Category Archives: Life

And you’ll be fine

On the first day of school, you wanted:

  • To be liked.
  • To be remembered.
  • To be included.

So, you heard, “Just play nice” from your parents, “and you’ll be fine.”

Good thing first days of school are over.

The same basic advice, though, goes for adult versions of the first day of school.

Don’t be a dick.

Auditions

If you treat every day like it’s an audition, you’ll get burnt out.

But, if you treat six out of seven days like it’s an audition, you’ll thrive in whatever part you’re seeking.

Of course, if you never audition, you’ll never get out of the audience.

You trying out?

Looking back

On this day, two years ago, I quit my job.

It was relatively easy, go-with-the-flow, and came with an abundance of certainty.

Today, I:

  • Work harder.
  • Have more pressure.
  • Face the unknown on a daily basis.

But, I have no regrets.

Only that I wish I hadn’t waited so long.

Who to help

If you’re trying to make the average person better, you have two choices.

  • Help a few that are way below the average get a lot better.
  • Help a bunch that are slightly above average get a little bit better.

The former might be more lucrative, but the latter is more likely to bring up the average.

Thanks for that

There’s a chance that our conversation inspires something I publish here.

Maybe it was something you said. Maybe it was something I said. Maybe it was just one of those things.

But no doubt, I learned something.

And hopefully some other will too.

So thanks for that. Let’s talk again soon.

Your friend,
Uncle Leo

Really, I don’t

If you’re buying a puppy from a breeder, I don’t judge.

If you’re still a cigarette smoker, I don’t judge.

If you’re using corporal punishment on your children, I don’t judge.

But given we’re in 2014, I may think your actions indicate acute brain damage.

And if that’s the case, it’s all the more reason not to judge.

The day before the day

The day you leave for vacation.

  • You jump out of bed.
  • You get tons done.
  • You’re excited for tonight.
  • You leave the office satisfied.

Surely you can’t go on vacation every day.

But being that energized, productive, excited and accomplished shouldn’t be exclusive to the day you leave for vacation, right?

All it took was an agenda you made yesterday.

Mr. Fix What?

You can have all the solutions.

  • A strategy for productivity (what I spoke about at WordCamp Tampa last weekend).
  • A software application for tracking cash flow (what I worked on for five years).
  • An all-in-one kitchen appliance (what I’ve been an authority on lately).

But until there’s an antagonist or pain-point or problem, nobody has the capacity to consider your solution.

Ignorance and contempt

Giving your boss two weeks notice is like breaking up with him or her.

“Hey, I’m moving on. Movers will be here in two weeks.”

How do you expect this person to react?

Well, let me rephrase that.

How would you react if you were just dumped?

There you go.

Don’t take it personally.

More easy, more problems

It would be easy to skip the conference. Easy to use the same lesson plans. Easy to tell the same jokes. Easy to take the promotion. Easy to choose the largest offer.

But…

Easy is often the least satisfying, least fulfilling, least wise decision to make.

So…

Your move, decision maker.