Notes of Significance 2024
It’s February and we watched Ground Hog Day again. It seems that this tradition is, well, like the movie itself. The final scenes remind us that Bill Murray’s character, Phil Connors, has finally reached a level of significance in town through his generous acts.
He has found meaning by catching a boy falling from a tree, fixing a flat for three elderly women, performs the heimlick on his own brother saving his life and seems to brighten everyone crosses his path. It’s a story worth re-telling and living.
Favorite Podcast of the Week: We talked with Matt Abrahams, author or Think Faster, Talk Smarter. https://www.spreaker.com/episode/success-made-to-last-with-matt-abrahams-author-of-think-faster-talk-smarter–58533366
You might enjoy hearing his 3-step, AAA method for saying I’m sorry. Acknowledge-Appreciate-Amends. Listen to the show and hear the details. This isn’t Love Story b.s.
In Think Faster, Talk Smarter, this Stanford lecturer, podcast host, and communication expert provides tangible, actionable skills to help even the most anxious of speakers succeed when speaking spontaneously. Abrahams provides science-based strategies for managing anxiety, responding to the mood of the room, and making content concise, relevant, compelling, and memorable. He certainly mentored me and I needed it!
Book I’m Reading: “The Search, Finding Meaningful Work” by Bruce Feiler. Here are ten points to ponder for this week relative to significance:
- Work is the combination of what you do and how you feel about it.
- Success is how you balance time, effort, and money with purpose and happiness…what we call significance.
- We don’t tell our own life stories through the lens of significance.
- Forget about the old saying “decide what brings you joy, then go after it with single-minded determination.” Only 2 in 10 people truly follow their bliss. Think about alignment before bliss. That’s alignment of your skills and strengths, and what you know about yourself that can help others.
- Explore three types of jobs in your future- The Main Job, The Side Job and the Hope Job. 9 out of 10 people surveyed have a hope job besides their Side Job. For some, it’s writing a children’s book or selling blueberry muffins at a farmers’ market. It’s a job you imagine would make you happier.
I encourage you to buy The Search and explore this important conversation on how we spend our careers.
The Reunion Series: In advance our upcoming high school reunion that happens to be hitting a certain milestone, we started conversations that have been quite revealing. Thanks to Bill Sappenfield, Delia Bullock, David Bornowski, Jim May, Elaine Wilson, Steve Melton, and Leska Blevins Papas.
So far, we have learned that most classmates have a special calling, cause or mission that makes their lives worthwhile. It’s our Thee story with a higher sense of giving back.
There is also a sense of belonging, our relationships, first friends, and colleagues that share memories of Sherman, Texas. It’s our We story.
The other observation is that these friends took full agency. They have/had such a sense of freedom to create their own level of mastery. Every single Me story is about personal autonomy.
Quote I’m Pondering: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Mary Oliver
Here’s to a year of fueling your wild significance. Rick
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