Do you remember all that writing we did in school? I would like to have thought they were bestselling papers. That thought inspired this bestselling report cartoon.
It would have been nice if that third-grade report on bees and honey made it on the New York Times Best Sellers list. But I feel it is best that the report is buried deep in a landfill.
Many times, we like to focus on the big, hairy audacious goals. But don’t forget that little things make a big impact!
Several years ago, the emerald ash borer made its way into Indiana and Ohio. At the time, the only evidence I saw that there could be a problem were signs warning us not to transport firewood across state lines.
What happens when rejection comes? If you go for an interview or try something new that you are not perfect at, how do you persist to the breakthrough and to success?
This Forbes article by Jack Kelly nails what most of us know but when negative feelings come, is so hard to put into practice. Push past the feelings and believe in yourself.
“When these things happen, you need to have hope. You must rewire your brain to think positively.”
Jack Kelly
It comes back to faith and hope. That’s easier said than done, isn’t it? When the past and present evidence seems stacked against you, it’s tempting to believe this slump will always be this way.
Five years ago, I needed to hear this. A business venture failed, A move to another state didn’t pan out. Just when I thought I found my niche in one state, we had to head back to another because my wife had a job that paid more and was a better fit for her. It was a very trying time as I attempted to find my place after living in three states in three years.
We tend to believe that the past dictates the future. It does not. Sure the emotional baggage is strong. We tend to see past misfortune as evidence. And the evidence is indisputable, right?
Wrong! The past happened. Your future hasn’t. It is just as likely your future is positive and full of blessing as it is to be negative and barren. Have the hope that your future will be brighter. And have the faith to take positive steps to make that hope a reality.
I eventually found work in what I had hoped for all the time. Today, I am so glad I held on. If you’re going through a tough time. Keep your hope and faith alive!
It will get you through those times when disappointment comes. Short-term, you may have setbacks. But long-term, you will make it through this!
Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Todd Braschler for CHOGNews. He is a talented guy with a heart for worship as well as for those seeking to find their calling.
Todd grew up in a talented family and he believed his career would be in music. However, he learned along the way he also had a passion for helping others “excavate” their God-given calling and gifts.
He reminded me that talent and passion are different. If you dig deeper into my site, you will see I have loved writing and drawing cartoons over the years. But my passion has changed. While I still love to draw, I love writing even more. I began seeing the written captions as more important than my drawings.
Talent is good. Finding your passion is even better. It is possible for someone to be talented at something they have no passion for. It can aggravate others who wished they had that talent. Yet, we are all different. We can’t all make our living at a talent, especially when we would rather be doing something else!
Sometimes, being a good steward of talent means finding the sweet spot between it and the passion. May you find that right balance!
A few weeks back, I read an article on CNBC about the threat Artificial Intelligence (AI) may have on white-collar jobs. The article states that we have been so focused on the threat to blue-collar jobs, we haven’t considered that managers, occupational therapists, even accountants and lawyers may be affected.
The dire predictions about artificial intelligence taking jobs have been around for years. It reminds me of an episode of The Twilight Zone from 1964.
In the story, the executive eventually finds he too is out of a job. It’s a cautionary tale of mankind being very clever while not very wise. It’s also a reminder if a leader thinks he or she can’t be replaced by the same technology, they are fooling themselves. So how do we keep ourselves from being victims of AI?
The article quotes Anima Anandkumar who proposes a solution we examine if our jobs are repetitive or and involve a large amount of data that can be used to train AI systems. If so, she says to aim for jobs that require use creativity and human intuition.
“This doesn’t necessarily mean an entire career change. For instance, for lawyers and accountants, there are aspects of the job that require human interaction, collaboration, high-level strategy, and creativity. These will be more valuable in future.”
Anima Anandkumar High-paid, well-educated white collar workers will be heavily affected by AI, says new report
Focusing on creativity, human relationships and intuition in a career is the antidote. If any of us are doing repetitive tasks, let’s consider how we can allow bots and computers to do the boring work, and free us up to dream, imagine and work with our fellow humans. A little compassion and wisdom is the key.