When someone says, ‘That band is terrible’, it’s usually a statement about the quality. Probably a horrible drummer, bad singer, no hooks…the only thing that’s memorable is that they are terrible. Never to be heard from again.
On the other hand…
When someone says, ‘I hate that band’, now we’re onto something. To draw out an extreme emotion from someone means there’s something happening. Something powerful. Powerful enough to hate…powerful enough to love.
Most people reading this blog have spent weeks and months and years amplifying and fine tuning their work ethic…and in doing so, the work is really great.
I heard the term ‘rest ethic’ for the first time recently and it’s been stuck in my head ever since.
It’s not the opposite of worth ethic. Rather, they go hand in hand.
We all start out thinking we can be just like the people who are really great.
Then comes a long season where the greats are up there I’m down here and I suck and I’ll never achieve what they’ve achieved.
Up next is…I’m done with the comparison game I’m just gonna do my thing because what I do can’t be compared to anyone else.
After this, if you’re not careful you’ll loop back to the second stage of…they are the anointed ones I’m not anointed so I’m just screwed.
But if you can truly move past this stage you’ll see this…
There really are people who are more skilled at this than me, which helps me know where I stand…and also reminds me that at one point they passed through my skill level too on the way to where they are. Which leads to,
I’m great at what I do and I can still learn a lot from the others. And they can learn a lot from me. We can compare (and appreciate) our skills and our skill level. I know where my place is at the table and that unlocks a freedom to connect with everyone at the table…and to keep getting better.
While you’re busy building your career, your life is being built too…even if you don’t notice it.
What do you want your life to look like? might be a better starting place than What do you want your career to look like?
Things like…
What time do you want to wake up in the morning?
Do you want to cook dinner with your family on a regular basis?
What are weekends for?
What do fulfilling relationships look like to you?
Is it more important for you to live where there are sidewalks or forests?
How often do you want to see your parents?
Do you want kids and what are they going to learn by observing you?
How do you refuel?
Do you want to be bumped into more often or have people be surprised to see you?
How do you want the vibe to change when you walk into a room?