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Owning our mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes at work. Some professional errors, however, are more public than others. If you’re a journalist or published author, for instance, the mistakes you make on the job are public and remain in print forever. There were times when I made errors that were, luckily, caught by editors before they made it to print. But sometimes they weren’t caught — and I was humbled when my readers pointed them out. As sociologist Brene Brown notes, if you’re going to put yourself out there, expect to get your ass kicked. But if you don’t want your ass kicked in public, you’re better suited to working in a career where…
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Chaos? Bring it on!
“If chaos is a necessary step in the organization of one’s universe, then I was well on my way.” ~Wendelin Van Draanen Talk about chaos? Nearly every room in our house is being repainted, which means we’re living in a state of perpetual disorder. Following the schedule of our painters, we’ve been moving all of our stuff — including furniture — from room to room for the past two weeks. Last week, our living room looked like a ransacked junk shop while the painters worked in the dining room and kitchen. But after years of living through various home improvement projects (see page 14 in my book, Writing Home), I’ve…
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Inner compass
“Pay close attention to your inner compass. If you stop steering by your own compass, you’ll hit a rumble strip. Don’t panic. Just question your assumptions and you’ll be back on the road in no time.” ~Martha Beck We humans are creatures of habit. We often follow the traditional routes mapped out by others — and find safety and comfort in doing so. Likewise, as kids, we’re taught to respect “authority” in all its guises, including our parents, school teachers, pastors, priests, and police officers. We assumed they were always right, always acting on our behalf — and we were reprimanded for doubting or disobeying them. I like to think…
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Get out of jail free
“Why do you stay in prison, when the door is so wide open?” ~Rumi, Sufi poet Sometimes we create our own obstacles. We might cling to old myths and family roles, or make assumptions that aren’t based on responsible research or fact. We might box ourselves into categories — while doing the same to others. As the Sufi poet Rumi reminds us, we have the power to move past the limits we’ve created or imagined. We can challenge the rules that no longer apply to us. We can escape the prisons of our own making. How often do you trick yourself into thinking you don’t have the ability to achieve…
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When silence speaks volumes
“To say nothing is saying something. You must denounce things you are against, or one might believe that you support things you really do not.” ~Germany Kent As today’s quote suggests, silence can be misinterpreted. This got me thinking about a variety of complicated situations — including politics. (Don’t worry: I’m staying bipartisan here.) Recently, some friends and I agreed that when people refuse to discuss politics, we often assume that their beliefs and opinions don’t align with ours. Or maybe they don’t know us well enough to share their truth. Otherwise, they’d speak up, right? We could be wrong, of course. But speaking from experience, I’ve learned that others…
