Many of us dream of hitting the open road. Escaping the stresses of the world for just a bit.
But instead of dreaming of escaping, what if we spend our time building a world that we didn’t feel like we had to flee every couple of months?
Invest a system that allows for spontaneity.
We don’t know what we are capable of doing until we start.
With every spontaneous act, we commit to stepping out of our comfort zone.
When the walls come down, there is really a lot more to see.
When we get our named pull, we call it lucky.
When we don’t, we blame it on external forces. “The odds were against us.”
Yet, nothing about the jar changed. Nothing about the chances altered. It’s just the story we are telling ourselves that changes how we feel.
Our narration is there to insulate us.
In our post industrial world, what we fear more than anything is emotional exposure, risk and uncertainty. Having the spotlight on us continues to be our greatest fear.
These fears will never go away. It’s part of who we are. (And in many ways, has kept us alive.)
But fear has an enemy. It’s afraid of imagination, creativity and connection.
The only way to dance with these fears is to act. Showing up, standing up, and standing out is what makes us feel most alive.
Take a step outside tonight and chances are you will be hearing a lot of fireworks going off from your neighbors.
This is the sound of when a couple people don’t follow the recommendation to light fireworks during an extreme drought.
Each one a justification:
“We do this every year.”
“It’s a tradition.”
“It’s just a couple of fireworks.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
As a thought exercise, imagine that this is only 2% of the population lighting-off fireworks. (I actually have no idea what the statistics are.)
It’s pretty loud out there.
The tragedy of the commons. When one person puts there needs above the rest.
At the hight of his fame, Steve Martin was selling stadiums.
But little did people know, Martin traveled across the country for over ten years before anyone came to see his act.
Overnight successes doesn’t happen overnight.
With further examination, you will see difference makers behind the scenes showing up for years before anyone notices.
The secret then?
Keep showing up. Every day. Even if there is no spotlight. Especially when no one is watching.
Opportunities are everywhere but not everyone has put the miles in to find them.
Depending on the reports you read, to solve climate change it would cost $300 billion to $50 trillion dollars over the next 20 years. For some critics, they point to this number and say, “Impossible. We can’t pay for this.”
Perhaps then, we look at the problem from a different prospective. 100 companies are contributing to 71% of the world’s green house gasses. But, “If we don’t do it, someone else would.”
Another way: Agriculture contributes a significant share in green house gasses. Somewhere between 24 and 31%. If everyone switched to a plant based diet then you could significantly reduce our impact. Yet again the critic in the back says, “I like hamburgers.”
And there are lots more solutions. But the critic doesn’t see a path where they can maintain the same behavior and have everyone else change.
So, how do you solve the problem then? Do we lean on personal choices or look at the system in play? Or both? Either way, it is important to understand that change is incredibly uncomfortable. It requires envisioning a world that doesn’t exist. A feeling of incompetence not know what is going to happen next.
We have to act. The environment is compelling us to make changes. Reacting is always more painful than anticipating.
When I drove in Costa Rica for the first time it was an overwhelming experience.
The lines on the road were hard to see. Drivers frequently honked and drove around you. The roads were narrow.
I had grown so used to driving in the states that I assumed this is how everyone else drove.
When we draw a bigger box, we can see more than what our worldview tends to narrow.
When words can’t express the meaning, we use a gesture. Amplifying the message we are trying to convey.
“I love you.” And here is a hug.
“Nice to meet you.” And now a handshake.
When we forget to follow our words with action, we are not as effective in conveying our story we are trying to tell.
What does a magician, a comedian and a banjo player have in common?
Steve Martin.
It took over a decade of traveling around the country before he made traction in his comedy career. Perfecting his craft. Understanding how to create and release tension.
Mis matches make heros.
We need to be better about separating decision making from the outcomes.
You can still make a good decision and have a bad outcome. The opposite can be true too.
In the US, 99% of those dying from COVID-19 have not been vaccinated. Out of the 331,000,000 vaccines administered, three deaths have been attributed to vaccine complications.
If we were to play Russian Roulette with these numbers there is no doubt you play the vaccine line.
There is no debate about mortality rates about COVID and vaccines.
So, why are there people still hesitating to get a vaccine?
The biggest one I hear is: “My neighbor got the vaccine but they still got COVID.”
The COVID vaccine is only 95% effective and that leaves a 5% chance of still getting it. Good decision to get a vaccine, just a bad outcome.
It isn’t full proof. But it very well could save your life.
Get a vaccine and tell others to do the same.
