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Category: Living Well

We’re Auditioning Every Day

Published on March 4, 2024

What you do speaks so loudly, I can’t remember what your résumé said.

As an employer who hires almost exclusively from within my organization… my prospects for hire are auditioning every day.

…In the way they walk, talk, act, and interact with others.

Which isn’t all that different from how it works everywhere in life.

Granted, most organizations hire people they’ve never met before—but, what is it they’re looking for? Your hard skills for the job, obviously, but also… the way you walk, talk, act, and interact with others.

Which usually requires references to speak on your behalf or knowing somebody in the organization who can vouch for you.

In other words, we’re auditioning every day. And not just for our current job(s), but for our future job(s).

The way you walk, talk, act, and interact with others today will determine who you get to walk, talk, act, and interact with tomorrow.

And if you can make it your problem today to upgrade that walk, talk, act, and interaction—just watch how the problems you get to solve upgrade in your life in some future tomorrow, too.

Caring Enough To Do Our Part

Published on March 3, 2024

Today, for lunch, I ate at a local Mexican restaurant.

I ordered a bowl that I told them I was going to eat there.

And yet, they covered my bowl with a plastic lid… they put my dressing in a plastic to-go cup… they put my meal in a plastic to-go bag (my table was 10 feet away)… and the forks were all single wrapped in plastic on the side…

…And nobody blinked.

…Not even one second thought.

So I took my food to a table… took off the lid… poured on my dressing… unwrapped my fork… and sat there and just looked at all of the wasted plastic that I was going to have to needlessly throw away…

Next time… I’m going out of my way to request no lid. I’m going to ask for the dressing to be put right on top. I’m going to ask they don’t put it in a bag—a tray will do just fine. And I’m going to see if I can bring my travel reusable silverware.

Obviously, not wasting plastic isn’t in any of the employees’ job description. But, maybe it should be in our job description as humans living on this earth.

Because plastic is a problem—a major problem.

…And everybody is pointing at big companies and government officials to solve the problem.

But, if we can’t care enough to do our part in our day-to-day… don’t you think it’s pretty hypocritical of us to think “they” should not only do theirs—but enough to cover ours, too?

P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Do-Gooders

Published on March 1, 2024

Today my friend told me about this support group text that his friend started.

The friend would simply pick a person and send to the group, “Hey guys, let’s all support Mike today.”

And Mike would then become the focus of that group’s gratitude, encouragement, and support. Be it through messages, phone calls, random acts of kindness, gifts, stories, or whatever. All random name selection and came with no catch—it was simply about creating a small group of do-gooders.

And I just thought this was the greatest little big idea that I simply had to share.

Imagine how great that would feel to be the picked person for that day…

Imagine how great it would feel to be the person making others feel great for the day…

Imagine creating your own little group of do-gooders in your own family/ friend/ community group and how great it might feel to run it for a year…

Imagine starting it tonight…

Bald for Black Belt

Published on February 29, 2024

Traditionally, in the martial arts organization I work in, students were required to shave their heads for their black belt or higher degree test.

The reason was that it demonstrated humility (that you are more than your hair) and created a military-like camaraderie between candidates.

Over the years, however, due to some candidates’ religious beliefs and otherwise strong-standing beliefs about their hair—we’ve made it optional. And have since been exploring alternative means we can offer that can build a candidate’s humility all the same. Things like no make-up or jewelry for a month, no brand name clothes for a month, no social media for a month, etc.

Not only is it good to offer alternative options for those who can’t or won’t shave their heads… but it brings into conversation those who style their hair shaved all of the time anyway… the ones who get no humility benefit from the practice at all. Furthermore, girls were never made to follow this requirement and it allows them to have alternative options for humility practice, too.

…If the purpose is humility and camaraderie… then it’s something everybody should have to (get to) do with equal sacrifice. It shouldn’t be something that a few of the boys with longer hair have to do that the girls and other boys with short hair don’t have to do at all.

…Where’s the humility and camaraderie in that?

Once you understand the purpose behind the tradition… you can reverse engineer your way to more innovative means for accomplishing the same (or better) ends. It’s as the saying goes in our martial arts space: respect tradition; embrace innovation.

I’m Sick

Published on February 25, 2024

And because I’ve been planning for days like this, I knew exactly what to do.

Today that was MoveMe Weekly, short walk, foam rolling, and this email.

I cancelled everything else and have been heavy sleeping, drinking as many fluids as I can manage, and vegetating on the couch.

Healing is my top priority. And if I can keep the streak alive in some of my other priority areas… by doing my premeditated minimum viable action(s)… I won’t have to “heal” any broken streaked habits, too.

Recognizing Moments Of Truth

Published on February 22, 2024

One of my goals this year is to write one long(er) form article each week that I can either publish to MoveMe Quotes (to help with SEO) or submit to brand/magazine publications (to help spread my words to new audiences).

The first four weeks, I did just that.

The past two weeks, however, I failed.

I got caught up writing an article that I just couldn’t finish. And I let it stall me out.

This is how it goes for so many who are working hard to integrate resolutions into their lifestyle. Strong start followed by legit obstacle followed by stall out.

…But what stall outs really are are moments of truth.

…And it’s how we choose to respond to these moments that makes all the long-term difference.

Either we let the stall stall us all the way out… or we figure out a way to keep moving forward despite the stall out(s).

And so this week, I decided to pivot. Rather than try and submit longer form articles to other brand/magazine publications—I’m going to double down on publishing new articles each week to MoveMe Quotes.

Publishing to MMQ is inside my control and much more efficient whereas getting published elsewhere is not and was taking too much of my time. And while SEO might not be as “sexy” as getting published elsewhere—it’s the process of producing that’s most important.

Onward.

Your Turn: How are your resolutions going? If not so good, how can you pivot to get back on track… this is your moment of truth… how can you move forward with (and build) resilience?

Every Day Before And After Election Day

Published on February 19, 2024

Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show this past week.

And in the midst of a grim upcoming U.S. Presidential Election delivered a timely message that, at least for me, shined a light back to where the light should always be shined—especially during times when you can be made to feel small and powerless.

And it’s that very message that I felt compelled to share with you today.

“[Marketing for the U.S. Presidential Election] is going to make you feel like Tuesday, November 5, is the only day that matters. And that day does matter. But, man, November 6 ain’t nothing to sneeze at—or November 7. If your guy loses, bad things might happen. But the country is not over. And if your guy wins, the country is in no way saved. I’ve learned one thing over these last nine years. And I was glib at best and probably dismissive at worst about this. The work of making this world resemble one that you would prefer to live in is a lunch pail [bleep] job, day in and day out, where thousands of committed, anonymous, smart, and dedicated people bang on closed doors and pick up those that are fallen and grind away on issues till they get a positive result. And even then, have to stay on to make sure that result holds. So the good news is I’m not saying you don’t have to worry about who wins the election. I’m saying you have to worry about every day before it and every day after—forever.”

Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

P.s. You can watch his full 20 minute monologue here.