Category: Uncategorized
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Safe harbour is not what great ships are built for
This is my last post on Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ short essay “You were made for this”. The final idea of this amazing piece is about the purpose of great ships. “When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are…
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Rest is better than injury
Sometimes rest isn’t what we want, but it’s what we need. It might mean we don’t make the progress we want, but it’s better than backsliding due to pushing too hard and getting into injury territory.
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Getting on a roll
Everything is harder from a standing start. The status quo has no motion. But when we make tiny gains, we build momentum which we can use to fuel bigger and bolder moves. If we can string enough moves together we can get “on a roll” where the effort to move from one point to the…
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A tale of two questions
One of the reasons why people mis-trust politicians is because of how they answer questions. They will often answer the question they had hoped to be asked, rather than the question they actually were asked. This is infuriating for anyone listening as it means the answer is at best, deeply unsatisfying and at worst, a…
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Not everyone is ready for reason
And in any case – reason isn’t always the best way to make a point. Some need a narrative. Some need to see it in action (whatever “it” may be). Some need social proof. Some need time. Some neeed to think it was their idea. Some need cajoling. Some need an incentive. Most need to…
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Test First, Love Later
Don’t wait for an idea to become solid before you give it a crack. Test it early and quickly. Test it while it’s still elastic. Before you’re attached to it. Before you’ve given it a name. You don’t want to become attached to a shit idea, so test it before you fall in love with…
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We can’t die on every beach
On the surface, this is just another “pick your battles” saying, but I like this one the best because it properly speaks to the cost of taking a stand. When we dig our heels in and insist on something, we’re paying a price. We’re burning something – energy, good-will, time, effort, money or bridges. And…
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Bright spots can’t cover black holes
I saw a movie last night called The Creator, and it looks spectacular. The production design, costume, set design and makeup are all amazing. The locations are stunning and its commitment to various dimensions of inclusivity are refreshing. But it’s a movie not a painting, and no matter how beautiful it looks, if the fundamentals…
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Understanding the ecosystem
With enough resource and effort, we can get results under almost any circumstances. We can throw time and money at a process to get it started but we’ll need to constantly intervene to keep it from collapsing. For example, ethics aside, we could keep a fish alive in a martini glass for an extended period…
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Change, power and set-backs
When we make change, we’re pushing against the status quo. The status quo has power, inertia, tradition and status. Change terrifies the status quo. When you’re at the top, it feels like there is only one way to go. Change is the worst nightmare of those winning, what they think is a zero sum game.…