Quiet contribution. Asking for help. Show up. Everyone's faking it. Zoom out. Service. Success.
Successful careers are not planned.
They develop when people are prepared for opportunities.
– Peter Drucker
1. “Quietly contributing for the benefit of all”
The Growing Good of the World Is Partly Dependent on Unhistoric Acts – John P. Weiss – (Blog)
A lovely essay about noticing the people we don’t notice. Celebrating the folks in the background who make life work as it does, but who rarely get the credit.
These unsung heroes, whose graves may never be visited by the masses, are perhaps the best of us. Because they don’t need the limelight and adulation. Parents, teachers, librarians, custodians, truck drivers, and countless others whose unsung contributions make the world a better place.
Life is a community effort, much more so than we realize.
Do this: Notice the people you don’t normally notice.
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2. “Bypass the roadblocks that impede us”
Unlocking Happiness in Your 70s and Beyond – Katharine Esty – (Blog)
Esty addresses two specific roadblocks that many people take on as they age. The first is simply resisting the fact that we are growing older, and changing as we do. The second, however, struck home a little harder.
Many of us struggle to accept help as we age, even when we truly need it. From a young age, we were taught that independence is valuable and that seeking assistance is a sign of weakness and dependency.
I know I don’t want to rely on help if I don’t actually need it (I can still carry my own luggage, thank you), but this, too, will change. I’m sure we’ve all encountered folks “of an age” who are resistant to any outside help, no matter how much they clearly need it. It’s frustrating for all concerned.
Do this: Be realistic about when it’s appropriate to allow, or even ask for, others to help.
3. “You can control exactly one thing: that you show up.”
Just Show Up. – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)
The essay is aimed at content creators attempting to build an audience. The message is simple: consistency is the only thing in your control, and ultimately the only thing that really matters.
Showing up. Showing up with your whole self, showing up with your values and beliefs, showing up with what makes you unique, but above all — showing up with consistency.
Here’s the thing: this applies to everything you do, whether you’re a content creator trying to build an audience, or someone with a completely different passion building a completely different career. Showing up consistently is a super power. Really. You’d be surprised at how many fail this simple task.
Do this: Show up.
4. “Nobody knows what they are doing”
What the adults don’t tell us about adulthood – Briandito Priambodo – (The Tiny Wisdom)
That no one has this stuff — life — figured out is something that only dawns on us over time.
Our teachers and parents are as lost as we are.
While that realization can sometimes be a difficult one (and can sometimes take a long time), it’s also liberating. Instead of waiting for some magic answer that everyone but you knows, you can focus on the here-and-now.
It’s okay to feel lost in life.
Because most of the people around you feel the same way.
Do this: Enjoy the journey.
#life #the-journey #the-present
5. “Your audience would be screaming something at you”
7 Questions That Changed My Life – Sahil Bloom – (Curiosity Chronicle)
Bloom picked one question as his favorite for this year:
If I were the main character in a movie of my life, what would the audience be screaming at me to do right now?
You know the feeling. You’re watching a movie and the main character is doing something that’ll clearly get them in trouble. My favorite? “Quit walking backwards into dark rooms!”.
Perspective is everything. You need to detach yourself from your situation and see it through someone else’s eyes.
I like to think of it as “situational awareness”. Be aware of what’s going on around you at a higher level. It’ll help you make much better decisions (and not walk backwards into rooms where you could otherwise easily tell the monsters are hiding).
Do this: “When in doubt, zoom out.”
6. “Working in the service of others clarifies things”
Finding Your Purpose in the Service of Others – Admired Leadership – (Admired Leadership Field Notes)
As this short essay points out, much has been written about how helping others ultimately helps ourselves as well.
Normally we think of “service to others” being literally charitable or similar work, but I think the definition can be expanded. It could easily encompass a job or career that is outward focused. In fact, it’s possible it could include even more with a simple mindset shift from “my job is to make money” to “my job is to get paid helping others”. Yes, making money is important, but when it’s done with the goal of being in service of others, it becomes something more.
On occasion, it is the service itself that shows us our passion and purpose. But more typically, navigating the challenges and dilemmas of helping others offers us a lens into what really matters most.
It can be an incredibly valuable experience and perspective.
Do this: Be of service.
#charity #perspective #purpose
7. “Success isn’t about maximizing your income. It’s about maximizing your life.”
The money-first trap – Justin Welsh logo – (The Saturday Solopreneur)
This is another business/entrepreneurial thing that applies to all aspects of life. We too often prioritize making money over, well, having a life! Yes, you need money to support the life you want, but do you really need more? And at what cost?
Welsh’s priorities are educational:
- Having deep, meaningful relationships
- Maintaining a healthy body and mind
- Pursuing interests outside of work
- Creating value for others
- Building financial security
Note what’s last on the list. While your order may vary, make sure that the whole financial thing is where it truly belongs.
Do this: Prioritize appropriately.
Random links
- Not now, Christmas. Can’t you see I’m crying? – It’s just a Wednesday.
What I’m reading
In progress:
- Change of Fortune – Jana DeLeon
- Own Your Weird – Jason Zook
- Meditations for Mortals – Oliver Burkeman
- The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century – Steven Pinker (audio)
Daily:
- A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Selected from the World’s Sacred Texts – Leo Tolstoy
A full list of my common sources is on the sources page, and I list the books I’ve read on my Reading List page.
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-Leo
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“Quietly contributing for the benefit of all” ✔
An extra good set of takeaways this week. 7TA is truly a must-read.
Number 4. #truth. My corollary would be: stop caring about what other people think; they’re all as full of “it” as you are.