The Daily Meaning
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The “Dumbest” Person In the Room
These are interesting people to me. There's a quiet confidence that comes from someone who intentionally surrounds themselves with rock stars. There's also a humility that comes from not having to say the smartest thing or act impressively.
The Confrontation Awaits
One of my kids has a fear. To me, it's a silly fear, but to him, it's crippling. Over the past few days, he's spent much time trying to avoid facing this fear. Heck, if he had his way, he could simply avoid it altogether for the next 80 years and die a happy man.
Something From Everyone
A young guy recently reached out to me, more than twenty years my junior. He was dealing with some heavy stuff, and he asked me to share insights from my experience with similar trials. In other words, he was looking to get something from me. That's how the conversation started, anyway.
Oops, Wrong Highway
However, when I asked them what their dreams are in life, they shared goals that are somewhat (or largely) perpendicular to their current actions, decisions, and direction.
What About the Others?
I'm not naive to the reality that not every one of our dreams is going to pan out every single time. That's one of the reasons I often phrase it as the "pursuit of meaning or the "pursuit of work that matters." Everything in life worth doing involves the risk of us falling flat on our faces.
Obsess About the Inputs
As a society, we're obsessed with outputs. How much profit a company makes. How many clients we can attain. How much we'll make on the other side of that next promotion. The grade we get on our report card. If our team won. Regardless of the arena of life, we're obsessed with the outputs.
New Fear Unlocked
It's been a few months since I've been scared out of my mind. One would think I'm finally on the other side of crushing fear, but alas, here we are again.
Watching and Walking
When the game started, he looked anything but the best. He looked timid, scared. Often, he was watching the action from afar, walking up and down the field. Watching and walking. Needless to say, he really struggled.
The Most Naive and Irresponsible Person In the World
Together, through our shared naivety and irresponsibility, perhaps we can collectively bend the culture and help make our entire society more naive and irresponsible.
Like a Little Kid
Like many little boys and girls, I was obsessed with space travel as a kid. I marveled at the stars, constantly curious about what was up there. I reveled in the stories of space shuttles, moon landings, and the vastness of a world apart from Earth.
Under My Roof
Somewhere in there, I realized that the causes and solutions to all of my problems lived under my roof. I was the common denominator for my crappy situation, and whether I liked it or not, I was responsible for navigating my life to a better situation.
Embracing Seasons
I think a lot about life in terms of seasons. Seasons come and go, each presenting its own set of challenges and blessings.
Different, But Valuable
This is the poisonous consequence of comparison. It's so easy to compare ourselves to other people, putting their skills and talents on a pedestal, while simultaneously demeaning our own. My friend does it, I do it, and you probably do it, too.
Manhood
I stumbled upon something mind-boggling last night. According to a recent survey, 86% of men say that being a financial provider defines manhood. Just as scary, 77% of women agree. Nearly 9 out of 10 men, and nearly 8 out of 10 women, define manhood by a man's ability to financially provide.
Failure Is Our Friend
Many of these players played in their very last collegiate game.....or last game, period. So much heartbreak. At the same time, it's exactly what they signed up for.
A Different Kind of Success
A theme has taken shape in my coaching over the last few weeks. Several families have recently endured a ton of "life." Yeah, let's call it "life." Job losses, medical emergencies, HVAC breakdowns, car problems, unexpected vet bills.....the list goes on. We're talking about thousands or tens of thousands of dollars worth of "life."
Focus, In Practice
Grinding month after month after month without feeling a tangible win is terrible. Inevitably, life happens, expenses pop up, or they get sidetracked.
Crush One Before Another
We need to focus! I often meet with clients who think the best idea is to implement every idea from the start.
The Tale of Two Neighbors
I'm good friends with two people, but I don't think either of them knows I'm friends with the other. These two individuals are both business owners, and as luck would have it, their retail locations are adjacent to one another. They share a wall!