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Getting Lost in Just Doing
Sometimes we get discouraged about ourselves: we think, “I’m not doing a good job, I’m not disciplined, I’m not good enough, I suck.” Or something like that.
What can we do? Give ourselves a pep talk? (Sure!) Find something to appreciate about ourselves that’s awesome? (Yes!)
Another approach, highly recommended, is to just forget about it.
When we’re discouraged about ourselves, we’re doing a lot of hand-wringing about why we’re not good enough, not amazing enough, not successful enough, not special enough. But what’s so important about being special? Why are we so preoccupied with that? It’s a waste of brain cycles.
Instead, just pick something to work on. Write something, draw something, program something, animate something, sew something. It doesn’t matter. Anything that your heart is drawn to.
Set an intention for this activity: I’m doing this out of compassion for others, out of love for myself, to meet my commitment to so and so.
Now get started: begin actually doing it. Don’t worry about whether you’ll do it for 10 minutes or an hour. Don’t worry about how good you’ll be at it, or what people will think of it, or whether you’ll succeed or not. Those are not relevant to the task.
Just do. Put your mind completely in the activity, in the motion and ideas and emotions, in your body and breath and surroundings. Be completely mindful, completely immersed.
And this child inside yourself, worried about being special? He or she disappears. Gets lost, as you become immersed in the doing.
Try it now. Pick something, set an intention, and start doing. And lose yourself in the doing. (Thank you, Leo Babauta)
With kind regards,
Dieter Langenecker
ReThink – Towards Ethical Paradigms
What compelled followers to dedicate themselves with such passion to the visions of Christ, Buddha, Gandhi, Confucius, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Jefferson, Washington, and Nelson Mandela? They were inspired more than motivated. Martin Luther King Jr. did not say, “I have a strategic plan!”. And Mother Teresa did not have a quality program – she didn’t need one. (Lance Secretan)
Warmly,
Dieter Langenecker
You’re Not Doing Life Wrong
There’s an everpresent underlying feeling that most of us have that we could be doing things better. That we’re not sure how to live life. That we’re doing things wrong.
This leads us to try to optimize, to try to improve, but also to feel bad, to seek comfort and distraction, to procrastinate while we seek the answers. This is normal and there’s nothing wrong with it.
But I’d like to assure you that you’re doing nothing wrong. That you don’t need to optimize or do things better.
Try this:
For just a moment, pause where you are, and soak in the current state of the room around you, and your own state. Just notice what this is like.
Now see how this moment is enough. Just as it is. Without any need for improvement. It is a wonder, and there’s no need for more.
Now see how you are enough. Just as you are. Without any need for improvement. You are also a wonder, exactly enough.
You can go about your day, pausing every now and then to do a check: is this moment enough? Are you enough? And try answering, “Yes, absolutely and wonderfully.” (Thank you, Leo Babauta)
With kind regards,
Dieter Langenecker
ReThink – Towards Ethical Paradigms
“In this country, managers think that a fast decision is what counts. If the situation is new, slowing down is necessary. Slow down. Observe. Position yourself. Then act fast and with a natural flow that comes from the inner knowing. You have to slow down long enough to really see what’s needed. With a freshness of vision, you have the possibility of a freshness of action, and the overall response on a collective level can be much quicker than trying to implement hasty decisions that aren’t compelling to people.” (Otto Scharmer)
Warmly,
Dieter Langenecker
The Anti-Bucket List
Have you ever made a bucket list? For me, they’re incredibly seductive – I love reading other people’s bucket lists, and making my own.
But here’s what happens when you make a bucket list:
- You put this huge burden on yourself to get the list accomplished. As if we don’t already have enough on our to-do lists already!
- If you don’t do well at pursuing the things on the list, you feel guilty or underaccomplished.
- If you do well at pursuing the list, you are probably pursuing less-than-meaningful activities. They’re usually just there because they sounded cool to do.
The truth is, most of the things we put on bucket lists are just ideas that popped into our heads, not anything connected to meaning. We put things like “skydiving” and “learn to surf” and “visit the Amazon rainforest” and “kiss in the rain”- all of which are excellent activities … but we rarely put things like, “change someone’s life” or “find meaningful work that I care about” or “be compassionate toward my family”.
Why put pressure on ourselves to achieve a huge list of things that aren’t that meaningful? Why feel guilty if we’re not pursuing them? Why not let them go?
Life isn’t a big todo list, nor is it about optimizing all the things we do in life.
The most amazing things are right in front of us, right where we are. Right now. We don’t have to go anywhere or see some incredible sights or do daring activities to experience the wonder of life.
And we can do meaningful work, right where we are. What would a shorter list of meaningful activities look like? What would your anti-bucket list contain?
And if you don’t know what’s meaningful to you … isn’t that what you should be pursuing instead of a bucket list? (Thank you, Leo Babauta)
With kind regards,
Dieter Langenecker
ReThink – Towards Ethical Paradigms
“The fundamental problem with most businesses is that they are governed by mediocre ideas.
Maximizing the return of invested capital is an example of a mediocre idea. Mediocre ideas don’t uplift people. They don’t give them something they can tell their children about.
They don’t create much meaning.”
Bill O’Brien (CEO Hanover Insurance)
They don’t create much meaning.”
Bill O’Brien (CEO Hanover Insurance)
Dieter Langenecker
