Fear and two choices

Everyone has moments of panic.

If you don’t experience fear and anxiety from time to time, I’d wonder what kind of life you’re living. You’re probably not doing justice to your capabilities and talents or testing your limits. But this post isn’t about that.

I want you to pay attention to what you do AFTER those moments of panic and fear.

You have two choices:

1. Press on. 

Step on the gas and move…

Inconvenience yourself.

New Yorkers and scheduling is borderline ridiculous. I spend more time than I care to admit orchestrating calendars, slotting calls, finding common days for in-person meetings. While there are plenty of automated tools to streamline this process, I’ve found that each person’s needs and requests are very different, and the act of scheduling itself can reveal underlying issues. Each day I’m forced to reassess my priorities and make decisions…

United by insecurity

No matter where your office is located, the ceiling can fall down. You don’t know when, but one day it will. There is even a possibility a car drives through your living room tonight while you’re sleeping.

We’ve done a great job fooling ourselves into believing we have it all figured out. We’ve worked hard to create predictable outcomes, studying to become masters of our environment. Data is plugged into…

Stop trying to find your purpose

We spend so much time searching.

Searching for The One, The Job, The House, The Car, The Experience, The Feeling, The Plan, The Salary, The Product, The Idea, The Connector, The Client, The Bargain, The Title, The Brand…

We’re looking for answers, assuming that once we find That Thing, the result we want will magically appear (happiness, success, love, fortune, fame, ease, contentment).

What if you stopped looking.

Stay with me for a…

Searching for simple

Here in Nepal, I’ve found the best moments are often the simple ones: quiet street corners, afternoon coffee, morning walks to the monastery, sunsets on mountain peaks, smiles exchanged with neighbors, the look on a student’s face when they understand.

I can’t help but wonder what America would be like if more people embraced simple.

Keep it simple today.

Be here now.

Chances are high you’re doing your best to complete several different tasks as you read these words. Would would happen if, for today alone, you commit to performing each responsibility individually and mindfully?

Slowing our actions can bring forth surprising new perspectives on performance and efficiency. More is not always best.

Safety

No one is remembered for playing it safe.

Life is for experiments, making messes, screwing up, breaking things, smiling, laughing, crying, loving, grieving, starting anew.

Again.

And again.

And every time it is different.

A quote from Derek Sivers

If you think your life’s purpose needs to hit you like a lightning bolt, you’ll overlook the little day-to-day things that fascinate you.

Good morning

Now get to work.

Real work.

It’s a new day. Yesterday’s failures aren’t so important. Tomorrow is still sleeping.

WAKE UP.

Work that matters isn’t going to come to you.

They may never call.

Your project might not be accepted.

He isn’t going to change his mind.

Make a list of what you want to accomplish — the things that really, truly matter. Outline the steps you need to take to move closer to those dreams, no matter how small. Focus…

Create time

Make time today

to reconnect and ground

to remember your dreams

and set intentions for what’s to come.