I worked on a project for several weeks where I had to pay ten dollars every day for parking.
And then, surprisingly, got reimbursed at the end for all of it.
It was a nice little check. Those fees really added up. I didn’t realize. Just ten dollars a day…but the seeing cumulative total was a great surprise.
You probably see the metaphor. Little by little. The seemingly small, consistent deposits we make into our work and relationships add up to more than we often imagine while making them.
Yes, they won't last but it doesn't mean they're not real doesn't mean you can't use them to your advantage.
Professionals show up and do the hard work on a regular basis regardless of if the magic shows up…
But sometimes the magic does show up. You can attract it but you can’t control it. So when it enters the room, don’t stop. Don’t be so arrogant as to think you can take a break from the magic and it’ll still be there when you come back tomorrow.
Chances are it won’t be. You will still show up to work, like a pro, but that extra special thing is fickle. Hold on as long as you can.
»» And eventually it always dissipates. It’s ok. Keep working. It’ll come back.
Here’s an interesting exercise…
Get out some sticky notes. Write down the names of the people who get a vote in your life…people you’ve decided to let into your decision making, people you confide in and influence your norms and challenge you.
Maybe you only have one or two, or maybe ten…it doesn’t really matter the number. Seeing those names written down on sticky notes are a great reminder of whose thoughts and opinions you care about and for…but the act of writing them down has the added benefit of recognizing that everyone else is excluded.
And that’s the spoiler of the exercise. The people you wrote down, it’s only those people, no one else!…I’m willing to bet you didn’t write down a news anchor or someone you follow on Instagram…you probably didn’t write down most of the people in your family, a sports star, a rockstar or even a blogger.
And that’s the way it should be.
So when anyone not on the sticky notes gets too loud, whether literally or metaphorically...you can be kind and respectful and know they just don't get a vote.
»» A related point worth noting here…it does you no good to not care what anyone thinks. There’s an idea floating around that not caring what anyone thinks is the highest form of self actualization. It’s not. If you achieve it, the only reward is continued loneliness. Rather…knowing whose thoughts you care about…that is highly valuable and worth considering.
You’ll immediately start looking for something non-obvious. And the non-obvious aspects are the most fun to get into.
Some people think all cars are pretty much the same…and then there’s people who see and appreciate the differences and the fact that no two cars are the same. The second group of people have more fun with cars.
The details are the fun.
Same goes guitars or hiking trails or mutual funds.
»» The real gift when asking a question like this is it makes the person answering it feel smart for noticing something not everyone notices. It makes them feel as special as the detail they are pointing out.
Most artists at most festivals get one light…the sun.
Playing outside in the day time. Hot and blindingly bright.
You’re playing with the lights on unless you’re the headliner or almost the headliner. Fully illuminated. Fully exposed. Brightly lit you.
No lights to help stimulate the audience. No lights to guide the audience’s attention. No black outs between songs to help mitigate the silence. No darkness to hide the faces of the crowd. No lasers. No smoke machine.
You’re left with the raw connective power of your songs and performance.
So if you can win a crowd at a festival with the lights on, you can win pretty much anywhere.