Instead of seeking to be famous,
become fabulous for a few.
JUST HOW IT IS
When we think,
“this is just how it is”
the thought takes over
and becomes a sort of reality.
Just look at families or cultures.
When we accept certain social positions,
certain ways of treating each other
as truth,
without real examination,
without challenging
ourselves,
our viewpoint,
our leaders,
we get stuck
and “how it is” remains.
We forget that
how it is
is what we accept
and
what we create.
TAMPING DOWN HOPES AND DREAMS
“Don’t get your hopes up”
may be a way of teaching kids
to manage their expectations,
to be realistic,
but it seems to be
more about the parent not wanting
to work through
the disappointment a child feels
when something doesn’t go the way they wanted.
Dealing with disappointment is a life skill.
Having high hopes
(and learning to put a plan in place for those hopes
to become realized)
is something to be cultivated.
Next time you’re tempted to
tamp down
someone’s hopes and dreams,
don’t.
DO IT NOW (Repost)
Whatever you have been thinking about
to change your day,
to change your work,
to make the world better.
Do it now.
Nothing changes by thinking about it.
15 MINUTES
Everyone seeks 15 minutes of fame.
(Thanks Andy Warhol)
And today, it seems pretty easy.
Do something that goes viral,
something outrageous,
jump up and down,
wave your arms.
And all media gets filled with
noise,
static,
and
hype.
Which makes it more difficult to get attention.
What if, instead of seeking 15 minutes,
you sought to connect with one person?
What if instead of trying to be everywhere,
you were right where you are,
with these people,
doing this work?
What if instead of trying to get everyone to notice,
you noticed those around you.
The problem with seeking 15 minutes is,
once you’ve done it.
you have to figure out how to do it again.
When you begin to
show up and care,
you’ve figured out
what it means to matter.
And that lasts more than 15 minutes.
HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME
When you have audacious
hopes,
dreams,
goals,
and
when you are pushing them
forward,
the horizon just keeps moving,
the finish line always seems far away.
Today is a good day to
stop,
take a breath,
and
look back at how far you have come.
GENEROSITY CAPACITY
Relationships grow with generosity.
Generous attention.
Generous praise.
Generous grace.
Generous patience.
Generous forgiveness.
Generous understanding.
Generous love.
Your capacity for generosity
grows
when you are generous with yourself
first.
LEARN TO FLY
“When you find yourself
at the end of your rope,
tie a knot and hang on.”
Maybe it’s the rope that’s the problem.
Let go
and
learn to fly.
SENT WITH SINCERITY
There is something beautiful
about a handwritten note
sent with sincerity.
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
“Be careful what you wish for.”
How many times have you heard this
or some other conventional wisdom?
On the surface, it makes sense.
We don’t always know the effects
of our desires and actions.
It’s telling us to
think through what we want,
to weigh the options and outcomes
carefully
and
methodically.
It’s a reminder that
what we think we want
isn’t always best for us.
Somewhat helpful.
More often than not,
however,
conventional wisdom
stops us
from dreaming
at all.
“Be careful what you wish for.”
turns into
“Wishing is dangerous.”
and people stop
before the thought is fully formed.
The
beauty,
art,
change
they might have created
gets left behind,
crushed by the weight of
conventional wisdom.
There will be plenty of time
to weigh your actions,
to evaluate your plans,
but for today
let go of conventional wisdom
and
let your wishes
run.