A manifesto is a public declaration of your intentions. It’s a simple articulation of what you believe and a vision of the world that you wish to create. Whether you realize it or not, some…
Browsing Category Courage
[Short] The Obstacle is the Way
In story form, the main character or hero wants something and embarks on a quest to achieve it. That quest is riddled with challenges and obstacles, which is what makes the story fun and entertaining….
The Psychology of Regret and How to Overcome It
Someone asked me the other day if there’s anything I wish I would have known before starting the Meaning Movement. That’s a tough question to answer. If she’d asked if there are things I would…
Inside The Psychology of Dream Killers (and how to protect yourself)
I went to a going away party for a friend not long after I started this blog. I was excited. This was the birth of a dream. It was scary, fun, and vulnerable.
It’s vulnerable to make something you care about public. Suddenly all of your dreams and hopes manifest in something that people can interact with and respond to. And they will respond.
Sometimes the response is a swell of goodness and resonance. Other times you get push back, questioning looks, and even criticism.
Most times it’s some mix of both.
I ran into a friend at this party and she mentioned the blog and how excited she was for what I was doing. I was thrilled to talk about it— it was all so fresh. I pulled out some cards I made for the site that I was equally excited about.
That’s when I became aware that someone else had entered the room. My friend turned and introduced me to a big man in a bright Hawaiian shirt. Within seconds I noted how he carried himself with a cocky swagger and a certain coolness.
He took my card from my friend and said, “What’s this?”
“It’s just something I made…” I said, trying to blow it off and get out of what was about to happen.
“It’s a card for Dan’s new project! Isn’t it cool?” She replied.
He studied the card closely, and made a hmm sound.
“Yeah. The colors here are too distracting. And the period… I don’t like the period. (I do graphic design on the side.) And the name… *tsk tsk*,” shaking his head, “… the name shouldn’t be written like that. The Meaning Movement, I don’t really get it…”
Then he handed me the card and said, “Yeah. I would definitely have these redone.”
As if I was looking for his feedback! As if I had asked for his opinion! As if this was a conversation that I wanted to be having!
Apparently his work here was done, because he promptly continued his journey past us and out the back door to join the party on the porch.
Leaving my friend and I standing in stunned silence.
My friend rolled her eyes, “He’s just like that. Forget him.”
Obviously I didn’t…
How Responsibility Helps You Find Purpose in Life
I have a confession.
As you may know, I had a crazy health issue last fall that sent me into emergency surgery and a lot of nights in the hospital (it was a Volvulus if you really want to know).
Here’s the confession: after the surgery, when I knew I was going to be alright and I was laid up in the hospital, I felt this weird sense of relief. One part of this was the relief that I had made it through surgery and that I was going to be ok eventually— that’s no surprise.
The surprise was the other part of the relief— the part that is embarrassing to admit:
I felt relieved that I had an excuse.
I had an out. I had a way to take a little less responsibility for my work.
If the Meaning Movement doesn’t grow or if the Calling Course launch had failed, no one could judge me. No one could say, well, you could have done better when I’m fresh out of the hospital and struggling to be able bodied enough for every day life.
I can talk a big talk about taking risks. I can write posts about how you have something to say and that you need to say it. But when worse comes to worse, I wanted a way to get off the hook. I wanted to have an excuse…