Creating with intention
What do you see?
Opportunity or obstacle?
Loneliness or space to create?
Connection or obligation?
Necessity or investment?
Inconvenience or growth?
Pain or lesson?
Those who are against you or those who push you to do better?
The difference between success and defeat is often a matter of perspective. Track your thoughts. Record the way you see the world. It may be time for a change.
Guilt can be split into two faces: The kind that is paralyzing and negative, a harmful state that serves nothing and no one; and the kind that can help you fix what is broken.
The first kind, for obvious reasons, is worthless. This kind of guilt will trick you into thinking you are worthless. It robs you of your most present and precious moments and kills your confidence.
The second kind, however, can be a gift. This one can push you into unexpected growth. Instead of living in shame, this guilt prompts action. It can apologize for wrongdoings and set wheels into motion. New behaviors, evolved patterns, inspired creative projects.
Don’t fall victim to the first kind. If you find yourself wallowing in that direction, force yourself to turn the corner and see what good can come out of a tricky emotional experience.
We all tell stories; about ourselves, about others, about our businesses, about our relationships, about our work. The focus of these stories reinforce our behavior and help create our future.
What are the stories you tell about the world around you? About your successes? About your failures?
Remember: We have the ability to direct our concentration and focus.
Outline the stories you want to tell. What narratives do you need to change?
The line between engagement and productivity, a flow state in which decisions and actions are fluid and purposeful; balanced with the cost of too much: moments of exhaustion, lack of focus and clarity, the heaviness of feeling overwhelmed.
How do you create balance?
Harvard Business Review estimates 150 million workers across North America and Western Europe are favoring independence over traditional employment.
I want to hear from founders, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and others who are hustling in the gig economy (and most likely working overtime). What are your tips for managing workload and client demands? How do you ensure you’re giving enough to your team while keeping a hardy reserve of energy for yourself?
Talk to me. Send me a message or tweet me @redheadlefthand.
Anyone can construct a building and call it a hotel. Some will care about cleanliness and service. A few more will add personal touches, unique decorations, or interesting artifacts. Fewer still will care about the unexpected, delighting guests in the process: Hats and gloves and a warm jacket folded for winter months, hot bottles of water placed between sheets to warm beds, organized happy hours where guests are invited for snacks and popcorn around a fire.
Of course visitors will remember beautiful scenery and tasteful decor. But the experiences that will get guests raving about any establishment are those that are unexpected — thoughtful additions that can’t be easily replicated.
Certificates, medals, awards, recognition dinners. Necessary? Perhaps not. Here in Nepal, I can get a certificate for donating blood, for giving money, for simply showing up at an event.
A piece of paper is not always meaningful. I could argue that the rate in which certificates are doled out lessens their value. But public appreciation makes everyone feel good. And when people feel good, they do their best.
No, gifts and tokens aren’t essential. But praise and acknowledgement of hard work and generosity of time are absolute necessities.