Month: August 2020

It turns out facts are not the roadblock to learning. There are plenty of facts to go around. We have more information at the tips of our fingers than anyone could ever have ever imagined 200 years ago.

Which means understanding the world is not knowing all the facts. Otherwise, no one would ever have a pulse on what is going.

The challenge then isn’t more information, it’s understanding the information we have.

Everyone thinks they are objective. Everyone thinks they are right. To change someone’s mind then requires someone to collate information in a story that will show someone a new path forward.

Difficult for sure, but also one of the greatest challenges/opportunities in our lifetime.

70% of lotto winners will lose the money they won within a few years.

Why?

Because money is a story.

A story we tell ourselves.

If we view money as a an enemy, something that gets in the way, something that we’re always behind on— there is simply no amount will that’ll ever be enough. This sometimes sounds like, “If I am ever rich, then I’ll donate.”

The opposite is also true too. If money is a way you keep score, then making 13 billion dollars in a day doesn’t satisfy the itch for more.

Those who view money as a tool, however, they figure out how to save their money until they are no longer paying interest anymore.

At the end of the day…

Money amplifies character, it doesn’t change it.

Not the work of compliance. Not the work of digging the ditch we are told to dig.

Art is the work of generosity. Making something that doesn’t exist for people that might even know that they want it.

Art is seeing people with empathy, finding a pain point and resolving that tension.

There is no map, no step-by-step set of instructions to follow. Art is going to places that others are afraid to go.

Art is the emotional work of putting yourself out there. To be seen. To be heard. And yes, it is the work of setting the stage—the impresario who receives no credit.

Art is throwing the ball in the air and hoping someone will catch it. It takes time for others to see what you do and want to participate. As an artist, we must understand that most people are going to keep walking by.

But for the few, we are here to put in the work and change you for the better.

Understanding sunk costs are one of the most important lessons anyone of us can learn.

None of our expectations of 2020 have matched the reality.

Instead of abandoning our expectations, shuffling the deck, and try again, we hold on tightly.

That is not to discredit the pain and uncertainty of this tragedy that many people are feeling. Instead, it is understanding that we won’t begin to be happy again until we accept the new reality.

Because once we get on other side of this with a vaccine, things will be different. The question is, will you?

Happiness is not getting what we want but appreciating what we have.

Because of how fast the world moves we expect recoveries to move just as fast too. But there are no quick fixes to big, complex problems.

Crash diets, a pill, a small monthly payment, isn’t going to fix an epidemic or inequality or an economy or climate change.

We have to ask then, what price are we willing to pay in order to live in a world we can imagine?

You can preserve most things by taking access away from people.

Of course, no one then gets to enjoy the resource.

There is always a push and pull when it comes to sustainability.

There is no correct answer.

But once a resource is gone, no one wins.

Cherish the memories of what it used to be.

Embrace it for it could be.

We give them all the time. But are we doing it the right way?

As Beth Polin has pointed out, an apology is a statement with at least one of these six components:

• An expression of regret—such as saying, “I’m sorry.”
• An explanation (not justification).
• An acknowledgment of responsibility.
• A declaration of repentance.
• An offer of repair
• A request for forgiveness.

Here’s the thing, not all apologies are the same. Saying, “I’m sorry” is just the first step. Following through with the other five components requires risk, uncertainty and emotional exposure. 

The point of an apology is to restore trust, to repair wrongs; otherwise, why make them?

We don’t care if you are right, we care when people make things right.

It took the medical community 20 years to adopt the practice of washing their hands after Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that the practice will dramatically reduce the spread of infection.

Even with proof, it still may not be enough to change someone’s mind. It all depends on what the person you are talking to chooses to put their faith in.

When we have a difficult time suspending belief to discuss a world of possibility, we are not having a discussion around truth but rather beliefs.

But it’s also worth remembering, there are systems that are totally true and not provable.

The world is a dangerous place. Our existence is proof that you come from a very long line of history of people overcoming adversity.

Adversity is something that our ancestors overcame and what we will continue to do going forward.

The challenge of our time isn’t how will we overcome the challenges of 2020. The challenge is how do we do work that matters?

Our modern, industrialized world has made it clear: You are dispensable.

That feeling of not being necessary or needed kills the human spirit.

The message that I hope you take away today: You matter. The work you do matters. We need you. Go, make a ruckus.

Every morning we wake up to check our phone/email/social media to find out that the world is still broken.

And it is weighing on everyone.

Uncertain times mean uncertain outcomes, bringing lots of anxiety that most of us are not used to.

And yet, there is no doubt that today, history is being made.

You can’t have history without adversity.

The question is what character are you in this story and how is it going to end?

Every passing moment is a chance to turn it all around.