April fools

The first day in April is often filled with pranks and jokes. And if we happen to remember the occasion, we’re a little more suspicious on April Fools’ Day. We expect some lighthearted gags and high jinks, and we’re on the lookout.

But with the prevalence of scams and phishing schemes, it seems like we’re already on the lookout year round. Do I open that email? Do I click on that hyperlink? Is the person on the phone who they say they are? Is this a trick?

It’s a sad reality. However, in a culture of widespread scams and deceit, individuals and businesses who are honest, trustworthy, and who aim to be virtuous... they’re more valuable than ever. For us, it’s an opportunity to shine.

stephen
Limit the staring

When it comes to creative work, obsession can be a good thing. Drive. Grit. Commitment.

And after the project is complete, it can often be satisfying to stand back from the work and to admire what we’ve accomplished.

But we have to limit the staring.

It’s quite possible to get stuck admiring what we’ve done. But don’t be tempted into complacency.

We have to move on to the next great thing we will do.

Let others do the admiring while we get back to work.

stephen
Saying, “Yes.”

When you agree to satisfy a request, you can say, “Yes, I’ll do that.”

You can also say, “Yes, I’ll do that. Here are all the special arrangements I’ll make in order to meet your request...”

And then you can explain the logistics, how you’ll coordinate the details, and the scheduling changes that will be required.

That second method is cousin to giving someone a gift and then telling them how much you paid for it.

Don’t list your efforts as though you’re investing in the level of anticipated thanks.

Most of the time, it’s best to just give the gift.

stephen
The best kind of friends

Every friendship takes a unique journey. Sometimes contact is frequent. Sometimes there are quiet spells. There are ups and there are downs.

But where there is relationship... where there’s a desire for connection... where there is love… good friends pick up right where they left off.

Time becomes fluid and fond memories from years ago feel like they were made yesterday.

Laugh. Cry. Laugh until you cry, and embrace those friendships as the precious gifts that they are.

stephen
The hard task

If a task is really hard, it could be that you require preternatural strength, skill, and determination.

But it’s also possible that you’re doing it the wrong way.

Sure, some things are impossibly difficult. But there are also times when we push on a pull door... and we’re so absorbed with applying effort that we fail to step back and reevaluate.

stephen
Light and dark

When you’re in a pool of light surrounded by darkness... maybe you’re not under an interrogation lamp.

Maybe it’s not a searchlight.

Maybe it’s a spotlight, and it’s your turn to perform.

stephen
Organizing volunteers

When you’ve solicited volunteers, you need a plan.

Volunteers like helping. They like being useful. They like following directions. They like to contribute.

Showing up is a way of saying, “I’m here. I’m ready. Tell me what to do.”

Volunteers who haven’t been given direction are frustrated volunteers.

Don’t be afraid to delegate. And since you can’t delegate without a plan, start with the plan.

stephen
What work looks like

What does it look like when someone’s working?

  • Sitting at a desk?

  • Reading a book?

  • Talking to a co-worker?

  • Squinting at a spreadsheet?

  • Moving physical objects?

  • Staring out a window?

  • Answering the phone?

  • Replying to an email?

Any one of these tasks could be actual work. But not necessarily. The point is, sometimes the important work doesn’t really look like work. And sometimes busy-looking people aren’t actually working.

stephen
Diving in

You don’t dive into the shallow end; that’s a perilous thing to do. You go where it’s deep. Where you can be fully immersed.

So it is with what you read, and the conversations you have. Diving into the shallow stuff is asking for trouble.

Wade into the shoals if you’d like… but when it’s time to dive, do it where there’s depth.

stephen
Viral news

There’s always a viral news story. Always.

Whether we follow its every detail is up to us. We get to choose.

For those times when we lose focus... when we forget the importance of the work we do and the change we seek to make... those viral news stories welcome us with open arms and a rabbit hole of hyperlinks.

We have to remember: reading the news can inform the work, but reading the news is not the work.

stephen
The unexpected and unknown

The thought, “I’ve never had to deal with this before,” can be paralyzing.

And yet, we find a way. We always find a way.

I’ve read that Buddhist master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche once said, “The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. The good news is, there’s no ground.”

* * *

May we learn to navigate the winds gracefully, knowing that whatever we face — sunrise or sunset — we’ll find a way. We will learn, we will grow, and with each moment, the beauty of our own story will continue to unfold.

stephen
Arriving with coffee

Better to show up to the meeting on time, without your coffee... than to show up late with a steaming cup of java.

No one is particularly concerned about your caffeine intake. They care that you show up on time.

stephen
An invitation to play

It’s like you’re at the school dance. Or the playground. Sometimes, kind souls will see you on the sidelines and invite you in. They’ll say, “Come. Come play. Come dance.” But many times, no one extends that invitation. They might not even see you at all (so it would seem).

If you so choose, you can stand on the side until it’s time to go home.

But we’re not meant to do that. We’re not created to watch idly. We’re made to dance and to play. Even if we have to invite ourselves in.

Don’t waste this moment. Don’t wait in anticipation of that kind invitation. Shake off your hesitation, and be alive. Enter the game. And if you want... you can be that kind soul. Look to the sidelines. There are always people waiting there.

stephen
How good is your word?

Does your word carry weight? That is, when you say, “I'll take care of it,” how truthful is the statement?

Do you mean that the job will be done in a reasonable time-frame?

Or that after months of delay, you’ll finally get around to it?

Or that it will get done only after you’ve been reminded multiple times?

If it’s anything but the first scenario, don’t be surprised when people aren’t eager to hear you say, “I’ll take care of it.”

stephen
One too many

There’s a tipping point where things can start to go wrong. One too many errors, one too many occupants, one too many violations, one too many drinks...

It’s a mistake, however, to worry about “one too many” when considering acts of kindness, generosity, mercy, and forgiveness. Don’t hold back.

stephen
Up on your soap box

Standing on a soap box might help you to be heard in a crowd. But if your soap box gets to be too tall — we’re being literal with the metaphor here — you’ll lose touch with the people you seek to reach. They won’t be able to hear you, and you won’t be able to hear them. Eventually, people will forget you’re way up there on that soap box, and they’ll just walk away.

stephen
Where are the cheering crowds?

When you can’t hear the encouragement…

When you can’t see the supporters…

When you think they’ve forgotten about you…

It could be that you’re running a marathon. That your journey takes you along paths where there’s no place for spectators.

And that soon — any moment now — you’ll turn another corner and see them. You’ll hear the cheering. You’ll feel their love for you, and you’ll realize that they’ve been rooting for you the whole time... even from afar.

stephen
When to push

Pushing at the right time matters.

It matters in childbirth.

It matters in negotiation.

It matters in sport.

It matters in creativity.

It’s not about pushing your hardest at every moment. It’s about pushing hard at the right moment.

The concept of “Wait for it...

...and, NOW.”

The timing matters.

stephen
A change in the weather

There’s nothing quite like a bright, sunny day following a stretch of bleak midwinter. Sometimes those gray skies last so long that we forget how the sun feels on our face.

In a broader sense, we need occasional reminders that night is a season, and that joy comes in the morning. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea that things will never change (whether they’re good or bad)... until, of course, they do change.

The trick is in navigating that constant change. Not avoiding it, but navigating it. Leaning forward, seeking the bright spots, and dancing throughout the journey.

 
Along Pennsylvania Route 26 near Pleasant Gap.

Along Pennsylvania Route 26 near Pleasant Gap.

 
stephen
Fear and rejection

If I share my thoughts, I could be rejected. If I publish my work, it could be ignored. If I say something, I might look stupid.

All true.

But the alternative is worse.

If I don’t share my thoughts... If I don’t publish my work... If I don’t say something...

Put the fear aside. Find a corner, and tuck it away. Share. Publish. Speak.

Forget about being rejected. Do the rejection yourself and reject the fear.

stephen