Sunday, November 8, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Ripping off the blinders
I’ve had several uncomfortable discussions (read: arguments) with my mom over the past year regarding money and planning. This past weekend brought about a doozy and while debriefing with my best friend, a realization slammed into me – what I viewed as helpful advice was being seen as judgmental critique. From my perspective, I saw my mom in a tight spot and wanted to help. From her corner, she was dealing with a rough situation and being judged by her daughter at the same time. I’d never considered that my advice might be unwelcome or that this role reversal might be painful. I simply saw a problem and a need for a solution so I stepped up to provide just that. But I didn’t set myself up to see it from her shoes so she didn’t consider the “solutions” as being feasible for her. I’m not sure I’d like that either.
Monday, November 2, 2009
An eye-opener
And as I looked around, I realized that few people I know would consider these folks successful, simply because most of them aren’t out making gobs of money. A couple of years ago, I probably would have drawn the same conclusion. But now, I’m not sure I feel that way. Because their success is a life well lived, spending their time pursuing their passions. The more I think about it, I think that’s the greater success. It’s given me a lot to think about in relation to my own life. I work in the corporate world – is that what I want? If not, what else would I want to do? What are my passions?