We say
“kids
learn so much more quickly.”
…
What if
a major difference
between kids
and adults
is that the latter
self-judges
or self-criticizes,
while the former
does not?
Quotes
The New
When people encounter
something new
or unexpected.
Some
will dislike it.
Because it won’t fit
their expectations.
So to reduce their dissonance,
they’ll come up with ways
to make it fit
by suggesting ways
to fix it.
…
But then
some
will like it.
But they’ll be unable
to articulate
why.
Because it won’t fit
their expectations,
either.
The difference
isthe latter group of people
will imagine a context
in which the new will fit
while the former
will try to fix the new
to fit the existing context.
When there is more of the latter group
than the former,
a new genre
a new platform
a new era
begins.
If there is more of the former group
than the latter
a cult classic
is born.
Regardless,
an artist
makes art
that defies evaluation.
Problem Solving vs Problem Solved
Sometimes
problems are better solved
when we do not try
to problem solve.
Two Sets of Questions
- Why do I lack so much motivation and willpower?
- How can I not feel pain and discomfort?
- What more can I do?
- How can I more effectively communicate my pain to others?
Which leaves the tension unreleased, does nothing to the weight carried
Creates even more tension, adds even more weight
Which will probably create more tension.
Which creates more weight, thus more tension, maybe even trigger our injury
How can I (re)design my thinking process and interactions with people in or around my business, such that I can regularly…
- Restore my energy and vitality.
- Release my tensions.
- Share, offload, or temporarily stash some of the weight I’m carrying.
- Recover from and prevent injuries, or at least minimize the chance of triggering them.
Validation
At first,
I thought I had to do something huge
for my life
to be worth something.
Until I realized
that doing something huge
would still not be enough
unless I could feel
that it was indeed
worth it.
In other words,
what I was after
was a feeling.
…
Once I realized
that validation
was what I was after,
I noticed I lacked clarity
on whose validation I craved
and why.
…
Once I gained clarity
on whose validation I craved
and why,
it turned out
there were only a handful of people
whose validation
I deeply craved.
So I went to them
one by one
to learn how I can provide them
value,
only to learn
how remarkably simple—
not easy, but simple—
it was
to do so.
It was then
that I realized
that at the end of the day,
the most difficult challenge
wasn’t
earning their validation.
The most difficult challenge
was accepting
that my life can have significant worth
without doing something
huge.
Deadline
What I learned in art
is that the work gets done
because there’s an exhibition.
Without an exhibition
the artist can work on their piece
until they’re perfect.
Except
compared to perfection
the work
is never be enough.
The role of an exhibition
is to force us to define
what is “good enough.”
Asking for Advice
Sometimes,
we need to ask for advice
on how to solve
our problems.
Before asking,
it may be worth getting clear on:
- What the current situation is,
- Where you’re trying to move to,
- What you believe are required
to make such a move, - What you’ve already done
to fulfill those requirements,
and having done them, - What you see
are the remaining problems.
Skepticism vs Curiosity
What if the difference
between
skepticism
and curiosity
is the presence
vs absence
of judgment?
What I really want…
“What do you want
to hear from him?”
What I really want to hear
is that they won’t leave me.
What I really want to hear
is that I’ll never be
alone.
Beyond Responsibility
“I want to achieve
peace in my family.”
“I want my team members
to be happy.”
“I want …”
While these can be goals,
aspirations,
or expectations,
they cannot be
our responsibility.
Not because we don’t care
or because we have no influence,
but because
responsibility
does not equal
outcome.
What is within our responsibility
is to do our best.
Sometimes our best
does not yield
an outcome
we find satisfying.
Our responsibility lies
is what response we choose
in relation to the outcome
we do not find satisfying.