My post will be a little short today because we had plenty of snow at my house this morning. This guy got to shovel a lot of the white stuff for my morning workout.
“Advice is like snow – the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.”
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
May the advice you receive be soft and help you make the changes you desire. I will strive to do that tomorrow when there is hopefully a little less snow to shovel.
“I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man’s being unable to sit still in a room.”
Blaise Pascal
There is a time for everything. Unfortunately, we tend to not know when it is time to move and when we should sit still. We value action much more than contemplation, don’t we?
There is always a sales goal that we must meet. We have a production goal that has to be fulfilled. And who can forget that job that is very, smoking hot? And of course, there are plenty of distractions all around. How can our kids be so fidgety when we have work to do?
There are goals that need to be met. However, if there isn’t any time to sit still, we can lose focus on what is really important. It isn’t easy when we have so many demands.
Today, a winter storm is brewing where I live. Some of us will be forced to slow down and perhaps think for a while. It isn’t what any of us planned. But perhaps it is what we need to stop, sit still, and consider the bigger picture. May we all get a chance to stop and contemplate for a while. At the very least, it may be able to prevent us from some kind of human evil!
My wife and I have a cat that is perpetually seeking the perfect lap. She wants the person whose lap she occupies to have her undivided attention. Her goal is to rest on top of our arms so that we can’t do anything but pay attention to her. She has a disconnect between ambition and happiness.
The cat is rarely satisfied. She leaves our lap not because she is content, but because she has given up on having us submit to her desires.
A lot of us are like that. We want something that is just out of reach. We are convinced we won’t be happy until we achieve a goal. Our ambition drives us to discontentment if we aren’t careful.
I too have ambition and If I am not careful, I can allow it to put off happiness. I can be so focused on the future, I miss out on what good things are happening today. A quote by Dale Carnegie reminds me how foolish this can be.
“Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don’t put off being happy until some future date.”
Dale Carnegie
We can get too busy to have fun. We try to hustle today to make things happen for tomorrow. But what if we are missing out on today’s blessings?
Don’t postpone happiness! We can pursue goals and have ambitions without sacrificing today’s well-being.
It is good to have ambitions. But don’t forget we have today to enjoy as well.
Thomas Paine was born 285 years ago today on January 29, 1737. He was a revolutionary and author of the pamphlet, Common Sense among others. He knew a few things about character and reputation. As I was reading some of his quotes, this one stood out to me.
“Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.”
Thomas Paine Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_paine_117868, accessed January 29, 2022.
Thomas Paine
Our reputations are valuable currency. They are the result of many decisions and actions we have made throughout our lives. We can earn part of it while other parts are the opinions of friends and enemies.
We can have a great reputation with those within our tribe and a notorious reputation with those who oppose our views. Influence comes from our words and actions. If both are in agreement, our reputation can give us authority and good stature. It may even give us fame and prominence.
When making any to hire someone, we value a good reputation. After all, when we search for a babysitter, we want someone who is dependable, good-natured, and great with our children. We value a babysitter’s trustworthiness.
However, our standing can fall due to the gossip and opinion of others. The tribe we associate with may change their views. One generation holds one view while the other has a different value.
We have both an individual reputation and one that others ascribe to our group. And yes, our group can change. While we were once part of the younger generation, we age. Elders once thought we were radical, but the younger generation may think we are fuddy-duddy. It happens fast!
While we can control part of our reputation, other parts are out of our control. In the end, it is simply what others think of us.
Therefore, Thomas Paine’s quote reminds me how important character is. It is who we are behind closed doors. It is the choices we make when no one is watching.
Unfortunately, someone can have a great reputation, but lousy character… at least for a time. But I have seen so many people held in high-esteem fall because their true character was revealed. No one can keep up a charade forever. If our reputation is great, but our character is lousy, it will be revealed sooner or later.
My prayer is that all of us may have a good reputation and character. While the first may not always be in our control, the second is definitely up to us.
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by my dad’s office. I would see his typewriter and imagine pounding away at it and creating fun stories. But what really fascinated me was his carbon sheets. With it, I could draw or write something and the sheets would make a carbon copy of what was underneath.
The sheets were very useful in an age where there were no copiers or printers in a home office. Why this seven-year-old was fascinated with them, I’ll never know. After all, I could make a copy, but could I make something original with the sheets? After all, I never saw a carbon copy hung on a refrigerator door.
It took extra effort to make a copy. But even so, it was still a copy. And it wasn’t nearly as crisp or clear as the original. It took some effort to make a copy. It took even more effort to make an original from the sheets.
This quote reminds me when we try to copy others, it doesn’t feel quite as efficient as being the real thing.
“Do not be awe-struck by other people and try to copy them. Nobody can be you as efficiently as you can.”
Norman Vincent Peale (1898 – 1993)
We can certainly learn from others. After all, I still love to read and pick up tips and tricks from others. In one of Dan Roam’s books, he talks about how Dr. Seuss influenced him as a child. I learned from Dr. Seuss, as well as Charles Schulz, and scores of other writers and illustrators. It’s great to get inspired and learn from others.
We can learn from others without trying to be carbon copies. We will know we are going too far in emulating our heroes and mentors when it feels awkward. Not every trick, habit, or quirk a hero has is worth emulating. Just because Steve Jobs wore black turtle neck sweaters doesn’t mean every software developer has to follow suit.
Learn from others, yet be your own person. The world doesn’t need more carbon copies of a celebrity, mentor, or rock-star software developer. We need the latest version of you!