It's Kind to Be Kind

I've been thinking about kindness lately. Not the grand kind that gets photographed and posted, but the quiet kind that happens when nobody is watching. Not the humble brag on TikTok. It can be showing someone patience; saying thank you; giving someone the benefit of the doubt; taking a moment to listen when you could easily walk away. 

We rarely share what's really going on with us; so we can't assume we know what's going on with someone else. We see a moment and make a judgment about the person, without knowing anything about the story behind it. Hey, we're human!  

What We Don't See 

The person who seems distracted may be dealing with something difficult. The person who is impatient may simply be exhausted. There is almost always more to the story than we can see. Kindness doesn't mean agreeing with everyone or tolerating bad behaviour. But we could all do better, don't ya think?

We can disagree, set boundaries, and still treat people with respect. That's what makes kindness meaningful. And some days, as an empath who doesn't want to burden anyone with my crap, it can be challenging. Sound familiar?

What We Leave Behind 

Sometimes a few careless words can sting for a long time. But a few thoughtful ones can help us for longer than the other person may even realize. Maybe that's enough reason to choose kindness when we can.

We often don't know what's going with others, and we often don't know how we can help someone. Sometimes what we may think is a nothing can mean the world to them.  

It's worth a try.

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Vän Friends Amie

When I was younger, friends were the people you hung out with, went to parties with, played sports with, worked with, and you didn't overthink. Hey you like hockey? Me too. Let's hang out. You saw them all the time; you knew who your friends were.  

Some of the people I was closest to are no longer part of my everyday life and I'm not in their life. We've moved on; met other people; traveled other journeys. I wonder how my buddy Andy is doing these days. We were hooked at the shoulder for all those road hockey games and listening to new albums. Then we grew up and did life stuff. But if we bumped into each other tomorrow, I suspect we'd have awesome stories to share!  

Ageless connections 

I’ve also made great friends later in life. Some started as colleagues or clients and, somewhere along the way, became people I genuinely care about. My circle has changed over the years. I'm sure yours has as well. I'm lucky to know a handful of people who know me, make me laugh, tell me when I'm being an idiot, and are somehow happy to sit around a table for a couple of hours and share time.

That's what I appreciate about real friendship. You don't have to perform or keep score. You just know. And after all these years, I'm grateful for the people I know. 

 I hope you are too.

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The Lost Art of Showing Up

One of the simplest ways to get ahead of our competition has nothing to do with AI, technology, budgets, or complicated strategies. It comes down to something much more basic: doing what we say we are going to do. Unfortunately, that has become surprisingly rare. We make mistakes; that's not what I'm referring to in this scenario.

Ghosting has become far too common in business and everyday life. Someone says they will call you back, send information, provide a quote, or follow up on a conversation, and then they disappear. We all get busy. Busy can be a wall we hide behind.

Crickets Rule 

But there is a big difference between being delayed and simply ignoring someone. A quick email or phone call saying, "I'm running behind and will get back to you by the end of the week," takes seconds. And if the answer is no then politely decline.

That small act of communication shows respect and keeps the relationship intact. Trust is built when we return the call; when we show up prepared and on time; when we follow through on a commitment. I can hear my mom saying all that now. I'd call in sick for my part-time job at the car wash and she was none too impressed. 

Interactions Count

Every missed call, unanswered email, or broken promise creates doubt. The chef doesn't stand in the kitchen waiting for your decision; she moves on to the next order because she can't prepare you a plate of maybe for dinner.

Every follow-through builds confidence. We all fall down. We all mess up. That's not this which is making the decision to ignore someone because telling them no might seem harder. A quick no is often better received than a long maybe or worse, being ghosted. 

In a world of ghosts, let's show up. ____________________________________________________________

The Power of Relationships

Technology changes. Platforms change. Trends come and go. Relationships don’t. Business has always been about people. 

Trust still drives opportunities, partnerships, referrals, and long-term growth. The strongest connections are rarely built through one ad or one meeting. They come from consistency, authenticity, and how you treat people over time. 

 Marketing matters. Visibility matters. 

But relationships give those things meaning. Without connection, marketing becomes forgettable. The businesses that last are usually the ones that answer messages, support their communities, remember names, and genuinely care about people.

 In a world focused on AI and shortcuts, relationships remain one of the few things that cannot be replicated overnight. People remember how you made them feel.

Let’s create more experiences, not more campaigns.

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Can't do that, Hal

We’ve never been more connected, and we’ve never been more at risk of missing the point. Everywhere we look - AI, automation, social platforms, smart everything - there’s a promise of efficiency: faster responses, better targeting, more data, and more reach. But none of that replaces what actually moves people. 

The kind that isn’t optimized, scheduled, or generated - the kind that happens when someone feels heard, understood, and valued. Not as a lead. Not as a click, but as a person. 

Technology has changed how we communicate, but it hasn’t changed why we communicate. We still buy from people we trust. We still remember how someone made us feel. We still choose relationships over transactions - every time. 

 Zeros and Ones 

Here’s the part that we often miss: the more digital everything becomes, the more human our brand needs become in this new world. While everyone else is scaling automation, audiences are craving authenticity. They can tell when it’s generic. 

They feel when it’s forced. And they notice when it’s real. Meta - which owns Facebook and Instagram just let go 10% of its entire workforce because of their increased investment in Artificial Intelligence. They won't be the only ones. 

AI can write our emails, build our campaigns, and even sound like us. But it can’t be us. It can’t replace our perspective, our experience, our tone, our emotions, or our relationships. It can’t replicate the trust we’ve built over time or the conversations that happen off-script. That’s our edge. 

So we use the tools, embrace the tech, and leverage AI. But we shouldn't outsource the one thing that actually differentiates us. Because in a world full of noise, relationships aren’t just important. 

 They’re everything. 

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Scrolling Through Life And Missing It

We live on our devices. Clips, viral videos, news alerts - they’re everywhere, and they grab our attention like magnets. Did we see that thing? Did we hear about that guy? 

Sometimes it feels like we’re keeping up with the world, but are we keeping up with ourselves? Hours slip by while we react, scroll, and double-tap, and the life happening right in front of us quietly passes by.

Missing Moments That Matter 

 Life isn’t a feed. The laughter around the table, the quiet moments at sunrise, the small gestures that mean the most - they aren’t trending, and they aren’t going viral. When we’re glued to our screens, we risk missing the very moments that make life rich. 

Relationships weaken, opportunities pass, and our own story gets lost among everyone else’s highlights. That doesn’t mean we ditch tech entirely. Devices are tools, not life itself. The trick is balance. Let’s take a walk, have a conversation, or just pause to notice what’s happening around us. Being present, opens doors: we see people, ideas, and moments we would have scrolled past. 

Finding Life Between the Notifications 

Ask questions, notice details, and truly listen. Life is happening, whether we’re looking at it or not. When we reconnect with our own world, the digital one becomes less distracting and more of a choice rather than a habit. We live on our devices - but life is happening for us, right now. 

 Let’s not miss it. ____

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Ghost and the Machine

You’ve probably noticed it. It’s likely been happening since the dawn of time, but it feels like it’s ramped up in recent years. Many of us hoped the world would become kinder and gentler after Covid -  but in many ways, the opposite has happened.

Everyone’s “busy.” Everyone has too many priorities, too many choices. It’s become a comfortable excuse when we simply don’t want to do something.

My mom had a vivid phrase for when we went back on our word, she’d threaten to tan our hides. If you said you’d take the job and show up on time, you did exactly that.  

If you or anyone you know works in fast service, you’ve probably heard the stories - people not showing up for shifts. When I was a kid, that was unthinkable. You did what you said you were going to do.

Sorry, I’m Busy

Now to the big one: ghosting. You start a promising conversation with a potential client, things seem to go well - and then they vanish. No replies, no calls, no explanation. No one is that busy after the third or fourth follow-up. Maybe they hope you’ll give up - and often, that’s exactly what happens. But here’s the thing: it’s not about being busy; it’s about being respectful.

Difficult conversations are difficult. But if you’re too afraid to say no, don’t say yes or maybe in the first place. The old saying holds true - a fast no is far better than a slow maybe… and miles ahead of an unprofessional ghosting.

Leave a message after the beep. 

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Are You Ready?

“It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” Hugh Laurie 

The second anniversary is not far off. It was the day we heard the phrase - Global Pandemic. It began somewhere far away and quickly became something every human on the planet deals with every day. The coronavirus, Covid-19, variants, vaccines, masks, protests, economies, it's all been too much and we're not out of the woods.

Are We Ready? 

When I was a kid, my parents would try and tell me to enjoy life and not get too caught up in the minutiae. I was always close to my mom, but during the last few years of her life, we had even better conversations about her life, my life, and life in general. This is a woman who put me, my sister, and my dad on her back and somehow got us through. She worked from the age of 14 until she retired at 71. She passed away in August 2020 mere months after this global crisis began. She was born during the second world war and died during the worst human crisis in over a century. 

If I had told mom I wanted to be a clown in a rodeo, she would have told me to be the best clown any rodeo has ever had with no judgement. The pandemic has made me more reflective and I put my words to actions late last year when I took another leap in my professional life. I took a shot at something I'd never done before and so far so good. In fact, it's been excellent. Mom was right; don't worry about what others think.

Let's Stop Comparing 

One of the most overused cliches is that no one will wish they had spent more time at the office as they take their last breath. How do we know that? And if we replaced the phrase "at the office" with "going for it", that's a more powerful statement. As Mr. Laurie says, why wait until we're ready to do anything because we'll never be ready. The world has forever changed and normal left the building in March 2020. So let's take the leap.

If we're waiting for a sign, it's right in front of us. Change your career, get out of that crappy relationship, buy the damn car, if you like the hat then wear the hat, eat the cookie, stop overthinking everything. If you want that relationship, go for it. If you want to try that new job, don't wait for an invitation. Put the mobile device or laptop down and do it before you are ready. 

If we're never ready, then why are we waiting?

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The Hope Strategy

It’s been often said that hope is not a strategy but I wonder if we should automatically throw it out. Hope pushes us forward; it keeps our minds active toward potential results and solutions. As we get to the end of our lives, regret can be one of the worst emotions we can feel, so as long as there is hope, we can carry on.

This is not to suggest we can survive simply on hope because without effort and action, it will be an empty exercise. However, if we remain hopeful, we will keep trying to find solutions, relationships, business concepts, and career choices.

In Other Words
Synonyms include; confidence, courage, anticipation, faith, optimism.

If we replace any of those words when we feel we are looking at what we want, perhaps it can change our perspective. And if evidence becomes overwhelming that hope for a certain outcome isn’t going to go our way, we should find strength to keep hope in our minds and hearts for the next time around.

Time gives us experience and hope gives us life to our dreams, plans, ideas, and relationships. Life can be hard, business can be challenging, and leadership can be a struggle. If we keep our hope at the forefront, we can take our experiences and passions forward when circumstances don’t go our way.

Let's stay hopeful.
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How About Now?

There's never a good time to buy a new house. It's not the right time to have a baby. I'd be better to wait a bit longer and not take the gig. She will probably say no, so it's better I don't bother. We often look for reasons not to do something, which we discuss in greater detail in a future post, than just go for it. 

I was speaking with a good buddy the other day and this subject must have come up a dozen times in a phone call that lasted less than half an hour. He's working on a new business venture and deciding what moves to make now and what to push to the future. In each case, doing it later seemed like the wise decision. 

Deciding to Decide 

The late legendary musician Neil Peart of the band Rush once wrote; "There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance. A host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance. You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose Freewill."

Even if we decide to defer something until later, we have made a decision. But why does it often seem easier to put things off? Well, I think one reason might be that we don't have to deal with the consequence of our decision. But as Peart reminds us, then we have to deal with the fallout of not making the call.

Daily Choices

We make a thousand decisions each day from what we'll have to breakfast to whether or not to buy that new car and a multitude in between. So this theory may ring true with you - there's actually never a good time to do anything. Other than breathing, ensuring we drink enough water, and eat enough food to sustain life, the rest are decisions. 

We could sell all our stuff and move to a cabin in the woods. We could quit our jobs and start our own business. We could throw some clothes in a duffle bag and hitchhike across the country. We could do something on the "some day" list. We could decide not to let our lack of decision be our fate.  

But let's decide that later.  

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Extrointraextrovert

I'm an extrovert introvert who enjoys collaborating in team and group environments but also needs and enjoys some chill time on my own to recharge. I’m an ENFP (Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Perception) which means I focus on intuition and external connections. But there is a strong internal piece which is key to process how I feel about things and how they fit into my value system.

I live in the world of possibilities – which can trip me up on follow through – but I see life as a gift and literally wake up every day looking forward to the possibilities. I have my share of down times and self-doubt which again is typical of someone driven by emotion and connection.

Up Downside

When I look at the 20 or so people I spend the most time with, it’s a mix, which is typical of an ENFP as I get energy from others and the varied traits they bring. And some of the closest people in my life are actually introverts. If you know one or are one, you know the label isn't completely accurate. The ones in my life are incredibly personable, engaging, and funny. Introvert means shy and withdrawn and I disagree with those broad labels.

I have a colleague who is an introvert and prefers to solve issues at work one-on-one in plain language through conversation and collaboration while her boss wants every report in triplicate to outline the effectiveness of the analysis of the plan. One gets energy from relationships while the other can’t operate without reports and structure.

P2P

One of my best friends – who is definitely an extrovert – is a very successful investment adviser who does most of his work on the phone or with clients rather than sitting in his office doing paperwork. His energy comes from being with and helping people and he does it all day long.

So if you have someone on your team who isn't like you, celebrate that, celebrate them, and get to know their way, their perspective, and their view on the world. We can talk about the multi-generational workplace another time.

Labels are good for clothing not people.
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What's Your Why?

This isn't a book review or a paid post; this is simply something I wanted to share which may help you as well. I do quite a bit of reading and I usually gravitate to books that end up being more like life manuals. 

For that reason, I often read them more than once and get the audiobook for the car. I've read the book twice and I'm now on my second round with the audiobook of Find Your Why by Simon Sinek. Earlier this year, I listened to one of his previous works; Start With Why for the third time.

Clearly Stated

I was in a client meeting last week and we discussed this phenomena. This is a team who clearly knows why their company exists and why they chose to work there which was refreshing. In my experience, leaders can often clearly articulate what their company does, makes, or provides, but struggle with the deeper meaning behind it all.  

We don't need to give any credence to those barking online how their opinions are all-knowing and anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong. I want to know why I do, act, and think certain ways. I want to gain more insight into why I may make decisions that don't serve me. You might feel the same way.  

Discovering Why

Find Your Why is an excellent companion to the earlier work because it dives into our true purpose and what ignites our passion. It's a thought-provoking book that takes you on a journey of self-discovery. Sinek presents insights and advice that can help all of us uncover our personal and professional why. 

One of the highlights for me is when he discusses the power of purpose-driven living. This is when we are able to align our actions with our core values and beliefs.

Emotional Roadmap

If we can understand our why, we can get closer to what will bring us fulfillment and make a meaningful impact in our personal and professional life. I review this book often to keep myself focused but it also helps you help others find their why. 

The benefit of that is in professional and personal relationships. How better will the relationship with your partner be if you can gain more understanding of why they like certain things, gravitate to certain activities, and choose particular career paths? How valuable will it be for you to be able share yours with them?

It might be worth consideration.

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Yeah, What He Gestured

Communication is at the cornerstone of our lives. We email, text, tweet, phone, meet, talk, tiktok, and connect because we have an inherent need to belong. And there are countless studies out there that point to the way we receive communication. 

One of the most adopted and accepted appeared in a book published in 1971 by Albert Mehrabian entitled Silent Messages. His research found that the person receiving our messages gives 55% of their attention on our body language and eye contact, 38% to our tone, and just 7% to our words. So how we say it carries more weight than what we say. It's interesting that Mehrabian's research still holds true 52 years later. 

 According to the professor, non-verbal cues carry 93% of the weight of communication. So we should probably think about how that can help us strengthen or hinder in our relationships and culture in our businesses. 

Enough said.

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Asparagus and a Sun Roof

Perhaps this has happed to you; it's happening to me a lot lately. You have a dream where you know most if not all the people in it, but you are all in a different scenario. 

Years ago I had a recurring one where I opened the door to the office and it was a grocery store. Everyone working in the store were current colleagues. My boss was working the cash and my assistant was managing the produce department. 

Recently, random people keep showing up in the most bizarre situations in my dreams again. In one, I was working at a car dealership and a former colleague whom I haven't seen in two decades and has since passed away came into the store. 

It's you again.

I knew I was dreaming but it was so vivid. She worked in another department and we didn't know each other well. Why did she show up and why in such a strange scenario? 

Our brains are fascinating factories of facts and instructions. Why do we store the most inane things in there but can't find our keys? I often ponder what life would be like if it was like it is in our dreams. 

And then I wake up. 

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Too Much Information?

We say it several times a day. We meet a client, see a friend, join a Zoom call, and the first thing we often say is; "How are you?" The reply is often;"I'm good, you?". And we move on. Why do we do that? Is it uncomfortable if someone said they were tired because their baby is sick or down because of their ailing father or upset due to their marriage having trouble?

I get there is a right time and place for personal stuff but without oversharing, how can we take that original salutation just an inch farther? I'm not suggesting fake compassion; I'm referring to the real stuff. Take just twenty seconds to see how someone is doing. You aren't there to solve their challenge but rather to simply be human. We're not robots and there might be much more going on if someone isn't "making their numbers".

Leave it at home

I am lucky to work in a company and with a team who does take a moment to see how you are really doing and let you know they actually see you as a person. It doesn't weaken relationships, it strengthens them.

I feel the core of teamwork is having each other's backsides not our own. Hopefully others feel the same way. If someone is missing deadlines or their work quality is waning, it's time for a check in and see if they are truly okay. Work is not a place to spend your time talking about your kids and home life all day. We are humans not robots and if we think people shouldn't bring their life to work, we may have another challenge.

They might stop bringing their work to life. 

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Humble Brags and Gladrags

I've been doing it for over a decade. Each day on the social web, I post a quip, quote, birthday, or historic event. It's not meant to change the world; it's just something fun. You can read it then move on with your day.

For instance, September 24th was the 267th day of 2022. The post was about Muppets' founder Jim Henson who was born on that date. The full content read; Day 267 - “Life’s like a movie, write your own ending; keep believing, keep pretending.” Jim Henson (Sept 24/36 - May 16/90).  

Your poor old granddad had to sweat to buy you.

The idea of social networks was to connect and share. I don't know about you but I've grown tired of people trying to portray that their lives are an endless pool party, hot spot vacation, and joyride of awesomeness. The thinly veiled humble brag really needs to go. 

I know we probably wouldn't find a book or movie about some random dude who is born, goes to school, gets a job, works for forty years, has two weeks off every year to go camping, retires, and dies, all that interesting so I get it. But can't we strike a balance somehow? We want to consume interesting content, but we can do better than trying to out do each other, can't we? 

I suggest you just throw them all away.

The Kardashians, Real Housewives, and Paris Hilton share a trait - they are all famous for being famous. The term was coined for someone who attains celebrity status for no clearly identifiable reason as opposed to having actual talent or skill. 

One of the first famous for being famous was Zsa Zsa Gabor. She was an actress for a few years, married nine times, and a celebrity for over six decades. 

All I thought I had to do was smile.

The sad reality is thousands think they can rise to stardom and riches by aiming to become a YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok star. The sadder - some succeed.

My hope is rekindled, however, when I see a post about someone overcoming adversity or helping others. It's nice to see the humanness and selflessness we are all capable of possessing. So maybe one of my daily posts will make you smile or think or pause, and perhaps something you post will make someone feel better. 

It's worth a try, don't ya think?

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It's Not The Right Time...

There's never a good time to buy a new house. It's not the right time to have a baby. I'd be better to wait a bit longer and not take the gig. She will probably say no, so it's better I don't bother. We often look for reasons not to do something, which we discuss in greater detail in a future post, than just go for it. 

I was speaking with a good buddy the other day and this subject must have come up a dozen times in a phone call that lasted less than half an hour. He's working on a new business venture and deciding what moves to make now and what to push to the future. In each case, doing it later seemed like the wise decision. 

Deciding to Decide 

The late legendary musician Neil Peart of the band Rush once wrote; "There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance. A host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance. You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose Freewill."

Even if we decide to defer something until later, we have made a decision. But why does it often seem easier to put things off? Well, I think one reason might be that we don't have to deal with the consequence of our decision. But as Peart reminds us, then we have to deal with the fallout of not making the call.

Daily Choices

We make a thousand decisions each day from what we'll have to breakfast to whether or not to buy that new car and a multitude in between. So this theory may ring true with you - there's actually never a good time to do anything. Other than breathing, ensuring we drink enough water, and eat enough food to sustain life, the rest are decisions. 

We could sell all our stuff and move to a cabin in the woods. We could quit our jobs and start our own business. We could throw some clothes in a duffle bag and hitchhike across the country. We could do something on the "some day" list. We could decide not to let our lack of decision be our fate.  

But let's decide that later.  

 __________________________________________________________________

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

That won't work. It's a dumb idea. You're too sensitive. You can't do that. Don't dream so big. You aren't mean for great things. Don't be ridiculous. Lower your expectations. 

The stories we tell ourselves are often influenced by the stories others tell us about us. Bill isn't good with math; Sally tends to talk too much; Byron has issues with authority; Janet has no success with relationships; Kyle doesn't socialize well.

Mean What You Mean

Our friends, family, parents, and even our colleagues may mean well but they shape how we feel about ourselves whether their assessments are accurate or not. It's easy to say "don't listen to them" but it takes a lot of energy and fortitude to do that, especially if some of this imprinting has been going on for years.

Far too often, we put others and ourselves in a box. I'm too old, I don't have the money, I couldn't do that, it won't work, it's too late. Easier said than done, but let's accept the past has passed, and take the shot. We could just resign ourselves to letting others build our narrative. After all, they know best, right?

Or perhaps we may enjoy making some new stories.

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Introextrointroverts Unite

I'm an extroverted introvert who enjoys collaborating in team and group environments but must have alone time to recharge. Some days I prefer to work in my office and the phone calls, emails, and Zooms are enough people for me. In fact, my introverted traits are getting stronger as I get older. 

I am an ENFP (Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Perception) which means I am influenced by intuition and external connections. But there is a strong internal piece which is key to process how I feel about things and how they fit into my value system as well.

A Mixed Bag

When I look at the people I spend the most time with, it’s a mix, which is typical of an ENFP as I get energy from others and the varied traits they bring. And some of the closest people in my life are actually introverts. If you know one or are one, you know quiet and impersonal are not accurate descriptions of an introvert. Those in my life are incredibly personable, engaging, and funny. 

Being an introvert does not mean you dislike people and need to be alone all the time. I have a colleague who is an introvert and prefers to solve issues one-on-one in plain language through conversation and collaboration while her boss wants every report in triplicate to outline the effectiveness of the analysis of the plan. One gets energy from relationships while the other can’t operate without reports and structure. 

No Calls Please

One of my best friends – who is definitely an extrovert – is a very successful investment adviser who does most of his work with clients rather than sitting in his office doing paperwork. His energy comes from being with and helping people and he does it all day long. It is funny to note that he hates phone calls and will prefer to text if he has to use the phone at all.

So if you have someone on your team who isn't like you, celebrate that, celebrate them, and get to know their way, their perspective, and their view on the world. Our differences make our lives interesting.

Labels might be good for clothing but not for people. ________________________________________________________________

Ready. Set. Then What?

“It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” Hugh Laurie 

The second anniversary is not far off. It was the day we heard the phrase - Global Pandemic. It began somewhere far away and quickly became something every human on the planet deals with every day. The coronavirus, Covid-19, variants, vaccines, masks, protests, economies, it's all been too much and we're not out of the woods.

Are We Ready? 

When I was a kid, my parents would try and tell me to enjoy life and not get too caught up in the minutiae. I was always close to my mom, but during the last few years of her life, we had even better conversations about her life, my life, and life in general. This is a woman who put me, my sister, and my dad on her back and somehow got us through. She worked from the age of 14 until she retired at 71. She passed away in August 2020 mere months after this global crisis began. She was born during the second world war and died during the worst human crisis in over a century. 

If I had told mom I wanted to be a clown in a rodeo, she would have told me to be the best clown any rodeo has ever had with no judgement. The pandemic has made me more reflective and I put my words to actions late last year when I took another leap in my professional life. I took a shot at something I'd never done before and so far so good. In fact, it's been excellent. Mom was right; don't worry about what others think.

Let's Stop Comparing 

One of the most overused cliches is that no one will wish they had spent more time at the office as they take their last breath. How do we know that? And if we replaced the phrase "at the office" with "going for it", that's a more powerful statement. As Mr. Laurie says, why wait until we're ready to do anything because we'll never be ready. The world has forever changed and normal left the building in March 2020. So let's take the leap.

If we're waiting for a sign, it's right in front of us. Change your career, get out of that crappy relationship, buy the damn car, if you like the hat then wear the hat, eat the cookie, stop overthinking everything. If you want that relationship, go for it. If you want to try that new job, don't wait for an invitation. Put the mobile device or laptop down and do it before you are ready. If we're never ready, then why are we waiting?

That's what makes life so much more interesting.