HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER
Sunday, December 23, 2012 § Leave a comment
Be wiser, not stronger. Different!
Be wiser, not richer.
Wiser, not more successful.
Wiser, not more acclaimed.
Wiser, not more respected.
Wiser, not more loved.
ON BEING AN ARTIST
Monday, April 23, 2012 § Leave a comment
Malvina Reynolds sings about the ticky-tacky professionals, who all look just the same.
I suspect that her distance from them lets her miss the point. You don’t need a guitar to sing your song.
The musician battles the same two choices as the sales-executive every day: risk averse and conforming to expectations vs. emotionally courageous self-expression. Ticky-tacky is as ticky-tacky does. It’s not in the profession that we occupy; it’s in how we express ourselves in our profession.
For the singer, as much as for the lawyer, art begins beyond the “notes:” when we care.
ON BEAUTY AND LOVE
Friday, April 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
When we look long enough, our fear of the different dissolves, we recognize each other and then “understanding is love.”
FOR THE LOVE OF WORK
Monday, April 16, 2012 § 1 Comment
Here’s a beautiful 10 min clip about 9-year-old Caine, who one summer built a whole arcade from card-boxes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faIFNkdq96U
An arcade of card-boxes doesn’t hold a candle to even the shabbiest of real-arcade games. Why does that obviously not matter when we respond to Caine’s work?
Because care, passion and ingenuity speak to us no matter on what playing-field they are exercised.
Because we recognize when we see someone working with the joy of building, rather than with their eyes on a pay-off.
Because he takes pride in our joy when we appreciate and play his games. It’s about sharing, kinship and human connection.
Caine’s work is self-expression. It’s applied love.
When we can put that into our work, or have our organizations put that to play, the rest has a good chance of falling into place.
APPLIED LOVE
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 § Leave a comment
When I am full of loving energy, but I don’t apply myself for lack of discipline, I drift and become unhappy with myself. (pink corner)
When I am blindly disciplined about something, but it is not based on values that I am passionate about, but rather motivated by fears of fitting in, not being lonely, being expendable, then there is a degree of satisfaction I receive from the achievements, but I do not arrive at content. (gray corner)
When I am fearful and don’t apply myself with any discipline, I am insecure and have a sense of being lost. (black corner)
The gravitational force of the matrix is towards the black corner. Lack of discipline eventually drains my loving energy. And lack of purpose eventually drains my ability to be disciplined.
It’s hard to move up and right in the matrix below. But while it’s hard to move into the blue corner, it’s always clear when I am not in it. If I am not in the blue corner and sit myself down for a quiet minute, I have an acute sense of not being happy and fulfilled.
So I sit often for that minute to check in. And if I am not in the blue corner, I try to bust a move.
THANK YOU FOR NOT SUFFERING
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 § Leave a comment
Key life objective: be free of suffering.
Options:
What you control: love it or change it.
What you influence: love it, change it or leave it.
What is as it is: love it or be indifferent about it.
It’s worthwhile to always keep in mind that you have these options. When you slide into a self-pitying mode or general misery, give yourself a kick, sit up straight, say “no suffering” to yourself and take initiative.
LOVE IS A VERB
Monday, March 26, 2012 § Leave a comment
Loving your work is the best recipe for loving your work.
Enjoy the week!
“STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES”
Thursday, March 15, 2012 § Leave a comment
– Forrest Gump
Smart is as smart does
Wise is as wise does
Kind is as kind does
Loving is as loving does
What ya gonna do?
Business Buddhism 