Why does this phrase sound so bad? You see, I enjoy the rain. I appreciate what rain is for - cleaning, growing, and life. My workload increased 10x today. I have more roles to fill - marketing roles with a retail outlet and startup one. When these came across my desk, I first thought - “when it rains it pours.” Then I remembered why I love rain. I also remembered that I love that I get to do this work - it’s growth.It’s pouring today - I’ve got tons to do - and I am happy.

I’m moving everything to Dropbox now from my old computer. Have you done this before?As I look through old files determining what stays and what goes, I realized that I never stopped to say - “look at everything that I produced.” Try it sometime. When you do, be mindful of how it feels.Two announcements:The NOW page is updated.I’m thinking about doing a workshop for job seekers - it’s on resume writing and free. If you’re interested, email me and let me know.

Yesterday my sister was fiercely upset with someone from the day before.  I asked what was making her upset now.She replied, “Well what happened yesterday and…““But what causes you to be upset now?““I just told you about yesterday..“She was sitting on a chair, amongst her family, drinking coffee, and eating bacon that we just cured when she spoke.

If others upset you, consider checking in with yourself first.  Maybe you need better expectations for yourself?Maybe you are trying to control things you can’t control?Maybe you are insecure with yourself?Maybe you wished you didn’t have to keep the peace, and you could just say what was on your mind?I’m starting to think much of our anger towards others has more to do with our inability to accept the shortcomings within ourselves.  Wrestle with yourself first. Then try to persuade others to do things a different way. Getting upset rarely helps.

Are we losing what it means to meet each other in person? Or are we discovering a new meaning? Are we learning to appreciate the sight of others even more? The other day I met someone for an outside coffee. My goal was to accomplish one thing - enjoy the presence of another human. I walked away with a better appreciation of their story, their pandemic struggles, and I felt seen myself. Zoom and Teams, and Hangouts can do wonders. But if it’s safe for you to do so, also find ways to meet others. We’re social creatures. We need that.FYI - I prefer dark roasts, chocolate-y overtones, and with a bit of cream. I do not have a Starbucks order.

I played a gig last night that turned into a practice session. It turned that way because nobody was there. Why did we let it get that way?Playing a gig is the act of doing work for others and getting paid for that work. It’s not for practice. It’s for connection with someone else. It’s also for bringing that someone else into an experience.  Who goes to a show to watch a band practice? Unless you want the experience of watching artists practice, nobody.  You go to a show because you want to feel part of something bigger than yourself.  This post is not a critique of the bandleader. I admit that I had a hard time treating the work seriously. And I acknowledge that a prior version of me would have given the current version a hard time for my lack of serious attention.  In any work you do, remember what that work is for and who it is for. It is not for you to practice your craft. It is for others to experience something that matters to them.

If you are having trouble getting an idea off the ground, maybe it’s not the idea. Perhaps it’s that others don’t know what you can do. If they did, and trusted you, And needed what you do, They might reach out.

I lost 100+ pounds earlier this year. Throughout the pandemic, I surprisingly remained the same. Now, thinking about myself, I put on some pounds. Did I take three steps forward and two steps back?  No. I realized what I did was not take any steps back at all - I moved forward.  If you stop progressing, then you don’t necessarily regress. Instead, you stop until you decide to start again.  How empowering it must feel to realize that you can decide to start again. If you want it, you can do it - just decide to act.  I’ve learned lessons from gaining a few pounds. Learnings that I’ll apply to other areas of my life.  Stopping doesn’t mean ending or falling behind. It means being in the moment where you get to decide to start again.  But this time - better.

What keeps me up at night is the next day.  What will it bring?What did I miss?What didn’t I prep?What did I forget to schedule?Will I do what I said I was gonna do?What keeps me in bed in the morning is the day.Why not 10 more minutes of sleep?Why not choose warmth?Why not just rest?There are reasons not to sleep.And there are reasons to sleep more.What if we asked the same questions but reversed when we ask them?  “What keeps us up at night?” becomes “What gets me up every morning?““What keeps me in bed in the morning?” becomes “What gets me to sleep every night?“Sometimes doing life better is a matter of asking the right questions at the right time.

Anybody who knows Ian knows he enjoys exchanging ideas of a philosophical nature. I - depending on who you ask - might be the same. Yesterday Ian and I debated for a good 70 minutes, and I left profoundly changed.No, I do not concede Ian’s points. Nor do I think I lost to Ian. But I believe something better came from the conversation—a decision.Now, instead of trying to hold on to my ideas, I chose to see the world Ian’s way - for me to tell myself the story he tells himself. That act requires a choice - to abandon the need to be right and embrace the opportunity to learn something new.  Am I suddenly embracing Ian’s - obviously wrong because they’re not mine - views? No. But I can see where he comes from and why he might think he’s right. That’s important, not because it allows me to connect with Ian. But because it enables me to integrate Ian’s ideas with mine. That act of integration makes things better.  Others become less of a threat when we realize the others are a lot like us. Like you, they have beautifully complicated stories and want to make things better by making better things.  Oh! Belated Happy Birthday to our reader - Charlene. Charlene taught me how to make things better by enabling and encouraging me to try ideas out, go outside my comfort zone, fail fast, and learn.