Categories
motivation storytelling

This bird has flown

birds flying on the sky
Photo by Valeriia Miller on Pexels.com

Lamenting about a wild bird that has flown away does little good. No matter how you wish it would come back, it’s improbable the bird will fly back. Let’s face it: this bird has flown!

As I see it, the point of storytelling isn’t to lament about the “good old days.” Maybe they were good. Or maybe our selective memory forgets that the past had just as much pain and struggle as the present. After all, were the good old days really that good?

When we tell our stories, we hope others will learn from our mistakes and triumphs. Otherwise, we might sound like the boring old guy Bruce Sprintgsteen sings about in Glory Days. (Between this song and referencing Norwegian Wood, I’m in a bit of a classic rock mood today.)

A good story has both the good and the bad, its victories and failures. Because life is never as perfect, nor as hopeless as we believe.

Tell your story today. But don’t make it sound like a greatest hits album. After all, this bird has flown.

Categories
communication Just fun

What’s the Point of Laughter?

group of people having fun together under the sun
Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels.com

What is the point of laughter? What’s the point of breaking out into a belly laugh or laughing so hard you struggle to breathe? What is the point of it all?

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." E. E. Cummings

We feel better when we laugh, don’t we? And why is that the case? Well, if you want to get technical about it, there are plenty of articles touting the release of endorphins and immunity-boosting antibodies, and it even burns calories. And who knew laughter is packed with information?

But is it profitable? Well, that depends. Ask the comedian who has made a handsome living at getting others to laugh. Then again, many class clowns never found a pot of gold. Regardless of profit, I’ve found it’s important to have a sense of humor.

So what is the point of laughter? We could debate it forever. All I know is it makes us feel better and is much better than feeling scared or angry. A day without laughter is a wasted day indeed!

Categories
Business motivation

The Upwardly Immobile

gray trunk green leaf tree beside body of water
Photo by Daniel Watson on Pexels.com

At one time, Japan was considered the world economy to compete with. Today, while it is still a world leader, it has struggled. A quote from The Essential Drucker caused me to pause and consider it may be because of the upwardly immobile.

Peter Drucker quote on the upwardly immobile Japanese

When he wrote this, he realized Japan’s economy would have to change because lifetime employment made it nearly impossible for knowledge workers to move and adapt.

But it appears that hasn’t happened. Japan continues to struggle with deflation and stagnation. The failure to change has come at a great cost to the nation.

What made Japan a success for over fifty years has become a liability. When we cannot, or refuse to change, our past successes become a liability and burden.

Mobility is more than the freedom to move from Indiana to Florida or maybe even Arizona!

A farmer looks at a saguaro cactus with corn characteristics

It is the willingness to change and try different things. The upwardly immobile is an oxymoron. No matter our age, let’s continue to be part of the upwardly mobile.

Categories
creativity motivation

Getting Our Ducks in a Row

There is a time to ad-lib and go with the flow. And there is a time to get our ducks in a row.

The closest I have ever seen ducks get in a row

At libbing is fine for creativity. But getting everything organized and in its place is better for productivity. That’s a hard lesson for a creative like me who wants the muse to lead me wherever she wants to go.

Ducks are hard to get lined up. They scatter if you approach them. My creative mind likes to do the same thing. Thankfully, I’ve discovered there is a time for the muse to lead and a time to get productive. Know when to get your ducks in a row.

Categories
accountability storytelling

We all Need Help

high angle photo of woman on ladder
Photo by Samantha Garrote on Pexels.com

In a good story, the hero rarely succeeds alone. Especially in a plot where the circumstances appear dire, the hero has some help.

We all need help. "People seldom refuse help, if one offers it in the right way." A. C. Benson

One of the tragedies of this age is that we are increasingly loners and lonely. We go about self-improvement projects alone and falter because of our blind spots. And it seems to be getting worse. It’s become an epidemic after the pandemic. When we feel we have to go it alone, all hope evaporates.

But we are never truly alone. Keep this in mind: we can be recipients and givers of assistance no matter what stage of need you are in.

Help that maintains the dignity of the one in need and gives kindness and consideration to them works wonders.

Think back to when you were in need, and someone was there to give you aid. That is a story worth telling. Perhaps that story will help someone else see that they can rise from a low place.

An encouraging story can be just the help someone needs.