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Making room for something new.
I recently cleaned and organized my closet. I know, I can hear you wanting to cheer. However… please hold your applause and continue reading with enthusiasm.
While I was cleaning and organizing, I realized my closet and my life were pretty much parallel universes. Deep, right? Maybe more profound than deep. At least to me. Continue on, while corralling your excitement.
Here are some takeaways – four examples of my closet as a microcosm of my life:
1. There are things that I used to wear that should now be a part of someone else’s wardrobe. There are things I used to do that are now best being done by someone else.
I must give these things away.
2. There are things that I have worn out that don’t belong in anyone’s wardrobe, they belong in the trash. There are old methods and out-of-date tools that are no longer useful to anyone.
I must throw these things away.
3. When my closet becomes cluttered, I need to take time to unclutter it. When my mind becomes cluttered, I need to take time to unclutter my thoughts.
Time and effort are needed to make each easier to navigate.
4. My closet is only so big. My mind is only so big. To receive the new and improved, I must make room.
I must make decisions about what no longer belongs, take appropriate action and be comfortable with the empty spaces until the new arrives.
OK, true confessions…
I really have only told you part of the story.
I didn’t really just clean my closet, I started working on some of the life stuff, too. I have started to make room and the new and improved is already on its way.
What to do when it isn’t working.
We’ve all been there at one time or another – you know, when your plan isn’t quite working out like you thought it would. That can be disappointing and frustrating. When it happens what should you do?
Do something different.
This may seem obvious, but really, how many of us actually think of doing that in the heat of the moment? I’m not suggesting that you give up. I’m suggesting that you look at the issue from a different angle. Take a break. Get away from it for a few minutes.
Think.
Pray.
Invite someone you respect to help you.
Work on it. Keep working on it. Don’t give up, just try a different approach. This is just a bump in the road, not failure. You don’t have to let this define you or keep you from moving forward.
So try it. Do something different. It will help. I promise.
The coolest business cards. Ever.
image via positivesharing.com
According to Alexander Kjerulf, some LEGO employees get a “business card” like the one above. Yeah, it’s a LEGO that resembles the employee. They try to match the look of the minifig (gender, hair, glasses) to the person.
Pretty much the coolest business card I’ve ever seen. Ever.
How about you? Ever seen a cooler business card? Where? And what was it?
Everybody doesn’t like anybody!
Don’t live your life trying to please everyone.
It’s a sure path to losing your identity and uniqueness… and your confidence.
Nobody is liked by everyone. Nobody has everyone as fans.
World changers are polarizing. Their greatness is polarizing. Their work is polarizing.
That’s just the way it is.
Love me or hate me, love or hate my work, I have been a success if I have caused you to think. Or notice.
There’s nothing productive I can do to make someone like me. I can only be me and hope that something I have to offer resonates with them.
I’m not for everyone.
Neither are you.
I’m good with that.
Are you?
Lose the fear!
“To live a creative life we must first lose the fear of being wrong.” ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce
Fear of being wrong can cause you to get stuck faster that most anything. It will cause you to question yourself, second guess your own decisions and undermine your confidence in your ability to get the job done.
When you’re creating something, the best way to be wrong is doing nothing. Doing something affords us all the opportunity to learn, change and grow. Refusing to move means we sit on the sidelines for the whole game and wonder later what could have been.
Break free.
Launch out.
Do something.
Grow.
Making your dream your reality.
When Sam Johnson was 8 years old he wrote a letter to the Lego Company. I imagine lots of of boys do the same thing, but this one was different. Sam loved Legos and wanted to know how he could get a job with them. They responded to his request (pretty cool in itself) and told him what he would need to do to prepare himself for such a job.
Lego could have easily blown it off. After all, he was an 8 year old boy. They responded with an appropriate answer. It didn’t matter that he was 8. It was his dream. Sam took Lego’s instruction to heart and began to act on it.
He planned and prepared.
He took Lego seriously.
He took himself seriously, too.
Fifteen years later, he earned an honors degree in Product Design. The final project of his coursework involved (you guessed it) Legos. When he presented the project at the New Designers Exhibition in London, Lego offered him a job in Denmark.
Cool story. Inspiring, too.
Here are some quick takeaways from Sam’s story:
- Sam let himself dream of a career doing what he enjoyed.
- He wanted to know what to do to get there.
- Someone cared enough to help him make a plan.
- Sam followed through and worked for his dream (for 15 years.)
Can you find yourself in this story? What are your takeaways for yourself?
4 Famous Actors Who Hated Their Own Films
Creative people aren’t always pleased with the results of their work.
Actors are no different.
Here is a list of 4 actors who hated their own films (via Mental Floss):
1. Alec Guinness, Star Wars. “Apart from the money, I regret having embarked on the film. I like them well enough, but it’s not an acting job, the dialogue – which is lamentable – keeps being changed and only slightly improved, and I find myself old and out of touch with the young.”
2. George Clooney, Batman & Robin. Regarding this film, Clooney is quoted as saying,“I think we might have killed the franchise.” Obviously not. But he did have a point.
3. John Cusack, Better Off Dead. John Cusack told the film’s director Steve Holland that it was “the worst thing I have ever seen” and he would “never trust you as a director again.” Harsh words.
4. Christopher Plummer, The Sound of Music. He declined to participate in a 2005 film reunion and is said to have referred to the film as The Sound of Mucus. Ouch.
For six more stars that hated their own movies, click here.
