Sunday, November 8, 2009

I am finding it harder than expected to come up with good content for this blog. I need to take a little time and figure out my direction so in the meantime, there probably won't be daily posts.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Ripping off the blinders

I (re)learned two important lessons in the past few days: 1) perception is reality and boy, can it differ widely; and 2) don’t give advice unless it’s asked for (and proceed with caution when it is).

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

I attended a beautiful wedding yesterday. The love between the bride and groom and among the guests shone brightly. As I enjoyed the company, food, and dancing, I suddenly realized that I was in a room full of people who routinely pursue their passions, with little regard for the financial implications. One woman is a folk singer (though that barely scratches the surface of her talents), another is an author, yet another is a dancer. It’s a tight knit group of incredibly talented, artistic people who spend their lives doing what they love. What a concept!

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?