Quotes on quotes on quotes

Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark places where it leads. ¾Erica Jong

When I first read this quote, I thought oh, why does having a talent always have to be some dark emotional thing? Upon further inspection, I’ve come to understand that what the quote is saying is that your talent will lead you to places you could never have imagined. Exploring a talent means stepping into the unknown, discovering the possibility that you have no limits. Going into the depths of your talent and potential is dark at first, simply because you had yet to unveil all that is there.

Boom.

And that is how you break down a quote. It amazes me that I am not an English teacher. It really does. 

Feeling a lot calmer after reading this article

I found this article on Yahoo! the other day and thought it was beneficial enough to post here. The article title is 20 Things 20 Year Olds Don’t Get. It’s written by Jason Nazar. You’re welcome all.  

1.   Time is Not a Limitless Commodity – I so rarely find young professionals that have a heightened sense of urgency to get to the next level. In our 20s we think we have all the time in the world to A) figure it out and B) get what we want. Time is the only treasure we start off with in abundance, and can never get back. Make the most of the opportunities you have today, because there will be a time when you have no more of it.

2.   You're Talented, But Talent is Overrated – Congratulations, you may be the most capable, creative, knowledgeable & multi-tasking generation yet. As my father says, “I’ll Give You a Sh-t Medal.” Unrefined raw materials (no matter how valuable) are simply wasted potential. There’s no prize for talent, just results. Even the most seemingly gifted folks methodically and painfully worked their way to success.

3.   We’re More Productive in the Morning – During my first 2 years at Docstoc (while I was still in my 20’s) I prided myself on staying at the office until 3am on a regular basis. I thought I got so much work done in those hours long after everyone else was gone. But in retrospect I got more menial, task-based items done, not the more complicated strategic planning, phone calls or meetings that needed to happen during business hours. Now I stress an office-wide early start time because I know, for the most part, we’re more productive as a team in those early hours of the day.

4.   Social Media is Not a Career – These job titles won’t exist in 5 years. Social media is simply a function of marketing; it helps support branding, ROI or both. Social media is a means to get more awareness, more users or more revenue.  It’s not an end in itself. I’d strongly caution against pegging your career trajectory solely to a social media job title.

5.   Pick Up the Phone – Stop hiding behind your computer. Business gets done on the phone and in person.  It should be your first instinct, not last, to talk to a real person and source business opportunities. And when the Internet goes down… stop looking so befuddled and don’t ask to go home. Don’t be a pansy, pick up the phone.

6.   Be the First In & Last to Leave ­– I give this advice to everyone starting a new job or still in the formative stages of their professional career. You have more ground to make up than everyone else around you, and you do have something to prove. There’s only one sure-fire way to get ahead, and that’s to work harder than all of your peers.

7.   Don't Wait to Be Told What to Do – You can’t have a sense of entitlement without a sense of responsibility. You’ll never get ahead by waiting for someone to tell you what to do. Saying “nobody asked me to do this” is a guaranteed recipe for failure. Err on the side of doing too much, not too little.

8.   Take Responsibility for Your Mistakes – You should be making lots of mistakes when you’re early on in your career.  But you shouldn’t be defensive about errors in judgment or execution. Stop trying to justify your F-ups. You’re only going to grow by embracing the lessons learned from your mistakes, and committing to learn from those experiences.

9.   You Should Be Getting Your Butt Kicked – Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” would be the most valuable boss you could possibly have. This is the most impressionable, malleable and formative stage of your professional career. Working for someone that demands excellence and pushes your limits every day will build the most solid foundation for your ongoing professional success.

10. A New Job a Year Isn't a Good Thing ­­– 1-year stints don't tell me that you’re so talented that you keep outgrowing your company. It tells me that you don’t have the discipline to see your own learning curve through to completion. It takes about 2-3 years to master any new critical skill, give yourself at least that much time before you jump ship. Otherwise your resume reads as a series of red flags on why not to be hired.

11. People Matter More Than Perks – It’s so trendy to pick the company that offers the most flex time, unlimited meals, company massages, game rooms and team outings. Those should all matter, but not as much as the character of your founders and managers. Great leaders will mentor you and will be a loyal source of employment long after you’ve left. Make a conscious bet on the folks you’re going to work for and your commitment to them will pay off much more than those fluffy perks.

12. Map Effort to Your Professional Gain – You’re going to be asked to do things you don’t like to do. Keep your eye on the prize. Connect what you’re doing today, with where you want to be tomorrow. That should be all the incentive you need. If you can’t map your future success to your current responsibilities, then it’s time to find a new opportunity.

13. Speak Up, Not Out – We’re raising a generation of sh-t talkers. In your workplace this is a cancer. If you have issues with management, culture or your role & responsibilities, SPEAK UP. Don’t take those complaints and trash-talk the company or co-workers on lunch breaks and anonymous chat boards. If you can effectively communicate what needs to be improved, you have the ability to shape your surroundings and professional destiny.

14. You HAVE to Build Your Technical Chops – Adding “Proficient in Microsoft Office” at the bottom of your resume under Skills, is not going to cut it anymore. I immediately give preference to candidates who are ninjas in: Photoshop, HTML/CSS, iOS, WordPress, Adwords, MySQL, Balsamiq, advanced Excel, Final Cut Pro – regardless of their job position. If you plan to stay gainfully employed, you better complement that humanities degree with some applicable technical chops.

15. Both the Size and Quality of Your Network Matter – It’s who you know more than what you know, that gets you ahead in business. Knowing a small group of folks very well, or a huge smattering of contacts superficially, just won’t cut it. Meet and stay connected to lots of folks, and invest your time developing as many of those relationships as possible.

16. You Need At Least 3 Professional Mentors – The most guaranteed path to success is to emulate those who’ve achieved what you seek. You should always have at least 3 people you call mentors who are where you want to be. Their free guidance and counsel will be the most priceless gift you can receive. 

17. Pick an Idol & Act “As If” – You may not know what to do, but your professional idol does. I often coach my employees to pick the businessperson they most admire, and act “as if.” If you were (fill in the blank) how would he or she carry themselves, make decisions, organize his/her day, accomplish goals? You’ve got to fake it until you make it, so it’s better to fake it as the most accomplished person you could imagine.

18. Read More Books, Less Tweets/Texts – Your generation consumes information in headlines and 140 characters:  all breadth and no depth. Creativity, thoughtfulness and thinking skills are freed when you’re forced to read a full book cover to cover. All the keys to your future success, lay in the past experience of others. Make sure to read a book a month (fiction or non-fiction) and your career will blossom.

19. Spend 25% Less Than You Make – When your material needs meet or exceed your income, you’re sabotaging your ability to really make it big. Don’t shackle yourself with golden handcuffs (a fancy car or an expensive apartment). Be willing and able to take 20% less in the short term, if it could mean 200% more earning potential. You’re nothing more than penny wise and pound-foolish if you pass up an amazing new career opportunity to keep an extra little bit of income. No matter how much money you make, spend 25% less to support your life. It’s a guaranteed formula to be less stressed and to always have the flexibility to pursue your dreams.

20. Your Reputation is Priceless, Don’t Damage It – Over time, your reputation is the most valuable currency you have in business. It’s the invisible key that either opens or closes doors of professional opportunity. Especially in an age where everything is forever recorded and accessible, your reputation has to be guarded like the most sacred treasure.  It’s the one item that, once lost, you can never get back.

Well exxccccuuuuussseee me!

“This next song is called I think my masseuse is a little too chatty.” ─Steve Martin

On Thursday John, my dad and I went to see Steve Martin at the Chicago Theater. I had high expectations for the show because, well, it’s Steve Martin and he’s the greatest comedian of all time. Let me tell you, no one in that audience was disappointed. I can’t speak for everyone, but I was in laughter tears for the first 30 minutes of the show. The man is genius, pure and simple.

Side note: the Steep Canyon Rangers are insanely talented. The hair on my arms and neck were standing up the entire time they played. So good. So worth every penny of the tickets.

“Thank you everyone for coming out. If you didn’t have a good time, well, you’re wrong.” ─Steve Martin

Good quote day.

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. ¾H.L. Hunt

Fuck yes. Are you kidding me with this quote? It’s beyond brilliant and perfect for me right now. I’ve said it consistently since puberty, my priorities are always off from people of my age. I’m not saying better, quite the opposite, just different.

For example, when people were taking college as an excuse to drink past the point of date rape, I was in the library reading before going to the rec center. When people graduated and decided to make bars their second home, I was nestled up to Microsoft Word trying to type out the next chapter of my book. While most people are so obsessed with hooking up with everyone and anyone, I was always stubbornly picky about who I spent any of my time with.

The quote above makes me feel less alone. Less of a loser for having my priorities be slightly askew from common society of my age group. The more I roll over the topic in my head, the more I realize that my feelings of being an outsider may shift if I just start surrounding myself with like-minded individuals.

Until then, I am off to write. 

13.1 miles, uhh CHECK

This weekend was phenomenal!

Friday after work I went to Laugh Out Loud to learn how to do lights and music for the show (teching a show for those of you in the biz). After a 40 minute training sesh, a bartender needing to leave, and us scrambling to fill every position, I ended up teching the second show all by myself. Was I a little proud of myself? Uh you can bet your sweet as I was.

Race Day! My oh-so-handsome man

Saturday was Date Day for John and me. We went to the race expo in Chicago to pick up our numbers for the race and to get our SWAG bags. So many free samples of protein and soy products. We went to Navy Pier walked around and went to Margaritaville. The drinks there were outrageously delicious.

I ordered the fish and chips. When it arrived I dove right into eating it, breaking apart a piece of fish, I noticed there was writing on the breading. I gave it to John to look at. The manager walked by and John (with a complete straight face) said Is this how we get our checks? A receipt must have fallen into the batter while the fish were frying. We ended up getting the entire meal for free along with a dessert. It was righteous and awesome. Don’t worry, I left our server a great tips.

Then it was Sunday. Race Day. Day that should be known as I’m outta my (semi) right mind. Got up at 2:45am to pick up John by 4. Got to the city pretty fast and walked to the food tent to get some bagels and bananners. After waiting in the port-o-potty line to poop, we were on our way to the start line. Blah blah blah. Run run run. I finished in 2 hours and 13 minutes. Which is insane! Last year I finished in 2 hours and 27 minutes, so I’m essentially amazing.

Overall, pretty incredible weekend. My knees hurt. My feet are cramping up but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Here’s to an awesome week ahead!  

And that's all I got to say about that

It’s odd how one day you wake up and feel the effect of how far you’ve come. Some days I find myself practically weeping with gratitude knowing I’m not who I was, yet humbled knowing the effort it took to get to where I am.

The saying is true; progress can only be seen backwards. Or maybe I’m just paraphrasing a Steve Jobs quote. Regardless, it’s always hard to see the road ahead when you’re plagued with the strenuous time and energy needed to complete the task.

I find it hard sometimes to stay motivated, like I know most people do. I constantly have to remind myself to take it one day at a time; to do just one small thing a day that will get me closer to my goal. It’s easier to accomplish anything by breaking it down into almost embarrassingly small parts. Most fear comes from being overwhelmed; with tasks that seem insurmountable. Better to make tiny progress than to never attempt the journey at all.

Hope this gets you through the day

Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. ¾Plato

To eliminate fear

The following text is an excerpt taken from Robert Maurer’s One small step can change your life: The kaizen way.

A drunk is on his hands and knees looking for his keys under a streetlight. A policeman approaches him and asks, “What are you doing?”

The drunk replies in a slurred voice, “I’m looking for my keys.”

The policeman further inquires, “Where did you drop them?”

The drunk says, “Over there,” pointing to the end of the city block.

The policeman scratched his head and says, “If you dropped them over there, why are you looking for them over here?”

And the drunk replies, “Because the light is better over here.”

When life gets scary and difficult, we tend to look for solutions in places where it is easy or at least familiar to do so, and not in the dark, uncomfortable places where real solutions might lie.

Words enough to shift your view

What shapes our lives are the questions we ask, refuse to ask, or never think to ask. ¾Sam Keen

You won't have to wait forever

“Take one small daily action instead of indulging in the big questions. When we allow ourselves to wallow in the big questions, we fail to find the small answers. This is the concept of change grounded in respect─ respect for where we are as well as where we wish to go.” –Julia Cameron The Artist’s Way

I’ll admit I sometimes get bogged down in the big picture of life. How can you not? I’m not blaming Facebook and social media because they're a great way to communicate in our digital culture. But sometimes I’m afraid to log on. Why? Because I don’t know if I can handle knowing so many people are getting married, or having kids, or buying a house. I see those updates and think congrats that’s awesome!  And then another part of me thinks and here comes the darkness.

I don’t obsess over the fact that people my age seem to have shit figured out. It honestly catches me off guard most times. I’m so involved in my own damn life and trying to figure out little nuances, that I forget where other people are.

The advice I usually get from people I care about is to trust that you are exactly where you need to be. This is phenomenal advice, but sometimes hard to swallow as the truth. It is difficult to be patient for future plans to become a reality. But I think that’s just the point. The things you want will not come to you until you are good and ready.

So if you are sitting around, feeling like you’re waiting forever for your big break at work, or a relationship to be taken to the next level or whatever, stop for a moment. Look around and try to see what lesson the universe is trying to teach you. There’s probably some big issue you are not able to resolve or work through, that’s why you’re at a standstill or going through the same thing over and over again.

Listen to the universe. Know that you are right where you need to be. Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s journey; that’s a discredit to your talents and gifts. Above all, trust that everything will work out even better than your properly planned plans.

Happy Screw Off England Day

Misery will be fine without you

“Many of us equate difficulty with virtue─ and art with fooling around. A terrible job must be building our moral fiber. Something that comes to us easily and seems compatible with us must be some sort of cheap trick, not to be taken seriously. Creativity lives in paradox: serious art is born from serious play.” –Julia Cameron The Artist’s Way

I know I moan and complain rather a lot about the topic of working in the corporate world. That’s why the line in the above quote ─a terrible job must be building our moral fiber─ definitely struck a nerve.

For most of us, the saying what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger is a badge of honor we wear. We proudly display our horrendous jobs; the fact that stress is weighing down on our emotional and physical well-being. We act like it’s courageous that we stay in these lousy jobs. We pretend there is no way out.

The truth is there is a simple way out; simple, yet hard. Following your ambitions and going after your soul’s desire is not something for the faint of heart. It seems that it’s easier to settle than it is to take that leap into the unknown.

So often we get consumed by the comfort of misery. We stay in the awful because it is familiar; we know what to expect. If we venture outside of that realm, what should we expect? The unknown and the expanding and often overwhelming world of what if is enough to keep our feet planted for a lifetime.

I hope that if you’re reading this, you feel uncomfortable. That uneasy feeling is your heart telling you that you’re not letting yourself reach your full potential. You have the ability to be amazing. The world needs you more than you’ll know. Do yourself and mankind a favor and go after whatever it is that makes your body vibrate. We need you to come alive.   

Then and now

“Mistakes are necessary. Stumbles are normal. These are baby steps. Progress, not perfection, is what we should be asking of ourselves.” 

–Julia Cameron The Artist’s Way

The more I live, the more I realize how much of life is just a journey of improvement. Everyday is a new opportunity to create the life you want by committing yourself to small acts of improvement.

When I was younger, it was hard to imagine any time in the future. I remember being in 6^th grade and thinking high school was a lifetime away. Now that I’m nearing my 25^th birthday, I am more able to compartmentalize time and efforts. For example, running the half marathon involves a three month training program. You really do need every day to be amply prepared for the race (let’s be honest, even with proper preparation, 13.1 miles is still a hefty number to run). Because of the daily commitment I make to training, I slowly feel my body getting stronger and able to run faster. With only two and a half weeks left until the race, I can tell the difference between then and now.

Then and now.

Sometimes small changes happening consistently on a daily basis make it hard to see an improvement from one day to the next. That is until you wake up and you feel the solid line of then versus now.