Two hundred years ago, no one talked about a FICO Score. It wasn’t in the commentary. But we did talk about work, labor, relationships, our neighbors, drama, gossip, and so on.
So while much has changed, and will continue to do so, the human experience is still there under all of it. It just looks different.
Delivering on time, on budget, to spec, as promised.
There’s no drama in this.
But it’s what the professional does.
The creative act is an emotional process.
Because what we create says so much about us on this culture we have built.
Which makes it hard to put it on the line.
Because when we say, “Here, I made this…” and someone doesn’t like it, we think there is something wrong with us.
But that isn’t true. They didn’t like the thing you built and perhaps it isn’t for them. More importantly, they didn’t like the work, not the person.
It’s amazing to watch the social discourse change over the last three decades.
And it would be easy to criticize what was said back then.
It makes me wonder, what is being said now that we will look back on and think, “That’s bizarre. How could someone think/say/act that way?”
Are you in a dead end job thinking there is no other options?
Well, if you have access to the internet, transportation, food/water…you get the point.
Is the ceiling made of glass or made of iron?
Too often, we create the drama. And the drama is played out in our head, sending us in a spiral. But the drama is usually way worse than what actually happens.
I think about the trees we plant today that will grow to give shade for someone who isn’t even here yet.
To me, that as beautiful as it gets. When we are working to make things better, even if we don’t get to enjoy the fruits, we cannot help but feel significant.
Significance is power. Significance creates meaning. Significance reinforces grit and resiliency.
Because once we see the work we do matters and has impact, we get up to do it again.
Thank you for everyone who reads this. I hope it has mattered.
In a marathon, you must have small goals to achieve while maintaining an eye on the destination.
The games are invented.
It’s a good reminder…
Everything comes to an end.
Including our goals, our dreams, and of course, our lives.
While that seems morbid or sad, it’s also a reminder:
Enjoy this. Don’t rush it. The ups and downs.
Being at a low point offers opportunities for reflection. Because when everything is going right, we are too busy enjoying the ride.
Adversity can be a gift to get back on track in the areas we have neglected.
That reality is far from the thoughts we think, the story we tell, the feelings we feel.
It’s a separate thing that we can never fully understand.
All we have is what we see and experience.
Josh Allred's Blog 