When we are driving, we feel in control and are responsible for what happens next.
The back seat must surrender this agency.
So, when things don’t go your way, it is easy to criticize.
Too much criticism, then the question is, Why are you not driving then?
(Obviously, I am not talking about cars. When the boss is doing things you don’t like, well, why are you following them then?)
The thing that happens when we don’t see an obvious path forward is the tension that grows when not moving in a direction, sort of like standing in line at Disneyland. The way it is designed is to always be moving. And if you’re stuck, you are not standing still too long. We get anxious when we are not moving, even when we are not going anywhere. The trick is to see what is happening and sit with the tension this creates. You can’t always be on a path forward, and you can find peace when sitting still.
Everyone can point out what the big reveal of a Scooby Doo cartoon ending will be.
And yet, we struggle to see the simplest explanation on other facets of our life.
We should question why we give the benefit of the doubt to people or organizations that make big claims without any proof. A
lot of times we wish for things to be there that are simply not.
As someone who handles rejection for a living. I will say when someone takes the time to explain why today is a No, it does feel easier to go out yourself out there again. While it is difficult to receive solicitation, if you take a moment to really help someone out that put the time to talk to you, it’s really quite generous to give them 5 minutes. The world moves fast, we can really connect when we slow down.
Where we start and where we think we will go, is unlikely the path that we follow. Meaning we can have a plan from Point A to Point B but as Mike Tyson said everyone has a plan until they get punched. Then it is thrown out the window. I think plans are often overrated and what’s more important is the next step, not the destination.
To humans, decisions are important. Without them, we feel trapped. We also put too much stock on the decisions we make. The world doesn’t stop spinning because we can’t decide what we want to eat for lunch. This is not to say we shouldn’t put care into the decisions we make. But we can also just decide and then do it again.
Pick a path, and stick to it. But if it isn’t working there is no reason why you have to stick with it if it isn’t working.
I mean, someone will. Because when you look at the number of people who will compare to the 8 billion people in the world, it’s safe to say that almost no one will read this post.
Even the most popular work, whether it’s a Kardashian endorsement or the next Marvel movie, most people still won’t participate.
We feel like we deserve our work to be seen just because we took the time to make it. But that isn’t how art works. Popularity has no correlation with hard work. When we can divorce the two, we can decide to make art because we feel the desire to.
Rather than trying to make a list of “Ins” and “Outs,” instead focus on what streak you want to begin. The amazing thing about streaks is that once you have made the decision to start, after a while, you keep going because you don’t want to break it.
Wisdom can be found in learning from experience. It can also be found in listening to someone who has been down those roads.
The crux is that we are too busy thinking of the next thing to say rather than listening to the person who is trying to help us.
We often overcomplicate going to the gym. “What exercise do I start with? I need a plan and new shoes.”
Art is the same thing. Been delaying starting a podcast writing a novel, or painting your masterpiece?
What we need to do is simply begin. And then we can worry about how we are going to finish.
Josh Allred's Blog 