upon reflection,
we may realize
that had our hours and hours
of work
fulfilled our need
to make progress
we may not feel like
we should work
more.
Meaning of Work
“How can you be working
given what you’re going through?”
he asked.
“You don’t understand.
Work
is the only thing
helping me get through.”
she answered
Partnership
We sometimes say
we partnered up
because our partner’s skills
complemented
our own,
when what we really mean
is that we were afraid
that without our partner’s skills
we would
fail.
Resentment vs Wonder
Resentment may judge
“I shouldn’t
have to
do that.”
Wonder may ask
“I wonder
what I can do instead?”
Hiring & Being Hired
If we have an outcome
we want to see happen
by hiring,
not merely a job description
to match,
may we take responsibility
for clarifying and communicating
what that is.
If we wish to fulfill the purpose
for having been hired
instead of merely offering skills
and completing tasks,
may we take responsibility
for discovering and clarifying
what outcome
we were hired
to realize.
Selfish vs Altruistic
The quicker
we free ourselves of the judgment
that we are doing something
for
others
and admit
that we are doing something
because we feel
pleasant emotions
knowing what we did
mattered to others,
the quicker we can go beyond
the dualistic paradigm
of selfish
vs altruistic
and begin the creation
of a virtuous cycle
or the destruction
of a vicious cycle.
Be Strong
When someone,
who has been doing their best
to be strong,
is told
to “be strong,”
it can be interpreted to mean
“your strength
is not enough.”
Sharing
When sharing our stories
we sometimes also share
the weight we carry
as the sole bearer
of our stories.
Trust vs Expect
Trust
implies vulnerability.
Expectation
demands certainty.
To lose trust
because of our violated
expectations
is to forget what it means
to trust.
Or to realize
that from the start,
there was no trust,
just unmanaged
expectations.