If everyone just did things only when they felt like doing them, nothing would ever get done.
What makes you a professional is doing it even when you’re “not feeling it.”
Slog
SLOG (noun): 1. hard, persistent work; a prolonged arduous task or effort. 2. a hard, dogged march or journey
I’m not sure if the word “slog” is an example of Onomatopoeia, but just the sound of it is ominous. It strikes fear into our hearts. Fills us with dread. Especially when we add the word “long” in front of it. “The long slog.” Ugh. Who wants that?! We want it easy. We want to flow.
But to do anything worthwhile, to create any kind of meaningful change, to make any kind of lasting impact, especially with our art…it’s gonna be a slog. How could it not? If it was easy, anyone and everyone would do it and do it all the time, right?
So, rather than fight the slog, let us lean into it. Embrace it. Dance with the resistance we regularly feel. Visualize and love the process way more than the outcome. Ensure we have a strong why. And trust in our ability to endure and eventually get to where we wanna go.
Let us be…Slogbusters!
Go Long
“All self-help boils down to: choose long-term over short-term.” -Naval Ravikant
“Be radically proactive about any behavior that pays off in 10 years.” -James Clear
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” -Bill Gates
For whatever you want, whatever decision you’re struggling with, whatever change you’re trying to make, ask yourself one question: “How will doing this affect or contribute to what I really want for myself, my family, my community, my country and the world in the long term?”
To make art that you’re proud of, to make real and lasting change, you have to think differently. You have to play a different game. Instead of going short, you go loooooooong.
P.S. – Happy Election Day. Please remember to vote. And be thankful we live in a democracy where we can choose our leadership, we can pursue Happiness and we can strive to make things better for all.
Vote
“When the people lead, the leaders will follow.” -Mahatma Gandhi
“Get a move on…don’t worry whether anyone will give you credit for it. And don’t go expecting Plato’s Republic; be satisfied with even the smallest progress.” -Marcus Aurelius
Just a reminder to exercise your great privilege as a United States citizen and vote. If you need a little inspiration, here’s an excellent blog post from Seth Godin and another one from The Daily Stoic.
Thanks for doing your duty.
The Power Of The Curator
“Become the curator of your life. Edit, leave out the junk. But when you find something worth keeping, treasure it.” -Robert Greene
In a world of infinite choice, the trusted curator remains supreme.
Be A Grocery Store Artist
For anything we want to do, there exists lots of different ways to do it. “How” we do something is far less important than “why.”
Actors for example, can choose from among lots of different methods and schools. Meisner, Stanislavski, Hagen, Chekov, Adler, Strasberg, and Grotowski are just a few that come to mind. They all have value and we’d be wise to learn something about all of them. You never know what sticks, what nugget you can use in some future situation.
The trouble comes when we think there should only be one way or the right way or the absolute best way to do something. Nonsense. That’s what leads to dogma and closed-minded thinking.
Instead let us be grocery store artists! Pick and choose from the abundance of knowledge and techniques and great ideas that exist. Fill our carts with whatever we think we need to get the job done right now. While remaining open to choosing new items when the situation and project calls for it.
Asked To The Dance
It feels great to be asked to the dance.
Or picked for the team.
Or accepted into the college of your choice.
Or told you booked the job.
Guess what?….When you have the courage to follow your dreams and manifest your passion project, you get to make a whole bunch of people feel really great. You get to ask them to the dance. Because invariably you will need and want them for their talent and spirit. They’re the right match for your journey. And now you all get to do something great. Together.
No better feeling than that.
Stop and Start
Stop waiting for a sign to start.
Start doing and wait for a sign to stop.
Help Wanted
SEEKING SOMEONE WHO…
Knows themselves and doesn’t fool themselves.
Has high integrity and upstanding moral character.
Has core values and principles and lives by them.
Listens. Really listens.
Takes direction well.
Takes initiative. Is a self starter.
Takes tremendous pride in their work.
Cares deeply about others.
Helps others make their work the best it can be.
Is generous to a fault.
Is passionate.
Always goes the extra mile.
Loves to learn.
Isn’t afraid to fail. Looks at mistakes as an opportunity to grow.
Doesn’t gossip.
Communicates early, often and well.
Is always willing to take on new projects.
Believes deeply in the organization’s mission.
Takes ownership.
Doesn’t ask what needs to be done. Finds something to do, does it and says “Here. I did this. What do you think?”
Has deep empathy for others.
Treats everyone with dignity and respect.
Doesn’t feel the need to be right.
Doesn’t need credit. Freely gives it to others.
Accepts responsibility. Isn’t afraid to take the blame.
Is open-minded. Cultivates good, critical feedback.
Has no ego. Is all about the work. Best idea wins.
Has a sense of humor.
Is a linchpin.
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY.
If you have some or all of the above soft skills, you’ll always work. Your services will always be in demand. Everything else can be learned on the job.
Uncertainty And Suffering
All that I possess and use
Is like the fleeting vision of a dream.
It fades into the realms of memory;
And fading, will be seen no more.
-8th-century Buddhist master Shantideva from “The Way of the Bodhisattva”
We constantly search for certainty in an uncertain world. The American Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron, writes beautifully on this subject HERE. Seven plus months into a pandemic with no clear end in night is a constant affirmation to take life “one day at a time.”
Most of us can handle extreme difficulty and stress in service of a larger goal. When it’s voluntary and we know there’s an end point. “I just need to get through X to get to Y.”
Real suffering occurs when it’s involuntary and you remove the end point. When you have no idea how long the difficulty will last.
A personal metaphor…
I remember many years ago, going for an early morning run with a close friend. We were in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, a college reunion of sorts. Besides being an avid and exceptional runner–much faster than me–he also had familiarity with the route. He’d run it before and knew when and where it would end.
I didn’t.
The first run day, I was absolutely dying. (And he was running considerably slower than usual to allow me to keep pace.) My internal dialogue was “How much longer? How much longer?!” I wanted to quit several times. Finally, after about forty five minutes or so, we turned a corner and I recognized the house where we stayed. I was suddenly energized and finished strong.
The next morning–even though I was badly hung over and had barely slept (college reunions will do that to you)–was a much more enjoyable run. I could better tolerate the suffering. Because I knew it would end.
We’re all suffering in different ways right now. There’s so much uncertainty. But even though we don’t exactly know how or when, we will get through this.
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