The Vs. Studio Blog

The always excellent Farnham Street recently had a post listing nine “sources of advantage.” I’ve cut and paste below:

1. Raw talent/intelligence – Some people are just naturally better and smarter.
2. Hard work – Some people work harder.
3. Differentiation – Seeing the world differently. Doing something different. Reading different books. Interpreting the same information differently. 
4. Process / Discipline – Creating a process and following it. Working out every day is a great example. 
5. Talent Collector – The ability to hire the best people and get the most out of them. 
6. Patience – A lack of patience changes the outcome.
7. Ability to take pain – Are you willing to look like an idiot to get better? How much risk are you willing to take, AND, importantly, can you handle the losses? 
8. Temperament – Keeping your head when everyone else is losing theirs. 
9. Luck

Some thoughts and questions on the above…

Do you agree with this list?

What’s your source of advantage? No one can be great, let alone world class, at everything. The sooner you figure out your single, biggest advantage–call it your superpower–and then extend continuous effort in that direction, the more success and more importantly, joy, you’ll experience from the process.

In the search for your advantage/superpower, can you think of a person, either in your close circle or out in the world that fully embodies one of these nine? Are you inspired by them? Are your values aligned with theirs? Do you admire how they lead their lives? That might be a clue where your advantage lies. (Also ask a friend or family member what they think is your biggest advantage.)

Are there some other sources of advantage not on the list above? What about… Kindness? Vulnerability? Courage?

Email me or put in the comments any thoughts you have. Thanks!

“Armed with the open mind and open heart that come from self-intimacy and self-acceptance, you can begin the very possible task of truly accepting others. When you practice accepting yourself in many different forms and moods, you naturally develop an ability to see your own self in other people. As you learn how to accept yourself, you learn how to accept them. That’s the true meaning of compassion.” -Richard Rohr

Some days wouldn’t be special, if it wasn’t for rain
Joy wouldn’t feel so good, if it wasn’t for pain
Death gotta be easy, ’cause life is hard
It’ll leave you physically, mentally, and emotionally scarred -“Many Men”, song by 50 Cent

“I’m going to tell you something, Mrs. Saunders,” he said, “something that you won’t believe.” He put his hands on the top of the fence and peered at her intently through his thick spectacles. “You have, this evening, cut a basketful of roses. You have, with a sharp pair of scissors, cut through the stems of living things, and each rose that you cut screamed in the most terrible way. Did you know that, Mrs. Saunders?” –The Sound Machine, short story by Roald Dahl

“What’s worth doing even if I fail?” – Brene Brown

“Doing the right thing isn’t free. Doing the right thing might even cost you everything.” – Ryan Holiday

True caring (not outrage or indignation) involves several steps…

First, have an open heart and mind.

Second, notice. Notice everything around you. The good and the bad. The beauty and the pain. The joy and the suffering.

Third, allow yourself to be moved with compassion.

Fourth, ask yourself if there’s anything you can do to make things better. “What do I have to offer? What can I bring to the problem? Is this something I can actually do something about? And do it, now?” Be honest and don’t be upset if the answer is “No.” (Remember, it doesn’t have to be “No” forever. It can just be “No” for now. Revisit later.) Making some sort of meaningful change in the world or putting forth a passion project should not be a knee jerk response.

Fifth, assuming you’ve thought things through and still want to do something, then decide to act.

Sixth, act. Take massive action. Iterate. Evaluate. Take more massive action.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, one more thing…True caring…it’s gonna cost you something. And you might fail miserably. Know that ahead of time. That way, you enter into it with arms wide open.

“To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift…My philosophy is that I’m an artist. I perform an art not with a paint brush or a camera. I perform with bodily movement. Instead of exhibiting my art in a museum or a book or on canvas, I exhibit my art in front of the multitudes.” – Steve Prefontaine

“The long-distance run of an early morning makes me think that every run like this is a life- a little life, I know- but a life as full of misery and happiness and things happening as you can ever get really around yourself.” ― Alan Sillitoe, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner

This NYT article on Erik Sowinski, professional pacer, is facinating. One realizes how even something like distance running, which seems like a solitary endeavor, can actually be a team sport.

It’s also an important reminder to know and fully understand what you’re great at it and what you’re not. Especially in the service of being on a team or running a company or producing a passion project.

Ask yourself…

Are you a starter? Someone with vision and big ideas and can start fast when others are afraid to move. An entrepreneur-type.

Are you a finisher? Someone who loves to close the deal. A great salesperson perhaps.

Or somewhere in between? You’re not necessarily gonna start anything and you’re not a closer per se, but man, you just love to get in there and grind. You love details and executing work plans. You can always be counted on to come through. Think of a great line producer in film.

For any collaborative endeavor, all three types are necessary. And in the early stages, you might have to be some version of all of them. But to take the next leap in your organizational development and build a world-class team, ensure that you have people who are remarkable in each category.

“To love is to will the good of the other, as other.” -Saint Thomas Aquinas

In my daily planner, one of the morning questions is “What is my intention for the day?” (“What am I grateful for?” is the other one.)

I try to come up with new intentions each day. But more often than not, I default to this one:

“Strive in every interaction I have with someone, to leave that person feeling good.” (“Strive” being the operative word as I am far from perfect in execution.)

Do you have a default intention?

If yes, I’d love to hear it. Let me know in the comments section or email me. Thanks!

P.S. – This very short story, “Taste Of The Candy.”

Do you believe in magic?
(Do you believe like I believe?) Do you believe, believer?
(Do you believe like I believe?) Do you believe in magic?
(Do you believe like I believe?) Do you believe in magic? -song, “Do You Believe In Magic?” by The Lovin’ Spoonful

It doesn’t matter if what you just saw was real or a trick.

What matters is all the hard work, devotion to craft, and deliberate practice that went into it. What enabled the artist to create something that caused you to believe, even if for a split second, that what you just saw, was magic.

The work, the process, everything that went into this exact moment…that’s the real magic.

… If they say
Why (why?), why (why?)
Tell ’em that it’s human nature -Michael Jackson, song “Human Nature”

When something shitty happens (assuming it wasn’t in your control), it’s pointless to ask “Why?” It’s a waste of time and just leads to wallowing.

When you’re excited about something and are thinking about doing it, best ask yourself “Why?” a bunch of times. Drill down to get at the real reason you wanna do it. That way, you can be one thousand percent sure that when the inevitable shit hits the fan and times get tough, you don’t need to ask “Why?” You know it’s all part of the process. Instead, you adapt. You improvise. You move forward.

“It’s what you do, not what you say. It’s puppetry, not preaching.” -Peter Schumann

“We bring the starter for the dough everywhere we perform.” -Peter Schumann

There’s been a lot of recent press centered around theaters closing, cancelling seasons and/or laying off staff. A lot of bad news. Times are tough. No doubt, making art is hard. And as a commercial enterprise, it’s really, really freaking hard. Always will be.

But that shouldn’t stop you from making your art.

Because when you’re lit up by something, so much so that you just have to make it and share it with the world, nothing will stop you. And we’re all the beneficiaries of your passion, your striving for excellence, and your generosity of spirit.

We all get a seat at the table and a taste of your bread.

For some inspiration and fuel for your artistic journey, check out this phenomenal article on Peter Schumman’s Bread And Puppet Theater.

“Make me a channel of your peace.” -Sant Francis Of Assisi

channel (noun)
1 a : the bed where a natural stream of water runs
b : the deeper part of a river, harbor, or strait
c : a strait or narrow sea between two close landmasses
d : a means of communication or expression
e : a way, course, or direction of thought or action
f : a band of frequencies of sufficient width for a single radio or television communication

reservoir (noun)
1 : a place where something is kept in store: such as
a : an artificial lake where water is collected and kept in quantity for use
b : a part of an apparatus in which a liquid is held
c : supply , store

Channels and reservoirs both serve a purpose and have tremendous value. Just think of agriculture as one example.

But when it comes to making art or making change in the world, you want to be a channel, not a reservoir.

It’s about sharing, expressing, connecting, bringing people together.

Not storing or hoarding or keeping to yourself.

Measure your value in how much you help others. Not how much you help yourself.

“It’s faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes a life worth living.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Fires can’t be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.” – James Baldwin

“If you have passion, there is no need for excuses because your enthusiasm will trump any negative reasoning you might come up with. Enthusiasm makes excuses a nonissue.” – Wayne Dyer

“Back of every creation, supporting it like an arch, is faith. Enthusiasm is nothing: it comes and goes. But if one believes, then miracles occur.” – Henry Miller

“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Enthusiasm is the most important thing in life.” – Tennessee Williams

c. 1600, from French enthousiasme (16c.) and directly from Late Latin enthusiasmus, from Greek enthousiasmos “divine inspiration, enthusiasm (produced by certain kinds of music, etc.),” from enthousiazein “be inspired or possessed by a god, be rapt, be in ecstasy,” from entheos “divinely inspired, possessed by a god,” from en “in”

Enthusiasm is…

…the greatest asset in the world.

…faith in action.

…the love for whatever we are doing, at this moment.

…a habit.

…all we need to be happy.

…something within our control.

Got enthusiasm?

If not, go get some!

“If more information was the answer, then we’d all be billionaires with perfect abs.” -Derek Sivers

“We use ‘information gathering’ as a means of delaying action. Because we’re doing something, it feels like movement, but it’s just procrastination in disguise. Information threatens to turn us into a rocking horse: Always moving, never going anywhere. We need to find a balance between information and action. When in doubt, it’s safe to assume the balance is found with more action.” -Sahil Bloom

“ ‘Did you ever feel,’ he asked, ‘as though you had something inside you that was only waiting for you to give it a chance to come out? Some sort of extra power that you aren’t using—you know, like all the water that goes down the falls instead of through the turbines?’ ” – Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

You don’t have an information problem. You have all the information you need, and then some.

You might have a discipline, focus or motivation problem.

The cure for any of these?

Set a date.

Get started.

Make it happen.

Once you commit and go, you’ll be shocked at how quickly all these “problems” vanish.