The Power of Words
Starting Each Day With A Little Thinking...Absurd
Did you ever encounter a situation where you just shake your head at the absurdity of moment? I’m talking about those times when you look at what is going on, clearly recognize that there is no way it’s going to work, and wonder what in the heXX the person is doing?
Did you ever wonder if someone else is looking at us and doing the same head shake routine? My guess is you had one of two reactions to the last question. The first was, “No. I never even considered it”. That’s good and bad. On the plus side, it means you’re probably dialed in to what you’re doing and extremely confident — that’s a good place to be. On the bad, you need to protect against “false positives” — it’s always good to spend a bit of time reflecting on your current situation and question if there’s anything out of alignment.
Conversely, there’s a second common reaction. This one’s not so much the “voice” as it is the “feel”. That tightening in your stomach that makes you uncomfortable. That feeling of disconnect. That wonder if what you’re doing really makes sense. Again, there’s a pro and a con. On the plus side, when you experience the sense of discomfort, your bodies just given you a perfect clue that it’s time to change things up a bit. On the negative, the more intense the sensation, the more likely we’re “stuck” in the “land of the absurd” and afraid about what to do next. Books have been written on this topic, so I’m not going to give you a silver bullet in a short blog post. What I am going to suggest is that when you get that “stuck in the land of absurd” feeling, do three things.
First, take a few minutes to write down why you feel the situation is absurd. Second, grab a close friend and share with them what’s going on in your mind. Third, when your conversation with them get’s to a point where the expressions “Did you ever think of trying?”, “That’s a good idea”, “I wonder what would happen if”, or “I wish I could” arise; grab a hold of what comes next and just do it! Chances are by simply trying out a new idea, the absurdity of your current situation is going to miraculously fade away.
With that in mind:
Is someone watching you and shaking their head about the absurdity of what you are doing?
As always, thanks for the time.
Admire
With the hustle and bustle of each day, we sometimes forget to “stop and smell the roses”. That’s too bad as there are an awful lot of things around worth admiring:
- Our kid’s passion for life
- The sacrifice that our service members make for all of our well being
- The beauty of a fall day
- The willingness of our friends and family to help and support us
- ……<< INSERT YOUR OWN FAVORITE HERE!!!!>>>
And the really interesting thing about admiring things is that the process of doing so brings a smile to your face — I know simply writing about the above brightened my day.
With that in mind:
What are you going to admire today?
As always, thanks for the time.
Forward
When I hear “forward” two things pop to mind immediately. The first is a “good” — the word has a positive connotation that immediately causes me to “perk up”. The second is “motion” — I see a shark swimming, a car moving, or a man climbing a mountain. Strong, forceful images.
We’re faced with a multitude of decisions daily. We can think, talk, and debate for hours. However, it’s only when we actually take action that changes occur. Keeping forward motion at the front of our mind is critical if we are to learn, grow, and live more fully.
With that in mind:
Are you moving forward?
As always, thanks for the time.
Inflection
The musicians out there will likely think of one thing when they hear “inflection”. The scientists another. However, no matter what the background or context, when we speak of inflection, it triggers thought of a fundamental change in form. Whether it’s a change in the tone of sound or voice, the change in the curvature or shape, or – as I’d like to highlight today – a change in a person, inflection points redefine the situation.
Inflection points occur when the stresses [resent cause something to “flip”. When the flip takes place it’s prominent and significant. It fundamentally reshapes the situation at hand. The interesting thing about inflection points is that when they’re formed by the steady pressure, the new state is often stable, beautiful and sustainable. Conversely, when they’re triggered by transient sporadic forces, the new state is often rough, choppy and generally unsustainable.
How you reach the inflection points in life is critical. Points arrived at through long term forces, pressures, and experiences are the source of beauty and stability. Points that arise from short term, transient forces, pressures, and experiences are normally unattractive and chaotic. The question for each of us is when we’ll bend to the force at hand and allow the inflection point to occur. Recognizing the type, duration and severity of the stress at hand is critical in making the decision on whether or not to allow the inflection point to occur. As with everything, the choice really is yours.
With that in mind:
Will your next inflection point lead to beauty and stability or ugliness and chaos?
As always, thanks for the time.
Recent Comments