The Vs. Studio Blog

“Once we leave out the “and” (as in, I want to do this and be well paid, invited, approved of and always successful) then it’s way easier to do what we said we wanted to do.” -Seth Godin

“How do I create more value?” is a much more useful question than, “how do I find a better job?” -Seth Godin

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” -Colossians 3:23

“Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” -Swami Sivananda

Labor Day was first proposed by Matthew Maguire, a labor union secretary in 1882 in New York as a “tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

Make sure you take time out today for a much needed and well-deserved rest.

Also, remember and be thankful to all those who’ve been on strike in the past or present for better working conditions. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

Finally, if you’re unhappy at your current job, if you’re struggling to find meaningful work, before leaving, ask yourself if instead you can bring more meaning to the work you already have.

If the answer is no, great, time to move on.

If the answer is yes, give that a shot first. Inject value and purpose into all you do. See what happens, how you feel. You might be surprised to find out that the meaningful work was always right there, all along, hiding in plain sight.

“If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do. If some one maintains that two and two are five, or that Iceland is on the equator, you feel pity rather than anger, unless you know so little of arithmetic or geography that his opinion shakes your own contrary conviction. The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion. So whenever you find yourself getting angry about a difference of opinion, be on your guard; you will probably find, on examination, that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants.” – Bertrand Russell

“We have the power to hold no opinion about a thing and to not let it upset our state of mind–for things have no natural power to shape our judgment.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

While the world and social media beckons us to have an opinion on every single topic and to publicly state said opinion as much as possible and on as many platforms as possible, realize you do have a choice.

You can choose to not have an opinion.

And if you have an opinion, you can choose to keep it to yourself.

It doesn’t mean you don’t care. You care deeply about the world and humanity. But having a fully-formed, nuanced opinion and then sharing it should take a lot of time and energy. You need to observe, read, think, write, converse, engage, explore and reflect.

It’s okay to sit this one out.

There are only so many causes and topics that you can put your shoulder behind.

A good hitter doesn’t swing at every pitch.

Light that’s focused is way more powerful than light that’s dispersed.

The difference between where you are now and where you want to be lies in the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Choose wisely my friend.

P.S. – If you don’t know where to start, find someone who does. Help them get to where they want to be.

“Games make us happy because they are hard work that we choose for ourselves, and it turns out that almost nothing makes us happier than good, hard work.”
― Jane McGonigal, book Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

“The awful thing about life is this: Everybody has their reasons.” -Octave in The Rules Of The Game, film by Jean Renoir

“Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess!” – from The Most Dangerous Game, short story by Richard Connell

“A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play…There is no finite game unless the players freely choose to play it. No one can play who is forced to play.” -James P. Carse, book Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility

For anything you’re wanting to do, first ask yourself if there’s a way to turn the work, the process, into a game. That’s how you’ll stay engaged and in flow.

Next, figure out what are the rules of the game. If there are none, design your own. That’s part of the fun!

Last, decide how long you want to keep playing. Is this game bounded by time and space? Does it have specific deadlines? (Producing a play for example.)

Or is it infinite? (Becoming a better artist and human.)

And remember, you have agency. For any specific game that comes your way, you can always choose not to play.

So I’d like to know where, you got the notion
Said I’d like to know where, you got the notion
To rock the boat (don’t rock the boat, baby)
Rock the boat (don’t tip the boat over)
Rock the boat (don’t rock the boat, baby)
Rock the boat -song, “Rock The Boat” by The Hues Corporation

no·tion /ˈnōSH(ə)n/ noun

Etymology: Latin “notio” which means “idea.”

1. a conception of or belief about something.

2. an impulse or desire, especially one of a whimsical kind.

Term papers are about stating a thesis and then proving it with evidence so as to persuade the reader towards your point of view.

But stating and then trying to proving a thesis is the death of your art.

Instead, start with a notion. (I love the second definition listed above.) Something that gets you intensely curious to find out more. Stay open. See where that notion takes you. Don’t judge. Don’t try to prove anything. Just follow that notion. Remain curious. Remain open. It will take you where it takes you. Trust in that.

This is what playwrights mean when they say “I just put my characters in a room and get ’em talking.”

“Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.” – Jay-Z

The old adage that “numbers don’t lie” is true.  But perhaps not for the reasons you think.

Numbers are inanimate objects.  By definition, they’re incapable of telling any kind of lie.  Or truth.  They’re inanimate.

However, the fundamental takeaway from any Intro to Statistics class is that numbers can be used by anyone, to tell any story, at any time, in any way they see fit. Including telling a lie.

Know this and tread cautiously my friend.

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.”