Not So Dreamy

When you have the opportunity to see some of your dreams become reality…the dreams aren’t quite so dreamy.

Let me clarify…

They can be just as rich and monumental and meaningful, but you find out the gritty, boring, long term work that has to happen…which isn’t quite as fun as that late night conversation pouring out the dreams of your heart.

It’s great to dream. But whichever dream you decide to put action behind, you’re choosing to take out some of the romanticism in favor of building it into a reality.

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Zaxbys Nibblerz

I met the guy who makes the buns for Zaxbys Nibblerz.

He doesn’t own a restaurant. He doesn’t manage one. He doesn’t come up with the menu items, or train the cashiers.

He makes one part of one menu item for a chicken place. And has a wildly successful business.

If you’ve been trying to open a restaurant for a while and it’s just not working…consider a career making the buns.

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Step By Step

We love a good step by step process. We identify where we are, where we need to go next and what victory looks like when we complete the last step.

i.e. Here are the steps, now go as fast as you can.

But some processes aren’t meant to speed through…

Making a friend

Writing a song

Building a culture

Grieving a loss

There are books and outlines and podcasts and courses on topics like these, and while they’re helpful, it’s easy to think that if you’re not completing the final step that you must be behind in the game.

The goal isn’t to get to the end. Speed isn’t a key ingredient. Rather, the goal is to experience the sturdiness that comes from each step.

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Filling The Need

In business we spend a lot of time convincing the other people that they need what we’re offering.

It’s impossible to know what the group of people needs but we make an assertion, put action behind it, and see how it plays out.

In business this is great.

But in relationships it’s better to just ask what the other person needs rather than spending time guessing and putting energy into filling a need that isn’t needed.

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The Talent Show

Talent shows and contests used to be a great way to get discovered…plucked from obscurity and launched into stardom.

A bunch of acts submit material to an unknown submission board. The board picks five or six for the talent show. A group of judges say who won. The winner is elated and gets a prize and respect. The losers are sad and gear up for next year.

But now the losers don’t have to wait until next year..and the winner only gets a few minutes to celebrate before the Talent Show is asking for more.

The problem with talent shows back then and the Talent Show going on every second of everyday is that no one knows the criteria. And in the Talent Show no one knows who the judges are or what they’re judging or even what the prize pack includes.

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Dramatic Reading. Dramatic Hearing.

We’re all familiar with what a dramatic reading is. It’s a lot like dramatic speaking (which we’re also familiar with), only the words come from a book or a poem or another form of literature.

More emphasis and movement and inflections and hand gestures and eye brows up or down.

But the idea of ‘dramatic hearing’ is something that’s easy to get a little too good at without realizing it…taking a few words or sentences someone says and extrapolating an entire narrative about the intent of the speaker, the near and distant consequences, what it will mean for me, what does this say about them, and how does that effect my connection with them.

Lay down the dramatic hearing and simply listen.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple